Caddoan languages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caddoan |
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| Geographic distribution: |
Great Plains, North America |
| Linguistic classification: | One of the world's primary language families |
| Subdivisions: |
Northern
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| ISO 639-5: | cdd |
 Pre-contact distribution of Caddoan languages
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The Caddoan languages are a group of languages spoken by Native American tribes in the Great Plains region of the central United States. These languages were once spoken from what is now North Dakota all the way south to Oklahoma. Sadly, all Caddoan languages are now in great danger of disappearing forever. This is because fewer and fewer people speak them, due to historical reasons and a lack of support.
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Languages in the Caddoan Family
The Caddoan language family includes five different languages. Here's how they are related:
| Caddoan languages |
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Two of these languages, Kitsai and Wichita, no longer have any speakers. The Kitsai language stopped being spoken in the 1800s. Its people joined the Wichita tribe. The Wichita language was last spoken in 2016. Its last native speaker, Doris McLemore, passed away. She left behind important recordings and language materials.
The remaining Caddoan languages are in serious danger. As of 2007, only about 25 people speak Caddo. Just 10 people speak Pawnee, and 10 speak Arikara. These speakers are mostly tribal elders. Caddo and Pawnee are spoken in Oklahoma. Arikara is spoken on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
Before European settlers arrived, Caddoan languages were spoken by many more people. For example, the Caddo people lived in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The Pawnee lived along the Platte River in what is now Nebraska.
How Caddoan Languages Developed
Scientists who study languages try to understand their history. They believe the original Caddoan language split into two main groups over 3,000 years ago. These groups were called Northern Caddoan and Southern Caddoan. This split likely happened because the groups of people moved apart. Or perhaps they became separate tribes.
The Southern Caddoan group developed into the Caddo language. This happened in areas like northeastern Texas and nearby Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. We don't know of any other languages that came from Southern Caddoan. But it's possible some existed long ago.
The Northern Caddoan group developed into several different languages. The Wichita language branched off about 2,000 years ago. The Kitsai language separated from Northern Caddoan about 1,200 years ago. Finally, the Pawnee and Arikara languages became distinct about 300 to 500 years ago.
Possible Connections to Other Languages
Some language experts think Caddoan languages might be connected to other language families. These include the Iroquoian languages and Siouan languages. This idea is called the Macro-Siouan language family theory. It's an interesting idea, but it's not yet proven. More research is needed to be sure.
There have also been attempts to link Caddoan languages to the Algonquian languages. However, there isn't enough proof to say they are related.
See also
In Spanish: Lenguas caddoanas para niños
