Mono language (California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mono |
|
|---|---|
| Native to | United States |
| Region | California |
| Ethnicity | Mono and Owens Valley Paiute |
| Native speakers | (37 cited 1994) |
| Language family |
Uto-Aztecan
|
The Mono language is a special Native American language. It is the original language of the Mono people. This language belongs to the Numic group, which is part of the larger Uto-Aztecan language family.
Mono is spoken in parts of central-eastern California. This includes the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, the Mono Basin, and the Owens Valley. It is very closely related to the Northern Paiute language.
Sadly, not many people speak Mono today. In 2010, only about 40 older people spoke it as their first language. Because of this, UNESCO (a part of the United Nations) says it is a "critically endangered" language. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
The Mono language has two main types, or dialects: Eastern and Western. Western Mono is often called "Monachi." Eastern Mono is sometimes called "Owens Valley Paiute."
Western Mono Dialect
In 1994, about 37 to 41 people spoke the Western Mono dialect. Most of these speakers live in the Northfork Rancheria and the community of Auberry in California. There are also about 12 to 14 speakers in the Big Sandy Rancheria and Dunlap.
People are working hard to keep the Western Mono language alive. The Northfork Mono community is creating a dictionary for their language. Both the Northfork and Big Sandy Rancheria communities offer language classes. About 100 members of Northfork know some of the language, even if they are not completely fluent.
The Western Mono language has some words that came from Spanish. These words were borrowed during the time when the Spanish explored and settled California. It also has words borrowed from the Yokuts and Miwok languages.
Owens Valley Paiute Dialect
In the mid-1990s, around 50 people spoke the Owens Valley Paiute dialect. Just like with Western Mono, people are working to preserve this language. There are informal language classes available. Singers also help keep the language alive by performing songs in the native language.
How Mono Words Are Built
Mono is an agglutinative language. This means that words are often made by adding many small parts, called suffixes, to a base word. Each suffix adds a specific meaning. It's like building a word by stringing together many small blocks of meaning.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma mono para niños
