Yuman Language Family
The Yuman language family is a subgroup of the Hokan language family, primarily spoken across a region that includes parts of present-day Arizona, California, and Baja California, Mexico. Historically, the Yuman languages extended from the lower Colorado River to areas south of Ensenada. As of 1977, there were approximately three thousand speakers of Yuman languages. Notably, the Walapai and Havasupai tribes have adopted writing systems in the 20th century, although Yuman languages lacked a standardized writing system prior to that. Yuman languages are among the most researched indigenous languages in America, with significant contributions from linguists like Edward Sapir and Alfred Kroeber.
The Yuman language family is characterized by its subdivisions, including the closely related "pai" languages, where Havasupai and Walapai are nearly mutually intelligible. Another subgroup includes the River Tribe languages, such as Mojave and Quechan, which show more distinct differences. Additionally, there are specific languages like Diegueño and Cocopa classified under Delta Yuman, while Kiliwa stands out as a unique language at the southernmost point of the Baja peninsula. Historical tribes that may have spoken Yuman languages include the Kamia and the Halyikwamai, among others.
Yuman Language Family
Culture areas: California, Southwest
Tribes affected: Cocopa, Diegueño, Hualapai, Kiliwa, Maricopa, Mojave, Paipai, Quechan, Walapai, Yavapai
The Yuman language subgroup is a member of the Hokan family. The geographic distribution of Yuman extends from the lower Colorado River (from Lake Mead in Nevada to Flagstaff, Arizona) southward to the Gila River, and then westward to San Diego, California, and southward to approximately one hundred miles south of Ensenada in Baja California. There were approximately three thousand speakers reported in 1977.
A collection of stories in Yuman languages, Spirit Mountain, was published in 1984. Though Yuman languages had no writing system, the Walapai (or Hualapai) and the Havasupai have adopted the official Roman writing systems in the twentieth century. In other communities, orthographies vary widely. In an attempt at phonetic accuracy, scholars have incorporated parts of the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Yuman is among the most studied of American Indian language families. Edward Sapir and Alfred Kroeber were among the many linguists who studied it. It is generally grouped either among the Seri-Yuman subgroup or among the Esselen-Yuman subgroup of the Hokan family.
The “pai” languages are a closely related subgroup of Yuman languages. Havasupai and Walapai are mutually intelligible, acting almost as dialects of the same language. Yavapai has several dialects of its own but is generally mutually intelligible to Havasupai and Walapai speakers. Paipai is slightly intelligible to other “pai” languages.
A second subgroup comprises the River Tribe languages (Mojave, Maricopa, and Quechan). They are relatively different from other Yuman languages. Delta Yuman comprises the languages Diegueño and Cocopa. Kiliwa is distinct from all other Yuman languages and is spoken the farthest south on the Baja peninsula.
Tribes no longer in existence which may also have been Yuman speakers include the Kamia, the Halyikwamai, the Akwa’ala, the Alawisa, the Kohuana, the Yuma (also called Kwichyana), the Halchidhoma, and the Hohuana.