| Also Known As: Uchean
Description:
The Yuchi language is the language of the Yuchi people living in the southeastern United States, including eastern Tennessee, western Carolinas, northern Georgia and Alabama, in the period of early European colonization. However, speakers of the Yuchi language were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the early 1800s. Due to assimilation into Muscogee and English-speaking culture, only a few elderly speakers of the Yuchi language remain. In 2000 the estimated number of fluent Yuchi speakers was 15, but this number dwindled to 7 by 2006. The Euchee Language Project teaches Yuchi classes in Sapulpa, Oklahoma free of charge.
Yuchi is classified as a language isolate because it is not known to be related to any other language. Some linguists have tried to prove links to other American language families such as Siouan, but no conclusive evidence has emerged.
Yuchi is primarily spoken in the northeastern Oklahoma region. In 1997 there were 12-19 elderly speakers out of an estimated population of 1500. In 2007 there are only 3 fluent speakers left.
The consonants of Yuchi are listed below (with IPA notation in brackets):
Yuchi people were originally native to various areas of the..... full article at Wikipedia |
