Atsugewi language facts for kids

Atsugewi was a language spoken by the Atsugewi people in northeastern California. These people lived near Hat Creek and Dixie Valley. Sadly, Atsugewi is now an extinct language, which means no one speaks it as their first language anymore.

In 1962, only four people could speak Atsugewi fluently, and they were all older adults. The very last fluent speaker, Medie Webster, passed away in 1988. Even though the language is extinct, some tribal members still know a few words and phrases.

Atsugewi is closely related to the Achumawi language. Experts believe both languages are part of a larger group called the Hokan family. Within that family, Atsugewi and Achumawi form a smaller group known as the Palaihnihan family.

The name "Atsugewi" comes from "Atsugé," which was the original name. The "-wi" part was added by mistake from the Achumawi language.

Atsugewi History

Further information: Population of Native California

It can be hard to know exactly how many people lived in California long ago, especially before Europeans arrived. Experts have made different guesses about the number of native people.

• Alfred L. Kroeber, a famous expert, thought that around 3,000 people spoke both Achumawi and Atsugewi combined in the year 1770.
• Another expert, Fred B. Kniffen, came up with the same number.
• T. R. Garth, however, estimated that the Atsugewi population alone was about 850 people at its highest.

By 1910, the combined number of Achumawi and Atsugewi speakers was estimated to be around 1,100. By 1936, the population of the Atsugewi people was about 500.

Sounds of Atsugewi

The Atsugewi language had a unique set of sounds. It had many more consonant sounds than English does.

Atsugewi Consonants

Atsugewi had 32 different consonant sounds. Many of these sounds came in pairs: a "plain" sound and a "glottalized" sound. Glottalized sounds are made by quickly closing and opening your throat (your glottis) as you make the sound.

Some sounds, like 'p', 't', and 'k', also had a third type: "aspirated" sounds. These are made with a puff of air, like the 'p' in "pot" in English. The language also had a special sound called a glottal stop, which is the sound in the middle of "uh-oh."

Atsugewi Vowels

Atsugewi had three main vowel sounds: /a/, /o/, and /i/. Sometimes, the sound /e/ would appear, but it was usually just a different way of saying /i/. Similarly, the sound /u/ was often just a different way of saying /o/. However, some experts believe that /e/ could sometimes be its own distinct sound, like in the word ce, which meant "the eye" or "the eyes."

See also

In Spanish: Idioma atsugewi para niños