Plateau Penutian languages facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plateau Penutian
Shahapwailutan, Lepitan
Geographic distribution:	Pacific Northwest
Linguistic classification:	Penutian? Plateau Penutian
Subdivisions:	Klamath † Molala † Sahaptian
Pre-contact distribution of Plateau Penutian languages

Plateau Penutian is a group of languages. People used to speak them in parts of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. These languages are also known as Shahapwailutan or Lepitan.

What is the Plateau Penutian Language Family?

A language family is a group of languages. They are related because they came from a common ancestor language. Think of it like a family tree. The Plateau Penutian family has four main languages.

Languages in the Family

• Klamath: This language is also called Klamath-Modoc. It is now extinct, meaning no one speaks it anymore.
• Molala: This language is also extinct.
• Sahaptian: This is a branch with two languages:
  • Nez Percé: This language is still spoken today.
  • Sahaptin: This language is also still spoken today.

How Do We Know These Languages Are Related?

Linguists are scientists who study languages. They look for similarities in words and grammar. This helps them figure out if languages belong to the same family.

Early Ideas About Plateau Penutian

A famous linguist named Edward Sapir first suggested the idea of the larger Penutian language group. He thought Plateau Penutian was one part of this bigger group. At first, some thought the Cayuse language was also part of this family. But there isn't enough information about Cayuse to be sure. So, it remains unclassified.

Evidence for the Family

For a long time, linguists agreed that Sahaptin and Nez Percé were related. Later, they found strong evidence connecting Klamath to the Sahaptian languages. More recently, scientists have shown that Molala also fits into the Plateau Penutian family.

Many experts now agree that Plateau Penutian is a real language family. They say it is "well supported" by their research. Some researchers also see links between Plateau Penutian and other language families. These include the Maiduan family and even the Uto-Aztecan family. These ideas are still being studied.

Modern Research Methods

Scientists use computers to help study language relationships. One method, called ASJP, helps compare words from different languages. A study in 2013 used ASJP and found that Plateau Penutian languages are indeed related. This study also found that some words in Plateau Penutian languages might have come from Algic languages.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas penutíes de la Meseta para niños