Miwok languages facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miwok
Miw·yk
Ethnicity:	Miwok
Geographic distribution:	California, western slopes of Sierra Nevada
Linguistic classification:	Yok-Utian Utian Miwok
Subdivisions:	—

The Miwok or Miwokan languages are a group of languages spoken by the Miwok people in central California. These languages are considered endangered, meaning very few people still speak them. They are found in an area stretching from the Bay Area all the way to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

There are seven different Miwok languages, and four of them have their own special regional dialects. Sadly, only a few dozen people still speak the three Sierra Miwok languages. In 1994, only two people spoke Lake Miwok. The most well-known Miwok language is Southern Sierra Miwok, which is where the famous name Yosemite comes from. The name Miwok itself comes from the Northern Sierra Miwok word miw·yk, which means 'people' or 'Indians'.

Miwok Language Families

This map from 1925 shows the areas where Plains and Sierra Miwok languages were spoken.

The Miwok languages are divided into two main groups: Eastern Miwok and Western Miwok. Here's a look at the different languages within these groups:

• Eastern Miwok
  • Plains Miwok †
  • Bay Miwok (also known as Saclan) †
  • Sierra Miwok
    • Northern Sierra Miwok (†) (This language had dialects in Camanche, Fiddletown, Ione, and West Point.)
    • Central Sierra Miwok (This language is nearly extinct, meaning almost no one speaks it anymore. It had East Central and West Central dialects.)
    • Southern Sierra Miwok (This language is also nearly extinct. It had dialects in Yosemite, Mariposa, and a Southern dialect.)
• Western Miwok
  • Coast Miwok † (This language had dialects in Bodega and Marin.)
  • Lake Miwok †

The dagger symbol (†) next to a language means it is now extinct. This means there are no longer any native speakers of that language.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas miwok para niños