Siuslaw language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siuslaw |
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|---|---|
| Lower Umpqua Šáayušƛa / Qúuiič |
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| Pronunciation | /saɪˈjuːslɔː/ |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | Oregon |
| Ethnicity | Siuslaw people |
| Extinct | 1960 |
| Language family |
Coast Oregon Penutian?
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Pre-contact distribution of Siuslaw
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Siuslaw was a language spoken by the Siuslaw people and Lower Umpqua people in Oregon, United States. It is also known as Lower Umpqua. The Siuslaw language had two main types, or dialects: Siuslaw proper (called Šaayušƛa) and Lower Umpqua (called Qúuiič). Sadly, the last known speaker of Siuslaw passed away in 1960, meaning the language is now extinct.
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What Was Siuslaw Language Like?
A Language All Its Own
Siuslaw is currently thought to be a language isolate. This means it is a language that does not clearly belong to any larger language family. Imagine it like a unique tree that isn't part of a forest of similar trees.
Possible Connections
Some language experts believe Siuslaw might have been part of a bigger group. This group is called "Coast Oregon Penutian languages." It might have included languages like Alsea and the Coosan languages. However, this idea is still being discussed by experts. It is not fully proven yet.
How We Know About Siuslaw
Early Studies
People started studying and writing down the Siuslaw language a long time ago. In 1911, a researcher named Leo J. Frachtenberg spent three months learning about it. He worked with a native speaker of the Lower Umpqua dialect.
Later Research
Later, in 1954, Dell Hymes worked with four Siuslaw speakers. They helped him learn more about the language. These studies are very important because they helped record the language before it was lost.
Stored Information
There are also many other important records of Siuslaw. These include:
- A 12-page vocabulary list by James Owen Dorsey.
- A wordlist of about 150 words collected by Melville Jacobs in 1935.
- An audio recording of a Siuslaw speaker named Spencer Scott from 1941.
- Hundreds of pages of notes from John Peabody Harrington in 1942. He interviewed several native speakers.
- Audio recordings of words by Morris Swadesh in 1953.
All these records help us understand and learn about the Siuslaw language today.
See also
