| Yahi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Name | ||
| Spoken in | USA | |
| Region | California | |
| Total speakers | Extinct | |
| Language family | Hokan?
|
|
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1 | - | |
| ISO 639-2 | - (B) | (T) |
| ISO 639-3 | ynn | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. | ||
Yahi is an extinct language formerly spoken in the upper Sacramento Valley area, roughly in the area between Mill Creek and Deer Creek. It is grouped with the Southern forms of the Yana languages which, together with Central and Northern Yana are an isolated group of languages. Yana is well known as having been the language of Ishi, the last surviving Yana Indian, who worked with anthropologists to make a record of the language and culture.
Contents |
Vocabulary/Lexis
Yahi distinguishes male and female forms with male forms, frequently marked with the suffix -na, generally longer than female forms. Some examples are[1]:
| Male Form | Female Form | Meaning |
| diwai-ja | diwai-tch | see me! |
| t'en'na | t'et | grizzly bear |
| yana | yah | person |
Examples
Some language samples from Kroeber, T[1]
| ähä | yes |
| k'u'i | no |
| kuwi | shaman |
| mudjaúpa | chief |
| sake mahale | menstruating woman |
| saltu | white person |
| siwini | yellow pine |
| wataurisi | bastard |
Pronouns
| ai'numa | you (formal) |
auna - fire
Numerals
Some numerals from Sapir et al.,[2]
| 1 | baigu |
| 2 | uxmic'igu |
| 3 | bulmic'igu |
| 4 | daumigu |
| 5 | xaaʒan |
| 6 | baiwawi |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | xaaʒanwilsamc'gu |
| 20 | |
| 40 | |
| 60 | |
| 80 |
Example Phrases
| achi djeyauna? | what is his name? |
| ine me yahi? | are you an Indian? |
| wo-wi | my house |
History
The last documented speaker of Yahi was a man called Ishi who caused a scientific stir when he made contact with the outside world in 1911, long after the Yahi had been assumed to be extinct. Together with the language, he died in 1916[3].
References
External links
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