Lipan language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lipan |
|
|---|---|
| Ndé miizaa | |
| Native to | USA and Mexico |
| Region | Chihuahua, Coahuila, New Mexico, Texas |
| Ethnicity | Lipan Apache people |
| Extinct | 1980se25 |
| Language family |
Dené–Yeniseian?
|
| Writing system | Latin |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |  Mexico |
| Regulated by | Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas |
The Lipan language was once spoken by the Lipan Apache people. It was an important language for this Native American group. Sadly, Lipan is now an extinct language, which means no one speaks it anymore as their first language. The last few speakers were reported in the 1980s.
Lipan was part of a bigger language family called Na-Dene languages. It was closely related to another language called Jicarilla language. Both Lipan and Jicarilla belong to the Eastern branch of the Southern Athabaskan languages. People who spoke Lipan lived in parts of northern Mexico, some areas in New Mexico, and southern Texas.
Where Lipan Was Spoken
The Lipan language was traditionally spoken in several places. In Mexico, it was used in some communities in the states of Coahuila and Chihuahua. For example, in Coahuila, you would find Lipan speakers in towns like Los Lirios, San Antonio de Alanzas, El Remolino, and Zaragoza. It was also heard in bigger cities like Sabinas and Saltillo.
In Chihuahua, Lipan was spoken in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua, along with other native towns. In the USA, Lipan speakers lived in New Mexico on the Mescalero Reservation. They also lived in Texas near the Mexico-U.S. border.
