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Karankawa language

Karankawa ( ) is the extinct, unclassified language of the Texas coast, where the Karankawa people migrated between the mainland and the . It was not closely related to other known languages in the area, many of which are also poorly attested, and may have been a language isolate. A couple hundred words are preserved, collected in 1698, 1720, and 1828; in the 1880s, three lists were collected from non-Karankawa who knew some words.

Karankawa has sometimes been included with neighboring languages in a Coahuiltecan family, but that is now thought to be spurious.

Phonology

There were also possible lateral affricate sounds which were represented as .

Vocabulary

Though only a few hundred words of the Karankawa language are preserved, the following are selected words recorded by Albert Gatschet, a Swiss-American anthropologist and linguist, referenced from the last fluent speakers of the language.

  • Nāt’sa "one", counted on the right pinky
  • Haikia "two" or "second", counted on the right ring finger
  • Kaxayi "three", counted on the right middle finger
  • Hayo hak(ě)n "four", or "fourth", counted on the right index finger
  • Do-aḍ "Four", or "fourth", literally "deer", counted on the right index finger
  • Nāt’sa Behema, "five" or "fifth", literally "First Father", counted on the right thumb
  • Hayo Haikia, "Six" or "Sixth", literally "Three two", counted on the left pinky
  • Haikia Nāt’sa, "Seven" or "Seventh", literally "Second one", counted on left ring finger
  • Haikia Behema, "Eight" or "Eighth", literally "Second father", counted on left middle finger
  • Haikia Do-aḍ, "Nine" or "Ninth", literally "Second deer", counted on the left index finger
  • (Do-aḍ) Habe "Ten" or "Tenth", literally "Ten(th deer)", counted on the left thumb
  • Kaup(ě)n "Speak"
  • Yamawe "Man"
  • Glo-essen/Glos(ě)n "Boy"
  • Kaninma "Woman" or "Mother"
  • Ka'da "Girl"
  • Glle-i "Water"
  • Ahayika "Friend"
  • Dōwal "Sun"
  • Kiss "Dog"
  • Peka "White"
  • Pal/Ma "Black"
  • Aknamus "Eat"
  • Tcha "See"
  • Ye "Go" or "Walk"

Swanton (1940)

The following vocabulary list of Karankawa is from John Swanton (1940).

References