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The Shoshone language (also referred to as Shoshoni, Shonshoni, or Shoshoni-Goshfiute) was originally spoken by the Shoshone tribe or the Great Basin American Indians[1] who were located in the United States. The term "Shoshone" translates to "Newi", or the "People"[2]. This tribe has resided in areas ranging from eastern California in Death Valley to southwestern Wyoming[3]; they changed locations with the different seasons[4].
It is estimated that this language has been around for 1,000 to 1,100 years[5]. Shoshone is an endangered language because only about 1,000 people still speak it. A majority of these people are over 50 years old[6]. The religion of the Shoshone, called Naraya, was very crucial to the language. Traditions like dancing[7] and poetry[8] were also very important.
Classification[edit]
The Shoshone language is part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. This family includes about 32 languages ranging throughout the U.S. and Mexico. The Shoshone language is then branched from the Northern Uto-Aztechan branch, sub-branched from the Numic, and then sub-branched again from the Central Numic. The Central Numic branch also contains languages such as Comanche and Panamint.
| Shoshone | |
|---|---|
| Shoshoni, Shonshoni, Shoshoni- Goshfiuste | |
| Region | California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming |
Native speakers | 1000 |
Uto-Aztecan
| |
| Official status | |
Official language in | USA |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | shh |
History[edit]
In the late 1800's the Shoshone tribe began their journey as hunters and gatherers, first settling in the Great Basin. This settlement ultimately failed so they moved on to parts of Wyoming and Idaho. The people here either lived in small families, or clusters of fifty to one-hundred people. They lived in small towns and ranches right outside of major cities. Despite being located in various regions, the original Shoshone dialect barely had any variation from place to place making it a 'dialect chain'[9]. As the late 1800's approached, English started making its way into the culture as well as the original Shoshone. This is the earliest form of English known to be brought into the Shoshone culture.The children at school had a teacher, James Chandler, who spoke English and taught the children the language through poems, rhymes, and writing. He believed that if a child grew up knowing both Shoshone and English they would become the most successful in the future.
Having a wide range of land resulted in problems for years between the Shoshone, emigrants, and white settlers[10].
Geographic Distribution[edit]
From the time of establishment, the Shoshone language was distributed across states like California, Nevada, Utah Idaho, and Wyoming. Today, the language mostly resides in Wyoming, northwestern Utah, and southeastern Idaho. Only about 1,000 people speak the language across this range of three states. Only the eldest people are full Shoshone speakers. People who are 20 years old and older still speak Shoshone, but also speak English. Any Shoshone Indians who know English currently have learned it in school or in the workplace. The children all mostly know English currently because the Shoshone language is fading away. Decades ago, there were still some children in the Owyhee Reservation who only knew how to speak Shoshone. There are some children now who are learning the traditional Shoshone language in school, but there are none who solely speak Shoshone.
The United States is the only known country that Shoshone is currently being spoken in.
Official Status[edit]
Currently, the Shoshone language is only spoken by about 1,000 people, making it 60% endangered. It is only spoken in the United States in states such as Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Dialects/Varieties[edit]
There are only 3 known varieties of the Shoshone language that include Eastern Shoshone, Northern Shoshone, and Western Shoshone.
Sounds/Phonology[edit]
Vowels[edit]
The vowels of the Shoshone Language are very similar to that of English. The only difference is it includes variations of double characters or two characters for one vowel.
| Vowels | IPA Symbols |
|---|---|
| a | a |
| aa | aː |
| ai | e (ɛ) |
| aii | eː |
| e | ə |
| ee | əː |
| i | i |
| ii | iː |
| o | o |
| oo | oː |
| u | u |
| uu | uː |
Constants[edit]
The constants of the Shoshone language also have some similarities to the English language.
| Constants | IPA Symbol |
|---|---|
| b | p (ʙ) |
| ch | tʃ |
| d | t (ɾ) |
| f | Φ |
| g | k (ɤ) |
| h | h |
| j | dʒ |
| k | k |
| kw | kw |
| m | m |
| n | n |
| p | p |
| s | s |
| s | ʃ |
| t | t |
| ts | ts |
| w | w |
| y | j |
| z | z |
| zh | ʒ |
| ' | ʕ |
Writing System[edit]
There are 2 writing systems of the Shoshone language. The first was found in the 1970's and was named the Crum-Miller system. It is more phonemically-based and focuses on the sounds of the Shoshone language. The second system was found in the 2000's and was named the Idaho State University system. This system focuses more on the phonetic elements of the language.
References[edit]
- ^ Shoshone Tribe Facts. Retrieved March 06, 2017, from http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Great-Basin-American-Indian-Facts/Shoshone-Tribe-Facts.shtml
- ^ Shoshone Tribe. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/shoshone-tribe.htm
- ^ Miller, W. (1993). The Death of Language or Serendipity among the Shoshoni. Anthropological Linguistics, 35(1/4), 243-249. Retrieved March 06, 2017.
- ^ Parry, M., & Parry, M. (2000). The Northwestern Shoshone. In Begay D., Defa D., Duncan C., Holt R., Maryboy N., McPherson R., et al. (Authors) & Cuch F. (Ed.), History Of Utah's American Indians (pp. 25-72). University Press of Colorado. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/j.ctt46nwms.5
- ^ Hill, J. (1978). Language Contact Systems and Human Adaptations. Journal of Anthropological Research, 34(1), 1-26. Retrieved March 06, 2017.
- ^ Did you know Shoshone is endangered. Retrieved March 08, 2017.
- ^ VANDER, J. (2014). Poetry Songs of the Shoshone Ghost Dance (Wind River Shoshone). In Swann B. (Ed.), Sky Loom: Native American Myth, Story, and Song (pp. 188-203). LINCOLN; LONDON: University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/j.ctt1d9nmxq.13
- ^ FOWLER, C. (1992). Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics in the Great Basin: Some Proposals for the 1990s. Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 14(1), 13-21. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27825473
- ^ Kroeber, A. L. (2009, October 28). The Bannock and Shoshoni Languages. Retrieved March 06, 2017.
- ^ Wilson, R. (1986). Arizona and the West, 28(3), 270-271. Retrieved March 06, 2017.