Wappo language

Wappo
Micewal
Native toUnited States
RegionAlexander Valley, California
EthnicityWappo people
Extinct1990, with the death of Laura Fish Somersal[1]
2 (1994)[2]
Language codes
ISO 639-3wao
Glottologwapp1239
ELPWappo
Distribution of Wappo
Wappo is classified as Extinct by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
[3]
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Wappo is an extinct language that was spoken by the Wappo tribe, Native Americans who lived in what is now known as the Alexander Valley north of San Francisco. The last fluent speaker, Laura Fish Somersal, died in 1990. The loss of this language is attributed to the general use of English in schools and workplaces.[4] Wappo is generally believed to be distantly related to the Yuki language. It is distinguished by influence of the nearby Pomoan languages.[5]

According to Somersal, the English name for the people and language is derived from the Spanish word guapo, meaning "handsome" or "brave".[6] The people called themselves Micewal.[7] The Pomoan exonym, or name for them, was Ashochimi ("northerners").[8][9]

Paul Radin published the first texts on Wappo grammar in the 1920s. Jesse O. Sawyer published English-Wappo Vocabulary in 1965 and continued to study Wappo grammar throughout his life. Other linguists who have contributed to the study of Wappo include William E. Elmendorf, Alice Shepherd, Sandra Thompson, Joseph Sung-Yul Park, and Charles N. Li.[4]

  1. ^ Wappo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Hinton, Leanne (1996). Flutes of fire: essays on California Indian languages (2nd print., rev ed.). Berkeley, California: Heyday Books. ISBN 978-0-930588-62-5.
  3. ^ Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (Report) (3rd ed.). UNESCO. 2010. p. 11.
  4. ^ a b Sawyer, Jesse O., "Wappo studies" (1984). Survey Reports. Report #7.
  5. ^ Golla, Victor (2011). California Indian Languages. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-26667-4.
  6. ^ Thompson, Sandra A.; Park, Joseph Sung-Yul; Li, Charles N. (2006). A Reference Grammar of Wappo. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-09854-1.
  7. ^ Loeb, E. M. (1932). The Western Kuksu Cult (PDF). University of California Press. p. 106. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-06.
  8. ^ Kroeber, A. L. (1925). Handbook of the Indians of California. United States. Bureau of American Ethonology. Bulletin,78. Bureau of American Ethnology. p. 219. hdl:2027/mdp.39015006584174.
  9. ^ Powers, Stephen; Powell, John Wesley (1877). Tribes of California. U.S. Government Printing Office.