This article is about the proposed family. It is not to be confused with the Coahuilteco language.
Coahuiltecan was a proposed language family in John Wesley Powell's 1891 classification of Native American languages.[1] Most linguists now reject the view that the Coahuiltecan peoples of southern Texas and adjacent Mexico spoke a single or related languages.[2] Coahuiltecan continues to be a convenient collective term for the languages and people of this region.
This map shows the range of Indians of Coahuiltecan culture in Texas, although most authorities would not include the Karankawa and Tonkawa as Coahuiltecan.
Similarities among the cultures among the indigenous people and the physical setting of south Texas led linguists to believe that the languages of the region were also similar.[3] The Coahuiltecan language family was proposed to include all the languages of the region, including Karankawa and Tonkawa. Linguistic connections were proposed with Hokan, a language family of several Native American peoples living in California, Arizona, and Baja California.[4]
Most modern linguists, by contrast, see the Coahuiltecan region as one of linguistic diversity. A few words are known from seven different languages: Comecrudo, Cotoname, Aranama, Solano, Mamulique, Garza, and Coahuilteco or Pakawa.[citation needed] Coahuilteco or Pakawa seems to have been a lingua franca of Texas Coahuiltecans living at or near the Catholic Missions established at San Antonio in the 18th century. Almost certainly, many more languages were spoken, but numerous Coahuiltecan bands and ethnic groups became extinct between the 16th and 19th century and their languages were unrecorded. In 1886, ethnologist Albert Gatschet found perhaps the last surviving speakers of Coahuiltecan languages : 25 Comecrudo, 1 Cotoname, and 2 Pakawa. They were living near Reynosa, Mexico.[5] In 1690, the population of Indians in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas may have been 100,000. The Coahuiltecans were sold into slavery, died of introduced European diseases, and were absorbed by the Hispanic population.[6]
Linguists have postulated a Comecrudan language family with Comecrudo, Mamulique, and Garza as related and Coahuilteco and Cotoname possibly related. Comecrudo and Cotoname are the best known of the languages. They were spoken in the delta of the Rio Grande.[7] Not enough information exists to classify Solano and Aranama. However, linguistic conservatives say that all these languages should be considered language isolates, with insufficient data to establish relationships between and among the languages.[8]
Colonial era religious text is Coahuitlecan and Spanish from the first half of the 18th century
Referencesedit
^Powell, J. W. "Indian Linguistic Families of America, north of Mexico." Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1885–1886. Washington: GPO, 1891, pp. 68–69
^Logan, Jennifer L. "Chapter 8: Linguistics" Reassessing Cultural Extinction: Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capitstrano, Texas. College Station: Center for Ecological Archaeology, Texas A&M, 2001
^Newcombe, Jr., W. W. The Indians of Texas: from Prehistoric to Modern Times. Austin: U of TX Press, 1961, pp.29–30
^Sapir, E. "The Hokan and Coahuiltecan Languages. International Journal of American Linguistics. Vo. L, No 4 (Dec 1020), p. 280
^Powell, J. W. 7th Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1885–1886. Washington: GPO, 1891, p. 68
^"Coahuiltecan Indians." Handbook of Texas Online. www.tshaonline.org/handhook/online/articles/bmcah, accessed 16 Feb 2012.
^Salinas, Martin. Indians of the Rio Grande Delta. Austin: U of TX Press, 1990, pp. 142–147
^Logan, Jennifer L. "Chapter 8: Linguistics" Reassessing Cultural Extinction: Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capistrano, Texas. College Station: Center for Ecological Archaeology, Texas A&M, 2001
Bibliographyedit
Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN0-521-29875-X.
"South Texas Plains » Who Were the "Coahuiltecans"?". Texas Beyond History. Austin: The University of Texas. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
January 01, 1970
coahuiltecan, languages, this, article, about, proposed, family, confused, with, coahuilteco, language, coahuiltecan, proposed, language, family, john, wesley, powell, 1891, classification, native, american, languages, most, linguists, reject, view, that, coah. This article is about the proposed family It is not to be confused with the Coahuilteco language Coahuiltecan was a proposed language family in John Wesley Powell s 1891 classification of Native American languages 1 Most linguists now reject the view that the Coahuiltecan peoples of southern Texas and adjacent Mexico spoke a single or related languages 2 Coahuiltecan continues to be a convenient collective term for the languages and people of this region Contents 1 Language relationships 2 References 3 Bibliography 4 External linksLanguage relationships edit nbsp This map shows the range of Indians of Coahuiltecan culture in Texas although most authorities would not include the Karankawa and Tonkawa as Coahuiltecan Similarities among the cultures among the indigenous people and the physical setting of south Texas led linguists to believe that the languages of the region were also similar 3 The Coahuiltecan language family was proposed to include all the languages of the region including Karankawa and Tonkawa Linguistic connections were proposed with Hokan a language family of several Native American peoples living in California Arizona and Baja California 4 Most modern linguists by contrast see the Coahuiltecan region as one of linguistic diversity A few words are known from seven different languages Comecrudo Cotoname Aranama Solano Mamulique Garza and Coahuilteco or Pakawa citation needed Coahuilteco or Pakawa seems to have been a lingua franca of Texas Coahuiltecans living at or near the Catholic Missions established at San Antonio in the 18th century Almost certainly many more languages were spoken but numerous Coahuiltecan bands and ethnic groups became extinct between the 16th and 19th century and their languages were unrecorded In 1886 ethnologist Albert Gatschet found perhaps the last surviving speakers of Coahuiltecan languages 25 Comecrudo 1 Cotoname and 2 Pakawa They were living near Reynosa Mexico 5 In 1690 the population of Indians in northeastern Mexico and southern Texas may have been 100 000 The Coahuiltecans were sold into slavery died of introduced European diseases and were absorbed by the Hispanic population 6 Linguists have postulated a Comecrudan language family with Comecrudo Mamulique and Garza as related and Coahuilteco and Cotoname possibly related Comecrudo and Cotoname are the best known of the languages They were spoken in the delta of the Rio Grande 7 Not enough information exists to classify Solano and Aranama However linguistic conservatives say that all these languages should be considered language isolates with insufficient data to establish relationships between and among the languages 8 The Coahuiltecan languages and culture are now extinct The names of many bands have been preserved including the Ervipiame Mayeye Pajalat Quems Quepano Solano and Xarames nbsp Colonial era religious text is Coahuitlecan and Spanish from the first half of the 18th centuryReferences edit Powell J W Indian Linguistic Families of America north of Mexico Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology 1885 1886 Washington GPO 1891 pp 68 69 Logan Jennifer L Chapter 8 Linguistics Reassessing Cultural Extinction Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capitstrano Texas College Station Center for Ecological Archaeology Texas A amp M 2001 Newcombe Jr W W The Indians of Texas from Prehistoric to Modern Times Austin U of TX Press 1961 pp 29 30 Sapir E The Hokan and Coahuiltecan Languages International Journal of American Linguistics Vo L No 4 Dec 1020 p 280 Powell J W 7th Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology 1885 1886 Washington GPO 1891 p 68 Coahuiltecan Indians Handbook of Texas Online www tshaonline org handhook online articles bmcah accessed 16 Feb 2012 Salinas Martin Indians of the Rio Grande Delta Austin U of TX Press 1990 pp 142 147 Logan Jennifer L Chapter 8 Linguistics Reassessing Cultural Extinction Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capistrano Texas College Station Center for Ecological Archaeology Texas A amp M 2001Bibliography editMithun Marianne 1999 The languages of Native North America Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 23228 7 hbk ISBN 0 521 29875 X External links editCoahuiltecan Indians from the Handbook of Texas Online Reassessing Cultural Extinction Change and Survival at Mission San Juan Capistrano Texas Chapter 8 Linguistics Pakawa Indians Catholic Encyclopedia South Texas Plains Who Were the Coahuiltecans Texas Beyond History Austin The University of Texas Retrieved 4 October 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Coahuiltecan languages amp oldid 1175600881, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
