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Maricopa language

Maricopa
Piipaash chuukwer / Xalychidoma chuukwer
Native toUnited States
RegionMaricopa County, Arizona
Ethnicity800 Maricopa and Halchidhoma (2007)[1]
Native speakers
35 (2015 census)[2]
Yuman
Language codes
ISO 639-3mrc
Glottologmari1440
ELPMaricopa
Maricopa is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Maricopa or Piipaash is spoken by the Native American Maricopa people on two reservations in Arizona: the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community. Most speakers live in Maricopa Colony. The language is considered severely endangered by UNESCO.[3]

Although the Maricopa now live among the Pima,[4] their language is completely unrelated. It is a Yuman language, related to other languages such as Mohave, Cocopah, Havasupai, Yavapai and Kumeyaay, while the Pima speak a Uto-Aztecan language.

According to the Ethnologue, language shift is occurring at Maricopa Colony: "The child-bearing generation can use the language among themselves, but it is not being transmitted to children." At Salt River, it is nearly extinct: "The only remaining users of the language are members of the grandparent generation or older who have little opportunity to use the language.[5]

There are about 100 speakers out of an ethnic population of 800. Salt River's cultural resources department estimates that there are around 15 fluent native speakers remaining in the Salt River community.[6] There are many more with varying degrees of fluency, including many who can understand but not speak Maricopa.

The modern Maricopa people are actually an amalgamation of five separate but related groups, with different dialects. There are now two dialects of Maricopa: Piipaash and Xalychidom. Most Piipaash reside at Maricopa Colony on the Gila River Indian Community, and most Xalychidom reside at Salt River. However, all remaining dialect differences are fairly minor.[4] Xalychidom is the dialect spoken by the formerly distinct Xalychidom people.

There is a language revitalization program at Salt River, the O'odham Piipaash Language Program, offering immersion classes, language-based cultural arts classes, community language-based social activities, and assistance with translation, cultural information and language learning.[7]

  1. ^ Maricopa language at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Maricopa at Ethnologue (19th ed., 2016) Closed access icon
  3. ^ "UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
  4. ^ a b Antone, Caroline (2000). Piipayk M'iim (PDF). Salt River, Arizona: O'odham Piipaash Language Program. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  5. ^ "Welcome to the O'odham Piipaash Language Program". Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ^ Washington, Michelle (16 February 2012). "Piipaash Elders Determined to Keep Language Alive". AU-AUTHM Action News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community: Cultural Resources". O'odham Piipaash Language Program. Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-12.

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