Southern Tiwa language facts for kids

The Southern Tiwa language is spoken by the Tiwa people. You can hear it in places like Sandia Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico. It's also spoken in Ysleta del Sur in Texas. This language is part of a bigger group called the Tanoan languages.

How Southern Tiwa Connects to Other Languages

Southern Tiwa is part of the Kiowa–Tanoan language family. It is a close relative of the Tiwa language group. This group includes languages like Picurís and Taos. Picurís is spoken at Picuris Pueblo. Taos is spoken at Taos Pueblo.

Some people who speak Southern Tiwa can understand Taos and Picurís. However, it's harder for Taos and Picurís speakers to understand Southern Tiwa. One expert noted that an Isleta person spoke "Mexican jargon" with Taos speakers. This shows that Taos and Southern Tiwa were not easy for each other to understand.

Different Ways Southern Tiwa is Spoken

Southern Tiwa has three main ways it is spoken. These are like different versions of the language.

• Sandía
• Isleta
• Ysleta del Sur (also called Tigua)

People who speak the Sandía and Isleta versions can understand each other easily. They are very similar.

In August 2015, something exciting happened. The Tiwa language started being taught to kids. This happened at Isleta Elementary School. It was part of the school moving to tribal control. This helps keep the language alive for future generations.

Sounds in Southern Tiwa

Southern Tiwa has many different sounds. It has 26 consonant sounds. Consonants are sounds like 'p', 't', or 'k'. It also has six vowel sounds. Vowels are sounds like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'.

What's special is that these vowel sounds can be spoken in two ways. They can be oral, meaning air comes out of your mouth. Or they can be nasal, meaning air comes out of your nose too.

Southern Tiwa also uses different tones when speaking. There are three tones:

• High tone
• Mid tone
• Low tone

These tones can change the meaning of a word.