Quiripi language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quiripi |
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|---|---|
| Wampano | |
| Native to | United States |
| Extinct | ca. 1900 |
| Language family |
Algic
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The location of the Paugussett, Tunxis, Podunk, Quinnipiac, Mattabesic, Unquachog and their neighbors, c. 1600
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Quiripi (pronounced kwi-RIH-pee) was an Algonquian language. It was once spoken by Native American groups in southwestern Connecticut and central Long Island. Some of these groups included the Quinnipiac, Unquachog, Mattabessett, Podunk, Tunxis, and Paugussett.
The Quiripi language has been mostly extinct since the late 1800s. However, in 1932, a linguist named Frank T. Siebert, Jr. was able to record a few Unquachog words from an older woman.
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What Was Quiripi?
Quiripi is also known by other names, such as Mattabesic and Wampano. It was part of the Eastern Algonquian language family. This family includes other languages from southern New England.
How Was Quiripi Spoken?
Quiripi had some special sound features. For example, certain vowel sounds changed over time. Also, the "k" sound often changed before some "front" vowel sounds.
It seems there were two main ways Quiripi was spoken:
- An "island" way, used by the Unquachog people on Long Island.
- A "mainland" way, used by groups in Connecticut, especially the Quinnipiac.
How Do We Know About Quiripi?
We don't have many records of the Quiripi language. But some important sources do exist.
Early Writings About the Language
One of the earliest records is a 67-page book from 1658. It was a bilingual catechism, which is a book of religious teachings. Abraham Pierson, the elder created it while working in Branford, Connecticut. This book is our main source for understanding Quiripi today.
However, Pierson's translation was not perfect. It had unusual sentence structures that were not typical for Algonquian languages. It also showed a mix of different Quiripi dialects.
Other Important Records
Other people also collected information about Quiripi:
- The Rev. Ezra Stiles gathered some words in the late 1700s.
- Thomas Jefferson recorded 202 Unquachog words in 1791. This list also showed a mix of dialects and outside influences.
- Three early hymns from around 1740 have been translated. These hymns came from the Moravian Shekomeko mission near Kent, Connecticut.
How Linguists Study Quiripi Sounds
A linguist named Blair A. Rudes tried to figure out how Quiripi sounded. He used the existing records and compared Quiripi to other related Algonquian languages. He also tried to "reconstruct forward" from an older language called Proto-Algonquian.
Rudes found that Quiripi had certain consonant sounds, like "p," "t," "k," "m," "n," "s," "r," "w," and "j." It also had specific vowel sounds, both short and long.
How Quiripi Words Were Written
The way Quiripi words were written down helps us understand how they sounded. Here are some examples of how letters were used:
- a – sounded like "uh"
- â – sounded like "ah" (long)
- ch – sounded like "ch" in "church"
- h – sounded like "h" in "hat"
- i – sounded like "ee" in "see"
- k – sounded like "k" in "kit"
- m – sounded like "m" in "mat"
- n – sounded like "n" in "net"
- o – sounded like "oo" in "moon"
- ô – sounded like a nasal "uh" (long)
- p – sounded like "p" in "pat"
- r – sounded like "r" in "run"
- s – sounded like "s" in "sit"
- sh – sounded like "sh" in "ship"
- t – sounded like "t" in "top"
- u – sounded like "uh" in "cup"
- w – sounded like "w" in "wet"
- y – sounded like "y" in "yes"
