Plateau Penutian languages

Short description: Subgroup within the hypothetical Penutian language family

Plateau Penutian

Shahapwailutan, Lepitan
Geographic
distribution| Pacific Northwest
Linguistic classification| Penutian?

* Plateau Penutian

Subdivisions|

* Klamath–Modoc †
* Molala †
* Sahaptian

Glottolog| None

Pre-contact distribution of Plateau Penutian languages

Plateau Penutian (also Shahapwailutan, Lepitan, Plateau) is a family of languages spoken in northern California, reaching through central-western Oregon to northern Washington and central-northern Idaho. The family is accepted by Campbell (2024).[1]

## Contents

* 1 Family division
* 2 History
* 2.1 Computational analyses
* 3 Vocabulary
* 4 References
* 5 Bibliography

## Family division

Plateau Penutian is hypothesized to consist of four languages:

* Plateau Penutian
* Klamath † (a.k.a. Klamath-Modoc, Lutuami, Lutuamian)
* Molala †
* Sahaptian
* Nez Percé
* Sahaptin

## History

Plateau Penutian, as originally proposed, was one branch of the hypothetical Penutian phylum as proposed by Edward Sapir. The original proposal also included Cayuse (which was grouped with Molala into a Waiilatpuan branch); however, this language has little documentation and that which is documented is inadequately recorded. Thus, the status of Cayuse within Penutian (or any other genealogical relation for that matter) may very well forever remain unclassified.

The Sahaptian grouping of Sahaptin and Nez Percé has long been uncontroversial. There is evidence in support of a connection between Klamath (a.k.a. Klamath-Modoc) and Sahaptian. Howard Berman[2] also provides evidence that would include Molala within Plateau Penutian.

Appraisals of the Penutian hypothesis in the 1990s find Plateau Penutian to be "well supported" (DeLancey & Golla (1997: 181); Campbell 1997), with DeLancey & Golla (1997: 180) cautiously stating "while all subgroupings at this stage of Penutian research must be considered provisional, several linkages show considerable promise" (Campbell 1997 likewise mentions similar caveats). Other researchers have pointed out similarities between Plateau Penutian and the Maiduan family, although this proposal is still not completely demonstrated. A connection with Uto-Aztecan has also been suggested (Rude 2000). The Glottolog classification, favored by many linguistic typologists but considered too conservative by some, disregards Plateau Penutian entirely.

### Computational analyses

A study published in 2013 using an automated computational analysis (ASJP 4) of 40 basic vocabulary items resulted in languages from Plateau Penutian showing similarities that could be interpreted as genealogical cohesion.[3] However, when describing the method, the authors of the study also concede that similarities may be due to borrowings and areal diffusion.[4] Moreover, the use of automated methods for establishing genealogical connections is controversial, with many historical linguistics still favouring analyses using the comparative method, which places high importance on morphological similarities, especially when found in irregularities (e.g. English good-better-best, German gut-besser-best, Icelandic góður-betri-bestur).

## Vocabulary

Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Proto-Sahaptian, Klamath, and Molala †.

Abbreviations

* S = Sahaptian
* N = Nez Percé

gloss | Proto-Sahaptian[5] | Klamath[6] | Molala[7]

|
|
|

head  | S łamtɨ́x̣ | nʼo | laʔwi
hair  |  | lag̣ | tałimt
eye  |  | lolb | tuːns
ear  |  | momʼoˑwč | taːps
nose  | *núšnu | psi | piłs
tooth  |  | dot | taʔnf
tongue  |  | baˑwč | aʔpaːws
mouth  | S ɨ́m | som | similq
hand  |  | nʼep | teːs
foot  |  | peč | taylaks
meat  | S nɨkʷɨ́t | čʼoleˑk | neːwit
blood  | N kikeʔt | ǰeg̣le | ałp
bone  | *pípš | qaqʼo | pupt
person  | *tenén | maqlag̣ |
name  | N weʔnikt | seˑss | hastu(ː)qs
dog  | N cq̓ám-qal | wač̓aˑkʼ | saka(ʔ)
fish  |  | kyem |
louse  | N hasas 'nit, louse egg' | kʼoY |
tree  | N tewlikt | g̣oˑ |
leaf  |  | tʼapq |
flower  |  | leˑw |
water  | *kéweš; N kúus | ʔambo | uq-n-s
fire  |  | lolog̣ | teːc
stone  |  | qday | tqaʔnt
earth  |  | g̣eˑla | laŋs
road  | *ʔɨškɨ́t | sdo |
eat  | N ké- |  | p’aʔst 's/he is eating'
die  | *ƛaʔyáwi/*ƛʔayáwi | g̣leg (sg.); čʼoˑqʼ (pl.) |
I  |  | ni | ina
you  |  | ʔi | kiː

## References

1. ↑ Campbell, Lyle (2024-06-25). "North American Indian Languages North of Mexico" (in en). The Indigenous Languages of the Americas (1 ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 28–145. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197673461.003.0002. ISBN 978-0-19-767346-1. https://academic.oup.com/book/57386/chapter/464713514. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
2. ↑ Berman, H. (1996). "The Position of Molala in Plateau Penutian". International Journal of American Linguistics 62 (1): 1–30. doi:10.1086/466273.
3. ↑ Template:Cite dataset
4. ↑ Template:Cite dataset
5. ↑ Rude, Noel (2012). "Reconstructing Proto-Sahaptian Sounds". Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. pp. 292–324. https://lingpapers.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2018/01/2012_Rude.pdf.
6. ↑ Barker, M. A. R. (1963). Klamath Dictionary. University of California Publications in Linguistics. 31. Berkeley: University of California Press.
7. ↑ Pharris, Nicholas J. (2006). Winuunsi Tm Talapaas: a grammar of the Molalla language (PhD thesis). University of Michigan. hdl:2027.42/125859. ProQuest 305308705.

## Bibliography

* Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
* Campbell, Lyle; & Mithun, Marianne (Eds.). (1979). The languages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment. Austin: University of Texas Press.
* DeLancey, Scott; & Golla, Victor. (1997). The Penutian hypothesis: Retrospect and prospect. International Journal of American Linguistics, 63, 171–202.
* Goddard, Ives (Ed.). (1996). Languages. Handbook of North American Indians (W. C. Sturtevant, General Ed.) (Vol. 17). Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-16-048774-9.
* Goddard, Ives. (1999). Native languages and language families of North America (rev. and enlarged ed. with additions and corrections). [Map]. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press (Smithsonian Institution). (Updated version of the map in Goddard 1996). ISBN 0-8032-9271-6.
* Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
* Rude, Noel. (1987). "Some Sahaptian-Klamath grammatical correspondences." Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics, 12:67-83.
* Rude, Noel. (2000). Some Uto-Aztecan-Plateau Grammatical Comparisons. In Uto-Aztecan: Structural, Temporal, and Geographic Perspectives: Papers in Memory of Wick R. Miller by the Friends of Uto-Aztecan, edited by Eugene H. Casad and Thomas L. Willet, pp. 309–318. Hermosillo, Sonora, México: Editorial UniSon.
* Sapir, Edward. (1929). Central and North American languages. In The encyclopædia britannica: A new survey of universal knowledge (14 ed.) (Vol. 5, pp. 138–141). London: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company, Ltd.

Template:Penutian languages

* v
* t
* e

Primary language families

Africa|

* Afroasiatic
* Austronesian
* Khoe–Kwadi
* Kx'a
* Niger–Congo
* Nilo-Saharan?
* Tuu
* Mande?
* Songhay?
* Ijaw?
* Ubangian?
* Kadu?

| Isolates|

* Bangime
* Hadza
* Jalaa
* Sandawe
* Laal?
* Shabo?

|

Europe
and Asia|

* Afroasiatic
* Ainu
* Austroasiatic
* Austronesian
* Chukotko-Kamchatkan
* Dravidian
* Eskimo–Aleut
* Great Andamanese
* Hmong–Mien
* Hurro-Urartian
* Indo-European
* Japonic
* Kartvelian
* Koreanic
* Kra–Dai
* Mongolic
* Nivkh
* Northeast Caucasian
* Northwest Caucasian
* Ongan
* Sino-Tibetan
* Tungusic
* Turkic
* Tyrsenian
* Uralic
* Yeniseian
* Yukaghir
* Digaro?
* Hrusish?
* Kho-Bwa?
* Miju?
* Siangic?

| Isolates|

* Basque
* Burushaski
* Elamite
* Hattic
* Kusunda
* Nihali
* Sumerian

|

New Guinea
and the Pacific|

* Arai–Samaia
* Austronesian
* Binanderean–Goilalan
* Border
* Bulaka River
* Central Solomons
* Chimbu–Wahgi
* Doso–Turumsa
* East Geelvink Bay
* East New Britain
* East Strickland
* Eleman
* Engan
* Fas
* Kaure–Kosare
* Kiwaian
* Kutubuan
* Kwomtari
* Lakes Plain
* Lower Mamberamo
* Lower Sepik
* Madang
* Mairasi
* North Bougainville
* Pauwasi
* Ramu
* Senagi
* Sentani
* Sepik
* Skou
* South Bougainville
* Teberan
* Tor–Kwerba–Nimboran
* Torricelli
* Trans-Fly
* Trans–New Guinea
* Turama–Kikorian
* Upper Yuat
* West Papuan
* Yam
* Yawa
* Yuat
* Northwest Papuan?
* Papuan Gulf?

| Isolates|

* Abinomn
* Abun
* Anêm?
* Ata?
* Kol
* Kuot
* Maybrat
* Mpur
* Porome
* Taiap?
* Pawaia
* Porome
* Sulka?
* Tambora
* Wiru

|

Australia|

* Arnhem/Macro-Gunwinyguan?
* Bunuban
* Darwin Region?
* Eastern Daly
* Eastern Tasmanian
* Garawan
* Iwaidjan
* Jarrakan
* Marrku–Wurrugu?
* Mirndi
* Northern Tasmanian
* Northeastern Tasmanian
* Nyulnyulan
* Pama–Nyungan
* Southern Daly?
* Tangkic
* Wagaydyic
* Western Daly
* Western Tasmanian
* Worrorran
* Yangmanic (incl. Wagiman)?

| Isolates|

* Giimbiyu
* Malak-Malak (Northern Daly?)
* Tiwi

|

North
America|

* Algic
* Alsea
* Caddoan
* Chimakuan
* Chinookan
* Chumashan
* Comecrudan
* Coosan
* Eskimo–Aleut
* Iroquoian
* Kalapuyan
* Keresan
* Maiduan
* Muskogean
* Na-Dene
* Palaihnihan
* Plateau Penutian
* Pomoan
* Salishan
* Shastan
* Siouan
* Tanoan
* Tsimshianic
* Utian
* Uto-Aztecan
* Wakashan
* Wintuan
* Yukian
* Yuman–Cochimí

| Isolates|

* Chimariko
* Esselen
* Haida
* Karuk
* Kutenai
* Seri
* Siuslaw
* Takelma
* Timucua
* Waikuri
* Washo
* Yana
* Yokuts
* Yuchi
* Zuni

|

Mesoamerica|

* Chibchan
* Jicaquean
* Lencan
* Mayan
* Misumalpan
* Mixe–Zoque
* Oto-Manguean
* Tequistlatecan
* Totonacan
* Uto-Aztecan
* Xincan

| Isolates|

* Cuitlatec
* Huave
* Tarascan/Purépecha

|

South
America|

* Andoque–Urequena
* Arauan
* Araucanian
* Arawakan
* Arutani–Sape
* Aymaran
* Barbacoan
* Boran
* Cahuapanan
* Cariban
* Catacaoan
* Chapacuran
* Charruan
* Chibchan
* Choco
* Chonan
* Guaicuruan
* Guajiboan
* Harákmbut–Katukinan
* Jirajaran
* Jivaroan
* Katembri–Taruma
* Mascoian
* Matacoan
* Nadahup
* Nambikwaran
* Otomákoan
* Pano-Tacanan
* Peba–Yaguan
* Quechuan
* Piaroa–Saliban
* Ticuna–Yuri
* Timotean
* Tiniguan
* Tucanoan
* Tupian
* Uru–Chipaya
* Witotoan
* Yanomaman
* Zamucoan
* Zaparoan
* Bora–Witoto languages?
* Chimuan?
* Esmeralda–Yaruro?
* Hibito–Cholón?
* Lule–Vilela?
* Macro-Jê?
* Tequiraca–Canichana?

| Isolates
(extant in 2000)|

* Aikanã?
* Alacalufan
* Camsá
* Candoshi
* Chimane
* Chiquitano
* Cofán?
* Fulniô
* Guató
* Hodï/Joti
* Irantxe?
* Itonama
* Kunza
* Leco
* Maku-Auari of Roraima
* Movima
* Mura-Pirahã
* Nukak?
* Puinave
* Huaorani/Waorani
* Trumai
* Urarina
* Warao
* Yamana
* Yuracaré

|

Sign languages|

* Arab
* BANZSL
* Chinese
* Francosign
* Germanosign
* Indo-Pakistani
* Japanese
* Original Thai
* Swedish
* Tanzanian?

| Isolates|

* See list of sign languages

|

See also|

* Language isolates
* Unclassified languages
* Creoles
* Pidgins
* Mixed languages
* Artificial languages

* Families in italics have no living members.
* Families with more than 30 languages are in bold.

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