Jicarilla language facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jicarilla
Abáachi mizaa
Native to	United States
Region	New Mexico
Ethnicity	3,100 Jicarilla Apache (2007)
Native speakers	510  (2015 census)e19
Language family	Dené–Yeniseian? Na-Dene Athabaskan Southern Athabaskan Eastern Jicarilla
Jicarilla Apache is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
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The Jicarilla language (called Abáachi mizaa by its speakers) is a special language. It is spoken by the Jicarilla Apache people. This language belongs to a group called Southern Athabaskan.

The Jicarilla Apache Story

The Jicarilla Apache people, also known as the Tinde, lived in a large area. Their traditional home was in parts of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas. This land helped them live like other Plains Indian tribes.

The Jicarilla Apache tribe had two main groups or clans. These were the White Clan and the Red Clan. Over time, the Jicarilla Apache faced many challenges. They had to leave their original lands. They moved to a special area called a reservation. This reservation is in a place called Dulce, New Mexico, today.

Keeping the Language Alive

In 2000, about 680 people said they spoke Jicarilla. However, in 2007, experts believed there were about 300 fluent speakers. There were also many "semi-speakers" who knew some of the language. The Jicarilla Apache Nation is working hard to keep their language strong.

How Jicarilla Language is Being Revived

In 2003, the Jicarilla Apache Nation made history. They were the first tribe in New Mexico to train people to teach a Native American language. By 2012, many things were happening to help the language. A dictionary was created to help people learn words. Classes were held for people of all ages. There were also special camps for young people during different seasons. These camps helped kids learn and use the Jicarilla language.

Sounds of Jicarilla: Consonants

The Jicarilla language has many interesting sounds. It uses 34 different consonant sounds.

What are Jicarilla Consonants Like?

One interesting thing about Jicarilla is how some sounds changed over time. For example, the sound /d/ in Jicarilla is like /n/ or /ⁿd/ in other related languages. This includes languages like Navajo and Chiricahua.

Aspirated Stop Sounds

In Jicarilla, the sound /tʰ/ is not very common on its own. It has mostly joined with the sound /kʰ/. This means that most of the "aspirated stops" (sounds made with a puff of air) in Jicarilla are made at the back of the mouth.

Nasal Sounds

The sound /m/ is never found at the end of a word. It is most often found at the beginning of word parts called prefixes. The sound /n/ can sometimes act like a whole syllable on its own.

Sounds of Jicarilla: Vowels

Jicarilla has 16 different vowel sounds. These are the sounds like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'.

What are Jicarilla Vowels Like?

All vowels in Jicarilla can be either:

• Spoken through the mouth (oral) or through the nose (nasal).
• Short or long in how they are pronounced.

In the Jicarilla writing system, nasal vowels are shown by underlining them.

Jicarilla Tones

Jicarilla is a "tonal" language. This means the way you say a word can change its meaning. Jicarilla has three different tones:

• High tone: The sound goes up. It's marked with an accent mark, like in tsé (meaning 'rock').
• Low tone: The sound stays low. It has no special mark, like in ts’e (meaning 'sagebrush').
• Falling tone: The sound starts high and goes down. It's shown by a high-toned vowel followed by an unmarked vowel, like in zháal (meaning 'money').

How Words are Built: Morphology

Languages have rules for how words are formed. This is called morphology.

A Sample of Jicarilla Language

Here is an example of the Jicarilla language. It shows how words are put together.

Spanish Words in Jicarilla

The Jicarilla people have been in contact with Spanish and English speakers for a long time. Because of this, they have borrowed words from Spanish. These "loanwords" have changed how some Jicarilla sounds are used. Most Spanish sounds fit well into Jicarilla. But some sounds that are not in Jicarilla change when borrowed.

Here are some examples of how Spanish sounds change in Jicarilla:

• The Spanish 'r' sound often becomes 'l' or 'lal' in Jicarilla. For example, 'arroz' (rice) becomes "alalóos".
• The Spanish 'f' sound can become 'h' or a glottal stop (like the sound in "uh-oh"). For example, 'estufa' (stove) becomes "as’dóoha".
• The Spanish 'gu' sound can become 'ɣʷoː'. For example, 'aguja' (needle) becomes "awóoha".
• The Spanish 'b' sound often becomes 'p'. For example, 'vaso' (drinking glass) becomes "báaso".
• The Spanish 'ñ' sound can become 'j' with a nasal vowel. For example, 'paño' (scarf) becomes "Báayoo".
• The Spanish 'l' sound at the end of a syllable can become 'ɬ' in Jicarilla. For example, 'automóvil' (automobile) becomes "Bíił".

See also

In Spanish: Idioma jicarilla para niños

• Southern Apache Museum