56 Sketch of the Siouan Language Family
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Armik Mirzayan
Abstract
The Siouan family consists of a number of languages - each with several dialects - spoken by at least 25 Indigenous Nations of North America in a broad area that stretches from the Southeastern cultural region (in present day Louisiana and Alabama) westward across the prairies and northward to the plains of Alberta, Canada. Historically the languages were also spoken in present-day Virginia and North Carolina territories. Even though there exists substantial linguistic literature on Siouan languages, this family is generally under-represented in cross-linguistic studies. Within linguistics Siouan languages are known for their rich morphological structures, some tending towards polysynthesis in complex verb phrase words, while at the same time possessing complex phrase level syntactic structures. Given the time depth and the variety of studies within the Siouan family, the goals of this chapter are threefold. Specifically, I intend to (a) provide an overall typological overview of the family, (b) summarize some of the well-known grammatical features of these languages - i. e., those constructions that are considered typically “Siouan” and which are relatively well described in the available literature, and (c) point out some areas in Siouan linguistics which are not well studied, suggesting fruitful directions for future research. In the modern ethnolinguistic landscape of North America, the Siouan family as a whole includes many endangered languages in need of urgent re-awakening. Therefore, wherever possible this chapter also provides information on the status of the extant languages, highlightin
Abstract
The Siouan family consists of a number of languages - each with several dialects - spoken by at least 25 Indigenous Nations of North America in a broad area that stretches from the Southeastern cultural region (in present day Louisiana and Alabama) westward across the prairies and northward to the plains of Alberta, Canada. Historically the languages were also spoken in present-day Virginia and North Carolina territories. Even though there exists substantial linguistic literature on Siouan languages, this family is generally under-represented in cross-linguistic studies. Within linguistics Siouan languages are known for their rich morphological structures, some tending towards polysynthesis in complex verb phrase words, while at the same time possessing complex phrase level syntactic structures. Given the time depth and the variety of studies within the Siouan family, the goals of this chapter are threefold. Specifically, I intend to (a) provide an overall typological overview of the family, (b) summarize some of the well-known grammatical features of these languages - i. e., those constructions that are considered typically “Siouan” and which are relatively well described in the available literature, and (c) point out some areas in Siouan linguistics which are not well studied, suggesting fruitful directions for future research. In the modern ethnolinguistic landscape of North America, the Siouan family as a whole includes many endangered languages in need of urgent re-awakening. Therefore, wherever possible this chapter also provides information on the status of the extant languages, highlightin
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Table of contents VII
-
VII Language revitalization
- 32 Reviving languages: Outcomes of a Mentor-Apprentice style learning study 717
- 33 Child and child-directed speech in North American languages 741
- 34 Decolonizing Indigenous language pedagogies: Additional language learning and teaching 767
- 35 Digital tools for language revitalization 789
- 36 Using archival materials for language reclamation 807
- 37 Changing notions of fieldwork 823
-
VIII Language families and isolates
- 38 Inuit-Yupik-Unangan: An overview of the language family 843
- 39 Dene – Athabaskan 875
- 40 Algonquian 931
- 41 Michif 951
- 42 Tsimshianic 985
- 43 Wakashan Languages 1013
- 44 Salish 1053
- 45 Chinookan family, with special reference to Kiksht and notes on Chinuk Wawa 1115
- 46 Sahaptian 1139
- 47 Karuk 1169
- 48 Wáˑšiw 1201
- 49 Pomoan 1223
- 50 California languages: Isolates and other languages 1247
- 51 Chumashan 1275
- 52 Yuman 1303
- 53 Uto-Aztecan 1333
- 54 Kiowa-Tanoan 1361
- 55 Caddoan 1407
- 56 Sketch of the Siouan Language Family 1447
- 57 Chitimacha 1519
- 58 Tunica 1545
- 59 Muskogean 1577
- 60 Iroquoian 1601
- 61 Unclassified languages 1627
- List of Authors 1649
- Index of languages 1673
- Index of names 1685
- Index of subjects 1695
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Table of contents VII
-
VII Language revitalization
- 32 Reviving languages: Outcomes of a Mentor-Apprentice style learning study 717
- 33 Child and child-directed speech in North American languages 741
- 34 Decolonizing Indigenous language pedagogies: Additional language learning and teaching 767
- 35 Digital tools for language revitalization 789
- 36 Using archival materials for language reclamation 807
- 37 Changing notions of fieldwork 823
-
VIII Language families and isolates
- 38 Inuit-Yupik-Unangan: An overview of the language family 843
- 39 Dene – Athabaskan 875
- 40 Algonquian 931
- 41 Michif 951
- 42 Tsimshianic 985
- 43 Wakashan Languages 1013
- 44 Salish 1053
- 45 Chinookan family, with special reference to Kiksht and notes on Chinuk Wawa 1115
- 46 Sahaptian 1139
- 47 Karuk 1169
- 48 Wáˑšiw 1201
- 49 Pomoan 1223
- 50 California languages: Isolates and other languages 1247
- 51 Chumashan 1275
- 52 Yuman 1303
- 53 Uto-Aztecan 1333
- 54 Kiowa-Tanoan 1361
- 55 Caddoan 1407
- 56 Sketch of the Siouan Language Family 1447
- 57 Chitimacha 1519
- 58 Tunica 1545
- 59 Muskogean 1577
- 60 Iroquoian 1601
- 61 Unclassified languages 1627
- List of Authors 1649
- Index of languages 1673
- Index of names 1685
- Index of subjects 1695
