Social:Calusa–Tunica languages

From HandWiki
Short description: Proposed language family
Calusa–Tunica
Tunica–Calusa
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution
Southeastern United States
Linguistic classificationGulf ?
  • Calusa–Tunica
Subdivisions
  • Calusa †
  • Tunica
GlottologNone

The Calusa–Tunica languages are a proposed small language family that comprises the Tunica language of Louisiana and the extinct Calusa language of Florida.[1]

Proposal

Julian Granberry (1994) suggests that the Calusa language was related to the Tunica language of the lower Mississippi River Valley, with Calusa possibly being relatively a recent arrival from the lower Mississippi region. Another possibility was that similarities between the languages were derived from long-term mutual contact.[1]

Comparison of morphemes

Granberry (1994: 510–512) compares the following Tunica and Calusa morphemes. The Tunica data is from Mary Haas,[2][3] while the Proto-Tunica reconstructions are Granberry's own work.[1] The Calusa data is primarily drawn from Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda's 16th-century writings.

gloss Proto-Tunica Tunica Calusa B Calusa A
fem. sg. noun *-hki ~ *-hči -hči -(h)ki *-hki
imperative verb *-k... -ki -ka
over there, yonder *-mi mí-, -mí -mi
very much *-štʔɛ -štʔɛ *st(ʔ)a
this (noun designator) *ka- ká- ka-
all around, about *te- té- te-
watch (over, for), guard, wait *hɛ́ra hɛ́ra śer(a)
fast, prayer (noun) (húma = berry) *huma húma-ra homa
destroy, crush, mash *kuč... kúča kuči
assemble, gather together *kunpa ([kuNpa] > kuhpa ?) kúhpa kupe ~ kunpe *kuhpe ~ *kuNpe
settle, camp dwell, sit (down), stay, remain *ʔuki ʔúk(i) (ʔ)uk(i)
run *lɔta lɔ́ta lɛte
tongue(d), language *lu -lu -lo ~ -lu
make, build *mašu mášu maś(u)
on the other side *may... máyi mayai
come to rest, stop, lie down *ña ño
war, warrior *ñaka náka ñoka
look, find, see, watch *po ~ *pe; *wo ~ *we we
firm, hard, strong *ra r(a)
house, home, dwelling, building *ri r(í) r(i)
tree, branch, wood *šahka -šáhka *śa(h)ka *śahka
examine, look at *sɛha sɛ́ha śe(h)(a)
brave, bold *ši -š(í) -ś(i)
stick, impale, harpoon *šihpu šíhpu śi(h)pi *śihpi
prairie *tahta táhta ta(h)te *tahte
join, connect *tepi -tépi -tepe
cry, weep *waha wáha wa(h)(a)
water, liquid *wiši ~ *ʔ...ši wíš(i) (ʔ)eś(i)
bring, arrive *yaka yáka yaka

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Granberry, Julian (1994). "Evidence for a Calusa-Tunica Relationship". Papers of the Mid-America Linguistics Conference (MALC). Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas. pp. 505-519. http://hdl.handle.net/1808/22990. 
  2. Haas, Mary R. 1946. A Grammatical Sketch of Tunica. In Linguistic Structures of Native America, Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology No. 6, ed. by Harry Hoijer, et al., New York, pp. 337-366.
  3. Haas, Mary R. 1953. Tunica Dictionary. University of California Publications in Linguistics, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 175-332, Berkeley.