Citizendia

Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages) are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Greenland, encompassing the land masses which constitute the Americas. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America These indigenous languages consist of dozens of distinct language families as well as many language isolates and unclassified languages. List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family A language isolate, in the absolute sense is a Natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic" relationship with other living languages that is Unclassified languages are languages whose genetic affiliation has not been established mostly due to lack of reliable data Many proposals to group these into higher-level families have been made.

Contents

Background

Thousands of languages were spoken in North and South America prior to first contact with Europeans between the beginning of the eleventh century (Norwegian settlement of Greenland and attempted settlement of Labrador and Newfoundland) and the end of the fifteenth century (the voyages of Christopher Columbus). South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The attitudes of most of the European colonizers and their successor states toward Native American languages ranged from benign neglect to active suppression. John Eliot of Massachusetts, however, translated the Bible into an Algonquian language usually called Wampanoag, Massachusett or Natick (1661–63; the first Bible printed in North America) and Spanish missionaries preached to the natives in local languages. John Eliot may refer to Sir John Eliot (statesman (1592&ndash1632 English politician John Eliot (missionary (c The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it was an English settlement on the east coast of North America The Bible has been translated into many languages from the Biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek. The Algonquian (also Algonkian, and pronounced both and) languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic This article is about the Native American tribe For the US state see Massachusetts. Natick (Pronunciation ˈneɪtɪk is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. They actually spread Quechua beyond its original geographic area. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. Several indigenous creole languages developed in the Americas from European languages. A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable Language that originates seemingly as a nativized Pidgin.

But in most cases, the aboriginal languages of the Americas suffered extinction. Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, and Dutch were brought to the Americas by European settlers and administrators, and are the official or national languages of the modern nation-states of the Americas. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname

That said, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Greenland have one or more official indigenous languages in addition to the colonial language. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Several indigenous languages of the Americas had developed their own writing systems, including the Mayan languages and Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and nearby related peoples (e. A writing system is a type of Symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in Language. Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political g. , the Pipil in El Salvador). These and many other indigenous languages later adapted the Latin alphabet or Canadian Aboriginal syllabics. Canadian Aboriginal syllabic writing', or simply syllabics, is a family of Abugidas {dubious}} used to write a number of Aboriginal Canadian

Tlingit was first written by Russian missionaries in the Cyrillic alphabet, when Alaska and the coast of North America down to Sonoma County, California, were in contact with the Russian Empire. The Tlingit language (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English Lingít ɬɪŋkɪ́t in Tlingit is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by It is now written in the Roman alphabet.

Indigenous languages vary greatly in the number of speakers, from Quechua, Aymara, Guarani, and Nahuatl with millions of active speakers to a number of languages with only a handful of elderly speakers. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. Aymara ( Aymar aru) is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. Guaraní /gwaraˈni/ (local name avañe'ẽ) is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní subfamily of the Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family Most indigenous languages of the Americas are endangered, and many others are extinct, with no living native speakers. An endangered language is a Language that it is at risk of falling out of use generally because it has few surviving speakers According to some definitions an extinct language is a Language which no longer has any speakers, whereas a dead language is a language which is no longer spoken

Language families (& isolates)

Notes:

South America

Although both North and Central America are very diverse areas, South America has a linguistic diversity rivalled by only a few other places in the world with approximately 350 languages still spoken and an estimated 1,500 languages at first European contact. The situation of language documentation and classification into genetic families is not as advanced as in North America (which is relatively well-studied in many areas). Kaufman (1994: 46) gives the following appraisal:

Since the mid 1950s, the amount of published material on SA [South America] has been gradually growing, but even so, the number of researchers is far smaller than the growing number of linguistic communities whose speech should be documented. Given the current employment opportunities, it is not likely that the number of specialists in SA Indian languages will increase fast enough to document most of the surviving SA languages before they go out of use, as most of them unavoidably will. More work languishes in personal files than is published, but this is a standard problem.
It is fair to say that SA and New Guinea are linguistically the poorest documented parts of the world. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known However, in the early 1960s fairly systematic efforts were launched in Papua New Guinea, and that area — much smaller than SA, to be sure — is in general much better documented than any part of indigenous SA of comparable size. Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania

As a result, many relationships between languages and language families have not been determined and some of those relationships that have been proposed are on somewhat shaky ground.

The list of language families and isolates below is a rather conservative one based on Campbell (1997). Many of the proposed (and often speculative) groupings of families can be seen in Campbell (1997), Gordon (2005), Kaufman (1990, 1994), Key (1979), Loukotka (1968), and in the Language stock proposals section below. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and

  1. Aguano †
  2. Ahuaqué (also known as Auaké, Uruak, Awaké)
  3. Aikaná (Brazil: Rondônia) (also known as Aikanã, Tubarão)
  4. Andaquí (also known as Andaqui, Andakí) †
  5. Andoque (Colombia, Peru) (also known as Andoke)
  6. Andoquero †
  7. Arauan (9) †
  8. Arutani-Sape (2) (also known as Arutani-sapé)
  9. Aushiri (also known as Auxira)
  10. Aymaran (3)
  11. Baenan (Brazil: Bahia) (also known as Baenán, Baenã) †
  12. Barbacoan (8)
  13. Betoi (Colombia) (also known as Betoy, Jirara) †
  14. Bororoan
  15. Botocudoan (3) (also known as Aimoré)
  16. Cahuapanan (2) (also known as Jebero, Kawapánan)
  17. Camsá (Colombia) (also known as Sibundoy, Coche)
  18. Candoshi (also known as Maina, Kandoshi)
  19. Canichana (Bolivia) (also known as Canesi, Kanichana)
  20. Carabayo
  21. Cariban (29) (also known as Caribe, Carib)
  22. Catacaoan (also known as Katakáoan) †
  23. Cayubaba (Bolivia)
  24. Chapacura-Wanham (9) (also known as Chapacuran, Txapakúran)
  25. Charruan (also known as Charrúan) †
  26. Chibchan (Central America & South America) (22)
  27. Chimuan (3) †
  28. Chipaya-Uru languages (also known as Uru-Chipaya)
  29. Chiquitano
  30. Choco (10) (also known as Chocoan)
  31. Cholonan †
  32. Chon (2) (also known as Patagonian)
  33. Coeruna (Brazil) †
  34. Cofán (Colombia, Ecuador)
  35. Cueva
  36. Culle (Peru) (also known as Culli, Linga, Kulyi)
  37. Cunza (Chile, Bolivia, Argentina) (also known as Atacama, Atakama, Atacameño, Lipe, Kunsa) †
  38. Esmeraldeño (also known as Esmeralda, Takame) †
  39. Fulnió
  40. Gamela (Brazil: Maranhão) †
  41. Gorgotoqui (Bolivia) †
  42. Guaicuruan (7) (also known as Guaykuruan, Waikurúan)
  43. Guajiboan (4) (also known as Wahívoan) †
  44. Guamo (Venezuela) (also known as Wamo) †
  45. Guató
  46. Harakmbut (2) (also known as Tuyoneri)
  47. Hoti (Venezuela) (also known as Jotí, Hodi, Waruwaru)
  48. Huamoé (Brazil: Pernambuco) †
  49. Huaorani (Ecuador, Peru) (also known as Auca, Huaorani, Wao, Auka, Sabela, Waorani, Waodani)
  50. Huarpe (also known as Warpe) †
  51. Irantxe (Brazil: Mato Grosso)
  52. Itonama (Bolivia) (also known as Saramo, Machoto)
  53. Jirajaran (3) (also known as Hiraháran, Jirajarano, Jirajarana) †
  54. Jabutian
  55. Je (13) (also known as Gê, Jêan, Gêan, Ye)
  56. Jeikó †
  57. Jivaroan (2) (also known as Hívaro)
  58. Kaimbe
  59. Kaliana (also known as Caliana, Cariana, Sapé, Chirichano)
  60. Kamakanan †
  61. Kapixaná (Brazil: Rondônia) (also known as Kanoé, Kapishaná)
  62. Karajá
  63. Karirí (Brazil: Paraíba, Pernambuco, Ceará) †
  64. Katembrí †
  65. Katukinan (3) (also known as Catuquinan)
  66. Kawésqar (Kaweskar, Alacaluf, Qawasqar, Halawalip, Aksaná, Hekaine)
  67. Koihoma (Peru) †
  68. Koayá (Brazil: Rondônia) †
  69. Kukurá (Brazil: Mato Grosso) †
  70. Leco (Lapalapa, Leko)
  71. Lule (Argentina) (also known as Tonocoté)
  72. Maipurean (South America & Caribbean) (64) (also known as Maipuran, Arawakan, Arahuacan)
  73. Maku language (also known as Macu)
  74. Malibú (also known as Malibu)
  75. Mapudungu (also known as Araucanian, Mapuche, Huilliche)
  76. Mascoyan (5) (also known as Maskóian, Mascoian)
  77. Matacoan (4) (also known as Mataguayan)
  78. Matanawí †
  79. Maxakalían (3) (also known as Mashakalían)
  80. Mocana (Colombia: Tubará) †
  81. Mochita †
  82. Mosetenan (also known as Mosetén)
  83. Movima (Bolivia)
  84. Munichi (Peru) (also known as Muniche)
  85. Muran (4)
  86. Mutú (also known as Loco)
  87. Muzo (Colombia) †
  88. Nambiquaran (5)
  89. Natú (Brazil: Pernambuco) †
  90. Nonuya (Peru, Colombia)
  91. Ofayé
  92. Old Catío-Nutabe (Colombia) †
  93. Omurano (Peru) (also known as Mayna, Mumurana, Numurana, Maina, Rimachu, Roamaina, Umurano) †
  94. Otí (Brazil: São Paulo) †
  95. Otomacoan (2) †
  96. Paez (also known as Nasa Yuwe)
  97. Pakarara †
  98. Palta
  99. Panche †
  100. Pankararú (Brazil: Pernambuco) †
  101. Pano-Tacanan (33)
  102. Pantagora †
  103. Panzaleo (Ecuador) (also known as Latacunga, Quito, Pansaleo)
  104. Patagón
  105. Peba-Yaguan (2) (also known as Yaguan, Yáwan, Peban) †
  106. Pijao
  107. Puelche (also known as Guenaken, Gennaken, Pampa, Pehuenche, Ranquelche) †
  108. Puinavean (8) (also known as Makú)
  109. Puquina (Bolivia) †
  110. Purian (2) †
  111. Quechuan (46)
  112. Resígaro (Colombia-Peru border area)
  113. Rikbaktsá
  114. Saliban (2) (also known as Sálivan)
  115. Salumã (Brazil)
  116. Sechura language (Atalan, Sec) †
  117. Tairona (Colombia) †
  118. Tarairiú (Brazil: Rio Grande do Norte) †
  119. Taruma †
  120. Taushiro (Peru) (also known as Pinchi, Pinche)
  121. Tequiraca (Peru) (also known as Tekiraka, Avishiri) †
  122. Teushen † (Patagonia, Argentina)
  123. Ticuna (Colombia, Peru, Brazil) (also known as Magta, Tikuna, Tucuna, Tukna, Tukuna)
  124. Timotean (2) †
  125. Tiniguan (2) (also known as Tiníwan, pamigua) †
  126. Tucanoan (15)
  127. Trumai (Brazil: Xingu, Mato Grosso)
  128. Tupian (70, including Guaraní)
  129. Tuxá (Brazil: Bahia, Pernambuco) †
    Urarina shaman, 1988
    Urarina shaman, 1988
  130. Urarina (also known as Shimacu, Itukale, Shimaku)
  131. Vilela
  132. Wakona †
  133. Warao (Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela) (also known as Guarao)
  134. Wayuu (Venezuela and Colombia)
  135. Witotoan (6) (also known as Huitotoan, Bora-Witótoan)
  136. Xokó (Brazil: Alagoas, Pernambuco) (also known as Shokó) †
  137. Xukurú (Brazil: Pernambuco, Paraíba) †
  138. Yaghan (Chile) (also known as Yámana)
  139. Yaruro (also known as Jaruro)
  140. Yanomaman (4)
  141. Yuracare (Bolivia)
  142. Yuri (Colombia, Brazil) (also known as Carabayo, Jurí) †
  143. Yurumanguí (Colombia) (also known as Yurimangui, Yurimangi) †
  144. Zamucoan (2)
  145. Zaparoan (5) (also known as Záparo)

North America

Mexico and Central America

Indigenous languages of Mexico
Indigenous languages of Mexico
See also: Mesoamerican languages
  1. Alagüilac (Guatemala)'†
  2. Algic (United States, Canada & Mexico) (29)
  3. Chibchan (Central America & South America) (22)
  4. Coahuilteco †
  5. Comecrudan (Texas & Mexico) (3) †
  6. Cotoname †
  7. Cuitlatec (Mexico: Guerrero) †
  8. Guaicurian (8)
  9. Huetar (Costa Rica)
  10. Huave
  11. Jicaquean
  12. Lencan
  13. Maratino (northeastern Mexico)
  14. Mayan (31)
  15. Misumalpan
  16. Mixe-Zoquean (19)
  17. Na-Dené (United States, Canada & Mexico) (40)
  18. Naolan (Mexico: Tamaulipas)
  19. Oto-Manguean (27)
  20. P'urhépecha
  21. Quinigua (northeast Mexico)
  22. Seri
  23. Solano †
  24. Tequistlatecan (3)
  25. Totonacan (2)
  26. Uto-Aztecan (United States & Mexico) (33)
  27. Xincan
  28. Yuman-Cochimí (United States & Mexico) (11)

United States, Canada and Greenland

Pre-contact distribution of North American language families north of Mexico
Pre-contact distribution of North American language families north of Mexico

There are approximately 296 spoken (or formerly spoken) indigenous languages north of Mexico, 269 of which are grouped into 29 families (the remaining 27 languages are either isolates or unclassified). Andaqui (or Andaki) is an extinct language from the southern highlands of Colombia. The Andoque language is an aboriginal language spoken by a few hundred Andoque in Northern South America and is in decline The Arutani-Sape are an endangered language family that includes two languages which are mainly spoken in Brazil and Venezuela. Aushiri is an extinct Zaparoan language formerly spoken in Peru. Aymaran (also Jaqi, Aru, Jaqui, Aimara, Haki) is one of the two dominant Language families of the central Andes Barbacoan (also Barbakóan, Barbacoano, Barbacoana) is a language family spoken in Colombia and Ecuador. The Cahuapanan languages include two languages Chayahuita and Jebero. Camsá (also Sibundoy, Coche, Kamsá, Kamemtxa, Kamse, Camëntsëá) is a Language isolate of Colombia Candoshi-Shapra (also known as Candoshi Candoxi Kandoshi and Murato is an isolate indigenous American language spoken in western South America by several thousand native people The Cariban languages are an indigenous Language family of South America. The Chapacuran languages are a nearly extinct Native American Language family of South America. The Chibchan languages (also Chíbchan, Chibchano) make up a Language family indigenous to the Isthmo-Colombian area which extends from South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Chimuan (also Chimúan) or Yuncan is a small extinct Language family of northern Peru and Ecuador (inter- Andean The Choco languages (also Chocoan, Chocó, Chokó) are a small family of Native American languages spread across Colombia and See also CHON The Chon languages were spoken in Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. The Cofán language (also Kofan or Kofane; Autonym: A'ingae) is the language of the Cofán people an indigenous group The Cueva were an indigenous people that lived in the Darién region of eastern Panamá. Kunza, also known as Likanantaí Lipe Ulipe or Atacameño is an extinct unclassified language spoken in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and southern Guaicuruan (also Guaykuruan, Waikurúan, Guaycuruano, Guaikurú, Guaicurú, Guaycuruana) is a Language family Guajiboan (also Guahiban, Wahívoan, Guahiboan) is a Language family spoken in the Orinoco River region in eastern Colombia The Guató are a Nomadic Native American tribe of South America that live along the Paraguay River, along the border of modern-day " Hoti ( Urdu: ہوتی) in Pukhto pronounced as Oothay is inhabited by the Kamalzai Pashtuns, a sub-tribe of the The Huaorani language (also Huao, Auishiri, Aushiri, Waorani, Wao, Sabela, Ssabela,; Autonym Itonama is a moribund Language isolate of Bolivia. Phonology Vowels Consonants Jivaroan (also Hívaro, Jívaro, Jibaroana, Jibaro) is a small Language family, or perhaps a Language isolate, of northern Katukinan is a language group consisting of three languages in Brazil. Kawésqar (also known as Qawasqar 639-3 Alacaluf Halakwulup Kaweskar Alakaluf Kawaskar Kawesqar Qawashqar Halakwalip Hekaine Kaueskar Aksanás is an Alacalufan Leco is a Language isolate that is spoken by about 20 individuals in areas east of Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. Lule (also Tonocoté, Tonokoté) is a Language isolate of northern Argentina. Maipurean (also Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre, Arawakan, Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Mapudungun (from mapu 'earth land' and dungun 'speak speech' is a Language isolate spoken in central Chile and west central Argentina Matacoan (also Mataguayan, Matákoan, Mataguayo, Mataco-Mataguayo, Matacoano, Matacoana) is a Language family The Maxakalían languages (also Mashakalían) were first classified into the Gê languages. Munichi ( Ethnologue code MYR is a recently extinct language which was spoken in the village of Munichis about 10 miles or 16 km West of Yurimaguas, Loreto Region Muran is a small Language family of Amazonas, Brazil. Family division Muran consists of 4 languages Mura Muzo is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia, part of the the subregion of the Western Boyacá Province. The Ofayé (also spelled as Opaié or Ofayé are an Indigenous people of Central Brazil. Páez (also Paez, Páes, Paes, Paisa, Autonym: Nasa Yuwe, which is becoming increasingly used is a Language The Palta are an Ecuadorian Native American ethnic group They speak the Palta language. Tacana redirects here for the Peruvian region see Tacna Region. The Peba-Yaguan language family (also Yaguan, Peban, Yáwan) is located in the northwestern Amazon but today Yagua is the only remaining spoken language This article is about an ethnic group For the Colombian municipality see Pijao Quindío. Puelche ( Mapudungun: pwelche, " people of the east" is the name that the Mapuche used to give the ethnic groups who inhabited the lands to the east of the Puquina is an Extinct language and Language isolate, which was spoken by the ancient Inca in the region surrounding Lake Titicaca ( Purian (also Purían) is an Extinct language of eastern Brazil. The Quechuan languages are a family of related Languages in South America. The Rikbaktsa are an indigenous ethnic group from the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. Saliban (also Sálivan, Piaroan) is a small Language family of Colombia (northern llanos) and Venezuela. Tairona is a group of Chiefdoms in the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena and La Guajira Tïcuna is a language spoken by approximately 40000 people in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. Tucanoan (also Tukanoan, Tukánoan) is a Language family of Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. The Trumai (or Trumaí; former native name ho kod ke) are an indigenous group in Brazil. The Tupi or Tupian language family comprises some 70 languages spoken in South America, of which the best known are Tupi proper and Guarani. The Urarina are an Indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the Chambira, Urituyacu and Corrientes Rivers Vilela is a nearly extinct Lule-Vilela language which is only spoken by native Indians in two areas in the world in the Resistencia province of Argentina The Warao are an indigenous people inhabiting northeastern Venezuela and western Guyana. Wayuu language Wayuu (also Wayu, Wayúu, Guajiro, Wahiro) is an Amerindian ethnic group of the La Guajira Peninsula The Xucuru are an Indigenous people with a population of approximately 8500 living in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Yagán (originally Yahgan, but also now spelled Yaghan, Jagan, Iakan) also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta The Yaruro are Native Americans who live primarily in Venezuela near the Orinoco River and its tributaries Yanomaman (also Yanomam, Yanomáman, Yamomámi, Yanomamana, Shamatari, Shirianan) is a small Language family Yuracaré (also Yurakaré, Yurakar, Yuracare, Yurucare, Yuracar, Yurakare, Yurujuré, Yurujare) is Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small Language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco) and Bolivia ( Santa Cruz Department) Zaparoan (also Sáparoan, Záparo, Zaparoano, Zaparoana) is an endangered Language family of Peru and Ecuador Mesoamerican languages are the Languages indigenous to the Mesoamerican cultural area which covers southern Mexico, all of Guatemala Alaguilac is the name of a Nahua people located on the Río Motagua in the eastern part of Guatemala. The Algic (also Algonquian-Wiyot-Yurok or Algonquian-Ritwan languages are an indigenous Language family of North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Chibchan languages (also Chíbchan, Chibchano) make up a Language family indigenous to the Isthmo-Colombian area which extends from South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Coahuilteco (also Pajalate) was a Language isolate that was spoken in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Comecrudan refers to a group of possibly related languages spoken in the southernmost part of Texas and in northern Mexico along the Rio Grande. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Cotoname is an extinct Language isolate spoken by Native Americans indigenous to the lower Rio Grande Valley of northeastern Cuitlatec (alternatively Cuitlateco, Cuitlateca) was an indigenous ethnic group of Mexico's Pacific coast region in the Río Balsas Huave may refer to the Huave language the Huave people (Eastern Jicaque, also known as Tol, Tolupan, and Torupan, is a language spoken by some 300 Tolupan people in La Montaña del Flor The Misumalpan languages (also Misumalpa or Misuluan) are a small family of Native American languages spoken on the east coast of Nicaragua and The Mixe-Zoque languages constitute a Language family whose living members are spoken in and around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Oto-Manguean languages (also Otomanguean) are a large family comprised of several families of Native American languages. P'urhépecha (also Tarascan, Tarasco, Phorhé, Purepecha) is a Language isolate spoken by more than 100000 P'urhépecha Seri (referred to as cmiique iitom by the Seri people is a Language isolate spoken by the Seri people in two villages on the coast of Sonora Solano is an unclassified extinct language formerly spoken in northeast Mexico and perhaps also in the neighboring U The Totonacan Languages are a family of closely-related languages spoken by approximately 200000 Totonac and Tepehua people in the states of Uto-Aztecan (also Uto-Aztekan) is a Native American Language family. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Yuman-Cochimí is a family of languages spoken in Baja California and northern Sonora in Mexico and southern California and western The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Nadene, Algic, and Uto-Aztecan families are the largest in terms of number of languages. The Algic (also Algonquian-Wiyot-Yurok or Algonquian-Ritwan languages are an indigenous Language family of North America. Uto-Aztecan (also Uto-Aztekan) is a Native American Language family. Uto-Aztecan has the most speakers (1. 95 million) if the languages in Mexico are considered (mostly due to 1. 5 million speakers of Nahuatl); Nadene comes in second with approximately 180,200 speakers (148,500 of these are speakers of Navajo). Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family Navajo or Navaho ( native name: Diné bizaad) is an Athabaskan language (of Na-Dené stock spoken in the southwest United States by Nadene and Algic have the widest geographic distributions: Algic currently spans from northeastern Canada across much of the continent down to northeastern Mexico (due to later migrations of the Kickapoo) with two outliers in California (Yurok and Wiyot); Nadene spans from Alaska and western Canada through Washington, Oregon, and California to the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico (with one outlier in the Plains). The Kickapoos ( Kickapoo: Kiikaapoa or Kiikaapoi) are one of the Algonquian speaking Native American Tribes California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Yurok (also Weitspekan) is a moribund Algic language. It is the traditional language of the Yurok tribe of Humboldt County on the Wiyot (also Wishosk) is an extinct Algic language spoken by the Wiyot people of Humboldt Bay California. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 Several families consist of only 2 or 3 languages. Demonstrating genetic relationships have proved difficult due to the great linguistic diversity present in North America. Two large (super-)family proposals, Penutian and Hokan, look particularly promising. Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families spoken in California and Mexico. However, even after decades of research, a large number of families and isolates remain.

North America is notable for its linguistic diversity, especially in California where it alone has 18 genetic units consisting of 74 languages (compare to the mere 4 genetic units in all of Europe: Basque, Indo-European, Uralic, and Turkic). Basque ( native name: euskara) is the Language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain The Uralic languages (jʊˈrælɨk constitute a language family of 39 Languages spoken by approximately 20 million people The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Another area of considerable diversity appears to have been the Southeast; however, many of these languages became extinct from European contact and as a result they are, for the most part, absent from historical record. The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region This diversity has been and continues to be very influential in the development of linguistic thought in the U. S.

Due to the diversity of this area, it is difficult to make generalizations that adequately characterize the entire region. Most North American languages have a relatively small number of vowels (i. e. four or five vowels). Languages of the western half of North America often have relatively large consonant inventories. The languages of the Pacific Northwest are notable for their complex phonotactics (for example, some languages have words that lack vowels entirely). The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean Phonotactics (in Greek phone = voice and tactic = course is a branch of Phonology that deals with restrictions in a Language on the In Phonetics, a vowel is a Sound in spoken Language, such as English ah! or oh!, pronounced with an open Vocal tract The languages of the Plateau area have relatively rare pharyngeals and epiglottals (they are otherwise restricted to Afro-Asiatic and Caucasian languages). Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east and the Hazelton A pharyngeal consonant is a type of Consonant which is articulated with the root of the Tongue against the Pharynx. An epiglottal consonant is a Consonant that is articulated with the Aryepiglottic folds (see Larynx) against the Epiglottis. The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a Language family with about 375 languages ( SIL estimate and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa Ejective consonants are also common in North America, although they are rare elsewhere (except, again, for the Caucasus region, parts of Africa, and the Mayan family). In Phonetics, ejective consonants are Voiceless Consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the Glottis. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East

Head-marking is found in many languages of North America (as well as in Central and South America), but outside of the Americas it is rare. A head-marking Language is one where the grammatical marks showing relations between different constituents of a phrase tend to be placed on the heads Many languages throughout North America are polysynthetic (Eskimo-Aleut languages are extreme examples), although this is not characteristic of all North American languages (contrary to what was believed by 19th-century linguists). Polysynthetic languages are highly Synthetic languages ie languages in which words are composed of many Morphemes Definition The degree of Eskimo-Aleut is a Language family native to Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, and parts of Siberia. Several families have unique traits, such as the inverse number marking of Kiowa-Tanoan, the lexical affixes of Wakashan, Salishan and Chimakuan, and the unusual verb structure of Nadene. In linguistics grammatical number is a Grammatical category of nouns pronouns and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions (such as "one" Kiowa-Tanoan (also Tanoan-Kiowa) is a family of languages spoken in New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. An affix is a Morpheme that is attached to a stem to form a word Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia around and on Vancouver Island, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of This article is about the Salish/Salishan language For the Tacoma Washington neighborhood see Salishan Tacoma Washington. The Chimakuan language family consists of two languages spoken in northwestern Washington, USA on the Olympic Peninsula.

The classification below is a composite of Goddard (1996), Campbell (1997), and Mithun (1999).

  1. Adai †
  2. Algic (30)
  3. Alsean (2) †
  4. Atakapa †
  5. Beothuk †
  6. Caddoan (5)
  7. Cayuse †
  8. Chimakuan (2)
  9. Chimariko †
  10. Chinookan (3)
  11. Chitimacha †
  12. Chumashan (6) †
  13. Coahuilteco †
  14. Comecrudan (United States & Mexico) (3) †
  15. Coosan (2) †
  16. Cotoname †
  17. Eskimo-Aleut (7)
  18. Esselen †
  19. Haida
  20. Iroquoian (11)
  21. Kalapuyan (3) †
  22. Karankawa †
  23. Karuk
  24. Keresan (2)
  25. Kiowa-Tanoan (7)
  26. Kutenai
  27. Maiduan (4)
  28. Muskogean (9)
  29. Na-Dené (United States, Canada & Mexico) (39)
  30. Natchez †
  31. Palaihnihan (2)
  32. Plateau Penutian (4) (also known as Shahapwailutan)
  33. Pomoan (7)
  34. Salinan †
  35. Salishan (23)
  36. Shastan (4) †
  37. Siouan-Catawban (19)
  38. Siuslaw †
  39. Solano †
  40. Takelma †
  41. Timucua †
  42. Tonkawa †
  43. Tsimshianic (2)
  44. Tunica †
  45. Utian (15) (also known as Miwok-Costanoan)
  46. Uto-Aztecan (33)
  47. Wakashan (7)
  48. Washo
  49. Wintuan (4)
  50. Yana †
  51. Yokutsan (3)
  52. Yuchi
  53. Yuki-Wappo (2) † disputed
  54. Yuman-Cochimí (11)
  55. Zuni

Language stock proposals

Many hypothetical language phylum proposals concerning American languages are often cited as uncontroversially demonstrated in more popular writings. The Algic (also Algonquian-Wiyot-Yurok or Algonquian-Ritwan languages are an indigenous Language family of North America. The Alsean (also Yakonan) Language family consists of two closely related languages that were spoken along the central Oregon coast Atakapa is an extinct Language isolate native to southwestern Louisiana and nearby eastern Texas. The Beothuk language (also called Beothukan) was spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. The Caddoan languages are a family of Native American languages. The Cayuse are a Native American tribe in the state of Oregon in the United States. The Chimakuan language family consists of two languages spoken in northwestern Washington, USA on the Olympic Peninsula. Chimariko is an extinct Language isolate formerly spoken in Trinity County in northwestern California by Chimariko peoples Chinookan is a small family of languages spoken in Oregon and Washington along the Columbia River by Chinook peoples The Chitimacha language is a Language isolate historically spoken by the Chitimacha people of Louisiana, United States. Chumashan is a family of languages that were spoken on the southern California coast (from San Luis Obispo to Malibu) in neighboring inland regions Coahuilteco (also Pajalate) was a Language isolate that was spoken in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Comecrudan refers to a group of possibly related languages spoken in the southernmost part of Texas and in northern Mexico along the Rio Grande. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. This article is about the language Hanis for the Akkadian god see Hani The Coosan (also Coos or Kusan) language family consists of Cotoname is an extinct Language isolate spoken by Native Americans indigenous to the lower Rio Grande Valley of northeastern Eskimo-Aleut is a Language family native to Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, and parts of Siberia. The Esselen were a Native American linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family who resided in what is now known as Big Sur in the The Haida language ( X̲aat Kíl X̲aadas Kíl X̲aayda Kil) is the language of the Haida people The Iroquoian languages are a Native American Language family. Kalapuyan (also Kalapuya) is a small extinct Language family that was spoken in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon, United The Karankawa (also Karankawan, Clamcoëhs, and called in their language Auia) were a group of Native American peoples now Extinct Karuk or Karok is a Moribund language of northwestern California, USA. Keresan (kəˈriːsən also Keres (/ˈkɛrəs/ is a group of seven related Lects spoken by Pueblo peoples in New Mexico, U Kiowa-Tanoan (also Tanoan-Kiowa) is a family of languages spoken in New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Kutenai language (also Kootenai or Ktunaxa language) is named after and is spoken by some of the Kootenai Native American / First Maiduan (also Maidun, Pujunan) is a small endangered language family of northeastern California. Muskogean (also Muskhogean, Muskogee) is an indigenous language family of the Southeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Natchez are a Native American people who originally lived in the Natchez Bluffs area near the present-day city of Natchez Mississippi. Palaihnihan (also Palaihnih) is a Language family of northeastern California. Plateau Penutian (also Shahapwailutan, Lepitan) is a family of languages spoken in northern California, reaching through central-western Pomoan ( Phōmō also called Kulanapan) is a family of Endangered languages spoken in northern California by the Pomo people on The Salinan Native Americans lived in what is now the Central Coast of California, in the Salinas Valley. This article is about the Salish/Salishan language For the Tacoma Washington neighborhood see Salishan Tacoma Washington. The Shastan (also Sastean) family consisted of four languages spoken in present-day northern California and southern Oregon. Siouan-Catawban (also Catawban-Siouan, Siouan) is a Language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains Siuslaw (also Upper Umpqua) is one of the three Confederated Tribes of Coos Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians located on the southwest Oregon Solano is an unclassified extinct language formerly spoken in northeast Mexico and perhaps also in the neighboring U Takelma was the language spoken by the Takelma people Dialects Latgawa dialect spoken in southwestern Oregon along the upper Timucua is a Language isolate formerly spoken in northern and central Florida, southern Georgia, and eastern Alabama by the Timucua The Tonkawa language was spoken in Oklahoma Texas and New Mexico by the Tonkawa people The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in southern Alaska on Annette Island and The Tunica (or Tonica, or less common form Yuron) language was a Language isolate spoken in what is now Louisiana in the United States Utian (also Miwok-Costanoan, Mutsun) is a family of indigenous languages spoken in the central and north portion of California, United Uto-Aztecan (also Uto-Aztekan) is a Native American Language family. Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia around and on Vancouver Island, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of The Washo language (also Washoe) is an endangered Native American Language isolate spoken by the Washo on the California Wintuan (also Wintun, Wintoon, Copeh, Copehan) is a family of languages spoken in the Sacramento Valley of central The article is about a Californian language For the Chinese city see Yan'an. Yokutsan (also known as Yokuts and Mariposan) is an endangered Language family spoken in the interior of Northern and Central California The Yuchi language is the language of the Yuchi people living in the southeastern United States, including eastern Tennessee western Carolinas northern Yuki-Wappo (also Yukian, Wappo-Yuki) is a small extinct Language family of western California consisting of only two languages Yuman-Cochimí is a family of languages spoken in Baja California and northern Sonora in Mexico and southern California and western Zuni (also Zuñi) is a language of the Zuni people indigenous to western New Mexico and eastern Arizona in the United States However, many of these proposals have, in fact, not been fully demonstrated if even at all. Some proposals are viewed by specialists in a favorable light, believing that genetic relationships are very likely to be established in the future (for example, the Penutian stock). Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one Other proposals are more controversial with many linguists believing that some genetic relationships of a proposal may be demonstrated but much of it undemonstrated (for example, Hokan, which, incidentally, Edward Sapir called his "wastepaper basket stock"). The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families spoken in California and Mexico. Edward Sapir (səˈpɪər ( January 26 1884 &ndash February 4 1939) was a Jewish German - American Still other proposals are almost unanimously rejected by specialists (for example, Amerind). Amerind is a putative higher-level language family proposed by Joseph Greenberg in his 1987 book Language in the Americas. Below is a (partial) list of some such proposals:

  1. Ahuaque-Kalianan
  2. Algonkian-Gulf   (= Algic + Beothuk + Gulf)
  3. Algonquian-Wakashan   (also known as Almosan)
  4. Almosan-Keresiouan (= Almosan + Keresiouan)
  5. Amerind   (= all languages excepting Eskimo-Aleut & Na-Dené)
  6. (macro-)Arawakan
  7. Aztec-Tanoan   (= Uto-Aztecan + Kiowa-Tanoan)
  8. Chibchan stock
  9. Chibchan-Paezan
  10. Chikitano-Boróroan
  11. Coahuiltecan   (= Coahuilteco + Cotoname + Comecrudan + Karankawa + Tonkawa)
  12. Cunza-Kapixanan
  13. Dené-Yeniseian
  14. Dené-Caucasian
  15. Esmeralda-Yaruroan
  16. Guamo-Chapacuran
  17. Gulf   (= Muskogean + Natchez + Tunica)
  18. Hokan   (= Karok + Chimariko + Shastan + Palaihnihan + Yana + Pomoan + Washo + Esselen + Yuman-Cochimí + Salinan + Chumashan + Seri + Tequistlatecan)
  19. Hokan-Siouan   (= Hokan + Subtiaba-Tlappanec + Coahuiltecan + Yukian + Keresan + Tunican + Iroquoian + Caddoan + Siouan-Catawba + Yuchi + Natchez + Muskogean + Timucua)
  20. Javaroan-Cahuapanan
  21. Je-Tupi-Carib
  22. Kalianan
  23. Kaweskar language area
  24. Keresiouan   (= Keres + Siouan + Iroquoian + Caddoan + Yuchi)
  25. Lule-Vilelan
  26. Macro-Andean
  27. Macro-Arawakan
  28. Macro-Carib
  29. Macro-Gê (also known as Macro-Jê)
  30. Macro-Katembrí-Taruma
  31. Macro-Kulyi-Cholónan
  32. Macro-Lekoan
  33. Macro-Mayan
  34. Macro-Otomákoan
  35. Macro-Paesan
  36. Macro-Panoan
  37. Macro-Puinávean
  38. Macro-Siouan   (= Siouan + Iroquoian + Caddoan)
  39. Macro-Tekiraka-Kanichana
  40. Macro-Tucanoan
  41. Macro-Tupí-Karibe
  42. Macro-Waikurúan
  43. Macro-Warpean
  44. Mosan   (= Salishan + Wakashan + Chimakuan)
  45. Mosetén-Chonan
  46. Mura-Matanawian
  47. Sapir's Na-Dené including Haida   (= Haida + Tlingit + Eyak + Athabaskan)
  48. Nostratic-Amerind
  49. Paezan (= Andaqui + Paez + Panzaleo)
  50. Paezan-Barbacoan
  51. Penutian   (= many languages of California and sometimes languages in Mexico)
    1. California Penutian   (= Wintuan + Maiduan + Yokutsan + Utian)
    2. Oregon Penutian   (= Takelma + Coosan + Siuslaw + Alsean)
    3. Mexican Penutian   (= Mixe-Zoque + Huave)
  52. Quechumaran
  53. Takelman   (= Takelma + Kalapuyan)
  54. Tunican   (= Tunica + Atakapa + Chitimacha)
  55. Yok-Utian
  56. Yuri-Ticunan
  57. Zaparoan-Yaguan

Good discussions of past proposals are found in Campbell (1997) and Campbell & Mithun (1979). Algonquian-Wakashan (also Almosan, Algonkian-Mosan, Algonkin-Wakashan) is a hypothetical language phylum composed of several established language Amerind is a putative higher-level language family proposed by Joseph Greenberg in his 1987 book Language in the Americas. The Arawakan languages (also Arahuacan, Arawakanas, Arahuacano, Maipurean, Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúrean Aztec-Tanoan is a hypothetical and undemonstrated language family that proposes a genealogical relation to the Kiowa-Tanoan and the Uto-Aztecan families Coahuiltecan is a general name for a group of people who previously lived in the southern Texas region near the Rio Grande river Dené-Yeniseian is a proposed relationship between the Yeniseian languages of central Siberia and the Na-Dené languages of northwestern North America The Dené-Caucasian (also called Sino-Caucasian or Dené-Sino-Caucasian) Language family is a proposed language superfamily containing at Gulf is a proposed native North American language family composed of the Muskogean languages, along with four extinct Language isolates. The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families spoken in California and Mexico. In Linguistics, Hokan-Siouan family of languages that includes various Native American languages Je-Tupi-Carib is a proposed Language family composed of the Macro-Je (or Gê Tupian and Cariban languages of South America. Macro-Jê (also spelled Macro-Gê) is a medium-sized language stock in South America centered around the Jê language family, first proposed in 1926 and The Macro-Siouan languages are a proposed Language family that would include the Siouan, Iroquoian, and Caddoan families The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America. Paezan (also Páesan, Paezano, Interandine) is a hypothetical Language family of Colombia and Ecuador. Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one Oregon Penutian is a hypothetical Language family in the Penutian language phylum comprising languages spoken at one time by several groups of Native Americans Yok-Utian (also Hotian) is a hypothetical Language family of California.


Pidgins, mixed languages, & trade languages

  1. American Indian Pidgin English
  2. Basque-Algonquian Pidgin (also known as Micmac-Basque Pidgin, Souriquois)
  3. Broken Oghibbeway (also known as Broken Ojibwa)
  4. Broken Slavey (also known as Slavey Jargon, Broken Slavé)
  5. Bungee (also known as Bungi) (?)
  6. Callahuaya (also known as Machaj-Juyai, Kallawaya, Collahuaya, Pohena, Kolyawaya jargon)
  7. Carib Pidgin (also known as Ndjuka-Amerindian Pidgin, Ndjuka-Trio)
  8. Carib Pidgin-Arawak Mixed Language
  9. Catalangu
  10. Chinook Jargon
  11. Delaware Jargon (also known as Pidgin Delaware)
  12. Eskimo Trade Jargon (also known as Herschel Island Eskimo Pidgin, Ship's Jargon)
  13. Greenlandic Eskimo Pidgin
  14. Guajiro-Spanish
  15. Güegüence-Nicarao
  16. Haida Jargon
  17. Hudson Strait Pidgin
  18. Inuktitut-English Pidgin
  19. Jargonized Powhatan
  20. Kutenai Jargon
  21. Labrador Eskimo Pidgin (also known as Labrador Inuit Pidgin)
  22. Lingua Franca Apalachee
  23. Lingua Franca Creek
  24. Lingua Geral Amazônica (also known as Nheengatú, Lingua Boa, Lingua Brasílica, Lingua Geral do Norte)
  25. Lingua Geral do Sul (also known as Lingua Geral Paulista, Tupí Austral)
  26. Loucheux Jargon (also known as Jargon Loucheux)
  27. Media Lengua
  28. Mednyj Aleut (also known as Copper Island Aleut, Medniy Aleut, CIA)
  29. Michif (also known as French Cree, Métis, Metchif, Mitchif, Métchif)
  30. Mobilian Jargon (also known as Mobilian Trade Jargon, Chickasaw-Chocaw Trade Language, Yamá)
  31. Montagnais Pidgin Basque (also known as Pidgin Basque-Montagnais)
  32. Nootka Jargon
  33. Ocaneechi
  34. Pidgin Massachusett
  35. Plains Indian Sign Language

Unattested languages

Several languages are only known by mention in historical documents or from only a few names or words. A pidgin is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common in situations such as Trade A mixed language is a Language that arises through the fusion of two source languages normally in situations of thorough Bilingualism. World Englishes refers to the emergence of localized or indigenized varieties of English, especially varieties that have developed in nations colonized by England Bungee (also Bungi Bungie Bungay, or The Red River Dialect) is a dialect of English that was influenced by Orkney English Callawalla (also Callahuaya or Kallawaya) is an endangered indigenous language spoken in Bolivia related to Quechua Kallawaya is an endangered secret mixed language in Bolivia. It is spoken by the Kallawaya people, a group of traditional itinerant healers in the Andes Chinook Jargon originated as a Pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread quickly up the West Coast from modern Oregon to the regions now Old Tupi or Classical Tupi is an extinct Tupian language which was spoken by the native Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who lived close Língua Geral ( Portuguese: literally 'common' or 'general language' is the name of two distinct linguae francae spoken in Brazil Media Lengua ( Spanish for " half language " or " in-between language " is a language spoken in Salcedo about 100 km south of Michif (also Mitchif, Mechif, Michif-Cree, Métif, Métchif, French Cree) is the Language of the Métis Mobilian Jargon (also Mobilian trade language, Mobilian Trade Jargon, Chickasaw-Choctaw trade language, Yamá) was a Pidgin used as Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL is a Sign language formerly used as an auxiliary Interlanguage between Native Americans of the Great Plains It cannot be determined that these languages actually existed or that the few recorded words are actually of known or unknown languages. Some may simply be from a historian's errors. Others are of known people with no linguistic record (sometimes due to lost records). A short list is below.

Loukotka (1968) reports the names of hundreds of South American languages which do not have any linguistic documentation. For other uses of the word or the acronym see AIS. The Ais, or Ays were a tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the Atlantic The Akokisa were a people that lived on Galveston Bay and the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers in Texas. Aksana or Aksanas is a dialect of the Qawasqar language, a language of Chile. Avoyel or Avoyelles was a small Natchesan tribe in the neighborhood of the present Marksville, Louisiana. The Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Calchaquí were a tribe of South American Indians of the Diaguita group now extinct who formerly occupied northern Argentina. The Calusa, sometimes spelled Caloosa, Calos, Carlos or Caalus, were a Native American group that lived on the coast and along The Cusabo (also Corsaboy) were a group of Native Americans who lived along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in what is now South Carolina, approximately Guale was a Native American Chiefdom that became part of Spanish Florida 's missionary system in the late 16th century The Houma Tribe of Indians or more properly The United Houma Nation are native to the Louisiana parishes of East and West Feliciana The Koroa were one of the groups of indigenous people who lived in Mississippi prior to the European settlement of the region The Pasacagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living The Quinipissa were an indigenous group living on the lower Mississippi River as reported by René-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1682 The Taensa are not to be confused with the Avoyel (also known in French as petits Taensas (English Little Taensa) who lived in present The Tequesta (also Tekesta, Tegesta, Chequesta, Vizcaynos) Native American tribe at the time of first European contact The Yamacraw were a Native American tribe which settled parts of Georgia, specifically around the future site of the city of Savannah. The Yamasee were a Native American tribe that lived in coastal region of present-day northern Florida and southern Georgia near the Savannah River The Yazoo tribe was a Native American tribe on the lower course of Yazoo River, Mississippi, in close connection with several other tribes the most important

Linguistic areas

Further information: Culture areas of the Americas

The languages of the Americas often can be grouped together into linguistic areas or Sprachbunds (also known as convergence areas). The Indigenous peoples of North America have been classified by ethnographers into regional Cultural areas North America 1 A Sprachbund (ˈʃpraːxbʊnt in German plural Sprachbünde) from the German word for “language union” also known as a linguistic area, convergence The linguistic areas identified so far deserve more research to determine their validity. Knowing about Sprachbunds help historical linguists differentiate between shared areal traits and true genetic relationship. The pioneering work on American areal linguistics was a dissertation by Joel Sherzer which was published as Sherzer (1976). The following tentative list of linguistic areas is based on primarily Campbell (1997):

See also

Bibliography

South America

North America

External links

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