Salinan language

Salinan was the indigenous language of the Salinan people of the central coast of California. It has been extinct since the death of the last speaker in 1958.

Salinan
Native toUnited States
Regioncentral coast California
EthnicitySalinan people
Extinct1958
Hokan ?
  • Salinan
Language codes
ISO 639-3sln
Glottologsali1253

The language is attested to some extent in colonial sources such as Sitjar (1860), but the principal published documentation is Mason (1918). The main modern grammatical study, based on Mason's data and on the field notes of John Peabody Harrington and William H. Jacobsen, is Turner (1987), which also contains a complete bibliography of the primary sources and discussion of their orthography.

Two dialects are recognized, Antoniaño and Migueleño, associated with the missions of San Antonio and San Miguel, respectively. Antoniaño is "sometimes also termed Sextapay, associated with the area of the Franciscan Mission of San Antonio de Padua in Monterey County."[1] There may have been a third, Playano dialect, as suggested by mention of such a subdivision of the people, but nothing is known of them linguistically.

Salinan may be a part of the Hokan family. Edward Sapir included it in a subfamily of Hokan, along with Chumash and Seri.[2] This hypothetical classification (which has had many skeptics) found its way into several encyclopedias and presentations of language families before much supporting evidence for this subfamily had been presented, but is currently fairly well established.[3][4]

Phonology

The charts of consonants and vowels in the Salinan language:

Consonants

Bilabial Dental Alveolar Post-
alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p k ʔ
ejective t̪ʼ t̠ʼ
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative s ʃ x h
Affricate voiceless ts
ejective tsʼ tʃʼ
Nasal plain m n
glottalized ˀm ˀn
Lateral voiced l
glottalized ˀl
Trill r
Approximant plain w j
glottalized ˀw ˀj

Voiced plosives /b d ɡ/ likely came as a result of Spanish influence.

Vowels

Front Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a aː

Mid vowels occurred likely due to Spanish influence.[5]

Vocabulary

Salinan plant and animal names from Mason (1918):[6]

Animals

English glossAntoniañoMigueleñoplural
flyawa·´téna·we·te´ʽawaˑ´tneʟ
bullhead fishcat’
Lewis's woodpeckerca´knilcra´knil
birdcaˑxwesa·xeca·xten
ground owl, gray titmouseska´tatacko·´tɑtʚ
prairie falconck’anck’an’
crowckaˑk’cka·k’skaˑ´k’tenat
snake, worm, grubck’otck’otsk’o´teʟet
gullclot
abalonecmaiyi´k’
horned owlcukunui´’cokonoi´’
skunkcuwa´’cowa´cuwa´ʽɴeʟ
squirrelcuˑmk’o´m’camko´’mcumk’omona´neʟ
small duckscu´n’cun’
fishswancwa´’ɴcwaˑne´t
lizardswakaka´cwaˑkek’a´’
gophere´ceceee´cesi
male squirrelemace´
pinacateeˑts’
tarantula hawketskutchɑ´ten
lousetik’e´’i´ketik’eneʟ
antilka´tilka´t
Mexican bluebirdkalep’a´nkelep’a´n
small birdskats’aˑne´ʟˑ
blue-crested jaykalau
house finchkalwatcai´k’aluatc´a’i
goose, craneka´lakʽkalakʽkalak´ne´ʟ
mosquitokaca´p
grasshopperkacala´kaculo´
Lawrence's goldfinchkiope´ts
kingfisherk’cu´ikitcili´tna
band-tailed pigeonklau´it
harekoi’koʟkolane´ʟ
tarantulakocai´ye
mountain quailk’aiya´k´
red abaloneskilṭau´k’elṭ´u´ʽ
spiderla´kana
gray rabbitʟa´ma
ravenla´’lap’
tarantula hawklape´
duckleaṭ’helpa´ṭ’leaṭ’ten
wasps, beeslme´m’leme´’m
tealle´ponta
Gambel's sparrowle´rportileˑ´rpati
coyoteʟk’a´helk’a´elk’ane´ʟ; elk’a´lekten
Canada gooseloina´t’lai
small antelopelowe´cɑt’
ratma´kiʟmɑ´kel
rabbitmap’map’map’tenat; map’aˑ´nel
eelmasau´halmasau´wel
chipmunkmatse´komats’e´ko’
hummingbirdmɑ´ts’we´l’
antelopemu´i’mu´ı̄’
clamsnaiyʚk’
pocket gophernakɑ´k
young antelopenʚtc’
elkacp’aeacte´n, astenat
California woodpeckerpelaˑ´kˑa’pala·´kɑkʼ
two-pronged buckpaṭalti
hummingbirdpeˑ´lts’e
ruby-crowned wrenpete´ts
lark finchpi´ukutc
suckerpʽu´lxoiʽ
wildcatsam’snam
black antsantʚn
shrikesapele´
one-pronged bucksektaiˑkna
stinking antsenese
unidentified fishsepta´ʟ
snakesenkahlsenk’oʟ
doesepo
mouseseloˑ´iʽ
swallowsiata´nil
cañon finchsitset’
red-headed woodpeckersik
animalsitaipin
whip-poor-willskalo´
sparrowhawkskele´leskeleˑ´le
blue craneska·´u
shellfishsk’eˑ´’n
raccoonskaiya´ʼs’kai´yaskaiyana´neʟ
ratsk’almo´k’sk’almokʼsk’almok’oten
green-winged tealslipe´pʚ
quailsmate·´xan
beesmo´kɑtsmo´ket
rattlesnakesmeˑkoi´smekoi´smekoiiten
female skunksmohel
molesmokok’e´smokike´
catsmic
eaglesai´yusnaisaiyane´ʟ
kangaroo rat, tusasnaˑksnaʽk
butterflysoko´kosoko´ko
spotted fawnso´ha
very small antsopokan
red-tailed hawkspeˑk’spiˑk’
burrowing owlspʽoko´ʼ
foxsto’sto’
young squirrelsumhe
batstamaka´la
batsuhao´ye
black-shining flycatcherswe´hoswīˑ´yo
male coyoteswaa´
cranetaˑlwa·´x
wormta´lmui
nuthatchtaka´la
Lawrence's goldfinchta´nukupel
cranetapṭe´ʟ
woodpeckertena´k
male antelopetepce´
owltesik’ṭeci´kʼticik’neʟ
pelicantē·´utewe´
pigeontikʽmo´ʽ
wormtime´hai
great California vulturetitc´kte’tc’
badgert´mɑ´cɑx
sealtʽoˑ´i
badgertʽoˑ´io
sea ottert’sue
whaletʸa´i
blue jayṭ’ai’ṭahi
fleaṭa·yiʟṭaiyeʟ’tayiʟtena´x
crabṭaitc’aˑ´tak
serpentṭaˑliˑye´’
pumaṭa´’muʟṭ´a’muʟṭa´’multenax
deerṭaa´’ṭaa´’pṭaatne´ʟ
batṭapilale
turtledoveṭaˑxwe´ne’ṭʽaˑxwe´n’
bearṭaxai´’ṭᴀxai´’ṭaxai´yukten
turtleṭawaiṭawʚ´ṭawaiiten
salmonṭetiyau´tʽetēyauṭetiyauutén
kingbirdṭike´ṭ’ike´’
small frogṭ’iˑkolʚ´
serpentṭinele´ʼ
grubs, wormsṭ’iope´’
mountain lizardṭʽoiyelɘ´’
gray squirrelṭoolocṭoˑlo´cṭoolecna´neʟ
wolfṭʽo·´xoṭoˑxo´ʼṭʽoˑ´xolanel
curved-bill thrushtcatca
Brewer's blackbirdtca´latcal
red-shafted woodpeckertc’am’tc’a’ᴍɪ
crickettcʼeˑl’
blue jaytc’ele´uʼ
battc’e´mtcem
fish-hawktcikʼtc´iktcik
caterpillartcoana´hiṭaau´
mottled snakets’aike´’
yellow-bellied woodpeckerts’e´’ʟ
owlts’ɘ´tʽenek’
spiderts’ope´nsopne´tts’ope´nlax
red-winged blackbirdwakeno´
frogwa·´kiṭwa´kɑṭ’wakiṭten; wa´kɑṭ’ṭʽa´ʟ
bullbatwa´lwal’
Oregon buntingwa´tcwatc’
white goosewau
blue jay, buntingwitcele´’wetcele´’
martinweˑtelo´’
woodpeckerwe´tok
musselxaii´k
cranexalau´’
ground titxane´o
lizardxakele´xapailʚ´’
yellow-billed magpieatce´tcxatca´tc’
roadrunner, ground cuckooxomxo·´’mɪ
quailho´mlik´
red-headed vulturexopne´lxo·pɴe´ʟ
dogxutcxutcaˑixoste´n

Plants

English glossAntoniañoMigueleñoplural
wild oatsatʟoˑ´s
barkawu´’lawuʟ’
tuleaˑxo´ʟaxone´ʟ
seedavexte´yaayextel’i´ya
budca´lca´ltine
quijara de palack’ua´
large soaprootck’alʚ´’
clovercpo´k’at’; cpoku´mt’a
brushcɑ´tala
leafctan’stanane´ʟ
blackberrieselpo´nʚ
wild seedsheˑʟka´’
hay, grassk’aˑṭ’katk’atsane´l
sunflowerk’a·´ciʟ
tulek’ɑ´mta’
acornk’a’kɑp’ka’te´ʟ
small young oakska´pitc’
large pine nutkʽekʽe
fern rootk’ēˑ´ciapowat
tuna (prickly pear)k’eso´i’
cedarkeṭipuikeṭipoilax
rootko’iʏi
melonk’olopopo´
bulb, wild potatok’ona·´ka
cacomitekotc’e´ʟ
forestku´katak
flowermɑkawi´ʼmɑkewe´makawili´ʼ
milkweedmatai´’ʏi
toloachemoˑnoi´’ʏi
laurelmopa´kʽ
ivymucuelit
wild grapeo·pɪs
chiapa´siʟpɑ´siʟ
post oakp’ɑ´pex
white oakat’p’aˑ´’tatne´ʟ; p’atʽne´lat
manzanitapatʽaxpatʽa´kpatʽaxtén
live oakaskle´tpaxa´kiʟ
buckeyepʚca´ʼ
willowpʚsxe´t
grasspetʟ
seedlingspeyexte´toʼ
seaweedpowa´tka
fruitpamputen
fruittenpute´s
mescalsaxe´t
alfilerillosseneste´ʟ
brushsmɑt
acornsmoʼ
cloversmo´kumeʟ
acornsxau´witʽ
seedstana´t
wickertana´st
grainstate´
small soaproottetai´
elderberriestetɑ´pʽkoˑʟ
roottepa´stepa´so
oaktʽio´i
acornt’i´pi’
mescaltʽᴍɑ
grasstʽʚma´s
milkweedtʚmaˑ´ʟ
grass for basketstʽonawɑ´’
gooseberriestoipen
flower of mescalṭaiya´c
woodṭa·´ka’aṭʽṭa·´kaṭatak’ane´ʟ
tobaccoṭala´’ᴍṭoela´m
stump of treeṭa´pinṭamoina´co
fruittataṭaˑ´tʽoʼ
rootṭepastéɴ
juiceṭetacoṭita´cu
pine nutstcʽo’tʽo’ṭotenʚ´l
brushṭoki
barsalillotc’e·´lak
pinetc’o’
wood for pipetcʽo´ʟʚ
chuckberriests’eta´kiʟ
spinexa´ke
acornxo´le
live oakhasli´t’
acornha´siʟ

Bibliography

  • Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195094275.
  • Mason, John Alden (1918). The language of the Salinan Indians. University of California Press. pp. 436–. Retrieved August 24, 2012.University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 14.1-154.
  • Sitjar, Fr. Buenaventura (1861) Vocabulario de la lengua de los naturales de la mission de San Antonio, Alta California. Shea's Library of American Linguistics, 7. Reprinted 1970 at New York by AMS Press.
  • Turner, Katherine (1987). Aspects of Salinan Grammar, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of California at Berkeley.

References

  1. "A Glossary of Proper Names in California Prehistory: Ethnolinguistic Groups". Society for California Archaeology. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  2. Sapir, Edward. (1925) The Hokan affinity of Subtiaba in Nicaragua. American Anthropologist 27: (3).402-34, (4). 491-527.
  3. Concise encyclopedia of languages of the world. Brown, E. K., Ogilvie, Sarah. (1st ed.). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. 2009. pp. 504. ISBN 9780080877754. OCLC 318247422.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Native languages of the Americas. Sebeok, Thomas A. (Thomas Albert), 1920-2001. New York: Plenum Press. 1976. pp. 440–446. ISBN 030637157X. OCLC 2388194.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. Turner, Katherine (1987). Aspects of Salinan Grammar. pp. 39–41.
  6. Mason, John Alden (1918). The language of the Salinan Indians. University of California Press. pp. 436–. Retrieved August 24, 2012.University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 14.1-154. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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