57 Chitimacha
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Daniel W. Hieber
Abstract
Chitimacha is a language isolate that was spoken in southern Louisiana until the death of the last native speaker in 1940. Modern tribal members are now revitalizing the language on the basis of documentary materials compiled between 1802 and 1934, but the field of linguistics has advanced drastically since that earlier documentation was made. As such, it is still possible to discover facets of the language and its structure that earlier researchers overlooked, most especially: features not common in Indo-European languages (such as agent-patient alignment); features caused by contact with other languages of the U.S. Southeast; and discourse-level phenomena (such as topic marking). This chapter gives an overview of our current state of knowledge of Chitimacha grammar in a way that aims to be accessible to Chitimacha language teachers and learners. It is the first updated grammatical sketch of the language since Swadesh (1946).
Abstract
Chitimacha is a language isolate that was spoken in southern Louisiana until the death of the last native speaker in 1940. Modern tribal members are now revitalizing the language on the basis of documentary materials compiled between 1802 and 1934, but the field of linguistics has advanced drastically since that earlier documentation was made. As such, it is still possible to discover facets of the language and its structure that earlier researchers overlooked, most especially: features not common in Indo-European languages (such as agent-patient alignment); features caused by contact with other languages of the U.S. Southeast; and discourse-level phenomena (such as topic marking). This chapter gives an overview of our current state of knowledge of Chitimacha grammar in a way that aims to be accessible to Chitimacha language teachers and learners. It is the first updated grammatical sketch of the language since Swadesh (1946).
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