Awaswas language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Awaswas |
|
|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | California |
| Extinct | (date missing) |
| Language family | |
| Writing system | Latin |
Awaswas, also known as Santa Cruz, is one of eight Ohlone languages. These languages were spoken by the native people of California. The Awaswas language was used by the Awaswas people.
At first, experts called this language "Santa Cruz" because of the mission in the area. But in the late 1960s and early 1970s, students at the University of California Berkeley decided to use native names for the Ohlone languages. That's why it's now called Awaswas.
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Where Awaswas Was Spoken
The Awaswas people lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They also lived along the coast of what is now Santa Cruz County. This area stretched from modern-day Davenport to Aptos.
Awaswas became the main language used at the Mission Santa Cruz. However, it seems that "Santa Cruz Costanoan" was more about geography than one single language. Records show it might have been several different dialects.
In 1952, a report found four distinct forms of Costanoan. A more recent report from 2009 said that central California had many different languages. It was one of the most diverse language areas in North America.
How Ohlone Languages Are Related
The Ohlone language group is divided into branches. Languages that are very similar are grouped together. Awaswas has been placed in both the northern and southern branches. Different studies have disagreed on the best way to classify it.
Some branches within the Ohlone group are very similar. They are like different local ways of speaking Italian. Other languages, like Rumsen, Mutsun, and Awaswas, are more different. They are as closely related as French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
In 2012, Valentin Lopez, who is the chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribe, shared something important. He said that his great-great-grandmother was the very last person to speak Awaswas.
See also
