Misumalpan languages
Encyclopedia
The Misumalpan languages (also Misumalpa or Misuluan) are a small family of Native American languages spoken by indigenous peoples on the east coast of Nicaragua
and nearby areas. The name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason
and is composed of syllables from the names of the family's three members Miskitu
, Sumu
and Matagalpan
. It was first recognized by Walter Lehmann
in 1920. While all the languages of the Matagalpan branch are now extinct, the Miskitu and Sumu languages are alive and well: Miskito has almost 200,000 speakers and serves as a second language for speakers of other Indian languages on the Mosquito Coast
. According to Hale, most speakers of Sumu also speak Miskitu.
Kaufman (1990) finds a connection with Macro-Chibchan to be "convincing", but Misumalpan specialist Ken Hale
considers a possible connection between Chibchan and Misumalpan to be "too distant to establish".
Miskito became the dominant language of the Mosquito Coast
from the late 17th century on, as a result of the people's alliance with the British Empire, which colonized the area. In northeastern Nicaragua, it continues to be adopted by former speakers of Sumo. Its sociolinguistic status is lower than that of the English-based creole
of the southeast, and in that region, Miskito seems to be losing ground. Sumo is endangered in most areas where it is found, although some evidence suggests that it was dominant in the region before the ascendancy of Miskito. The Matagalpan languages are long since extinct, and not very well documented.
All Misumalpan languages share the same phonology, apart from phonotactics
. The consonants are p, b, t, d, k, s, h, w, y, and voiced
and voiceless
versions of m, n, ng, l, r; the vowels are short and long versions of a, i, u.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and nearby areas. The name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason
John Alden Mason
John Alden Mason was an archaeological anthropologist and linguist.Mason was born in Orland, Indiana, but grew up in Philadelphia's Germantown. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1907 and a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1911...
and is composed of syllables from the names of the family's three members Miskitu
Miskito language
Miskito is a Misumalpan language spoken by the Miskito people in northeastern Nicaragua, especially in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region, and in eastern Honduras....
, Sumu
Sumo language
Sumo is the collective name for a group of Misumalpan languages spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras. Hale & Salamanca classifies the Sumu languages into a northern Mayangna, composed of the Twahka and Panamahka dialects, and southern Ulwa...
and Matagalpan
Matagalpa language
Matagalpa is an extinct Misumalpan language formerly spoken in the central highlands of Nicaragua. The language became extinct in the nineteenth century, and only few short wordlists remain. It was closely related to Cacaopera. The ethnic group, which numbers about 20,000 now speaks Spanish....
. It was first recognized by Walter Lehmann
Walter Lehmann
Walter Lehmann is a Swiss gymnast, world champion and Olympic medalist. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London where he received silver medals in individual allround, horizontal bar and team combined exercises. He became world champion in individual all round in 1950.-References:...
in 1920. While all the languages of the Matagalpan branch are now extinct, the Miskitu and Sumu languages are alive and well: Miskito has almost 200,000 speakers and serves as a second language for speakers of other Indian languages on the Mosquito Coast
Mosquito Coast
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, and part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskito Indians and long dominated by British interests...
. According to Hale, most speakers of Sumu also speak Miskitu.
Kaufman (1990) finds a connection with Macro-Chibchan to be "convincing", but Misumalpan specialist Ken Hale
Kenneth L. Hale
Kenneth Locke Hale was a linguist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studied a huge variety of previously unstudied and often endangered languages—especially indigenous languages of North America, Central America and Australia...
considers a possible connection between Chibchan and Misumalpan to be "too distant to establish".
Genealogy
The Misumalpan languages include:- MiskitoMiskito languageMiskito is a Misumalpan language spoken by the Miskito people in northeastern Nicaragua, especially in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region, and in eastern Honduras....
– nearly 200,000 speakers, mainly in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, but including some in HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
- Sumalpan languages:
- SumoSumo languageSumo is the collective name for a group of Misumalpan languages spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras. Hale & Salamanca classifies the Sumu languages into a northern Mayangna, composed of the Twahka and Panamahka dialects, and southern Ulwa...
– some 7,000 speakers along the Huaspuc River and its tributaries, most in NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
but some in HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Many of them have shifted to Miskito. Mayanga and Ulwa varieties may be distinct languages. - Matagalpan languages:
- CacaoperaCacaopera languageCacaopera is an extinct language belonging to the Misumalpan family, formerly spoken in the department of Morazán in El Salvador. It was closely related to Matagalpa, and slightly more distantly to Sumo, but was geographically separated from other Misumalpan languages....
– extinct; formerly spoken in the MorazánMorazánMorazán is a name shared by several places in Central America, all named in honour of 19th century regional statesman Francisco Morazán:*Morazán Department, El Salvador*Francisco Morazán Department, Honduras* Morazán, Yoro, municipality in Honduras...
department of El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
; and - MatagalpaMatagalpa languageMatagalpa is an extinct Misumalpan language formerly spoken in the central highlands of Nicaragua. The language became extinct in the nineteenth century, and only few short wordlists remain. It was closely related to Cacaopera. The ethnic group, which numbers about 20,000 now speaks Spanish....
– extinct; formerly spoken in the central highlands of NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and the El ParaísoEl ParaísoEl Paraíso is a municipality in the Honduran department of El Paraíso. The capital is Yuscaran.The town is the site of a cigar factory operated by Nestor Plasencia, in which cigars are made under a variety of labels, including that of Rocky Patel....
department of HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
- Cacaopera
- Sumo
Miskito became the dominant language of the Mosquito Coast
Mosquito Coast
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, and part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskito Indians and long dominated by British interests...
from the late 17th century on, as a result of the people's alliance with the British Empire, which colonized the area. In northeastern Nicaragua, it continues to be adopted by former speakers of Sumo. Its sociolinguistic status is lower than that of the English-based creole
Creole
- Languages :A Creole language is a stable, full-fledged language that originated from a pidgin or combination of other languages.Creole languages subgroups may include:* Arabic-based creole languages* Dutch-based creole languages...
of the southeast, and in that region, Miskito seems to be losing ground. Sumo is endangered in most areas where it is found, although some evidence suggests that it was dominant in the region before the ascendancy of Miskito. The Matagalpan languages are long since extinct, and not very well documented.
All Misumalpan languages share the same phonology, apart from phonotactics
Phonotactics
Phonotactics is a branch of phonology that deals with restrictions in a language on the permissible combinations of phonemes...
. The consonants are p, b, t, d, k, s, h, w, y, and voiced
Voice (phonetics)
Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless or voiced. The term, however, is used to refer to two separate concepts. Voicing can refer to the articulatory process in which the vocal cords vibrate...
and voiceless
Voiceless
In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of...
versions of m, n, ng, l, r; the vowels are short and long versions of a, i, u.
External links
- Ulwa Language home page
- The Misumalpan Causative Construction – Ken Hale
- Theoretical and Universal Implications of Certain Verbal Entries in Dictionaries of the Misumalpan Languages – Ken Hale
- The Joy of Tawahka – David Margolin
- Matagalpa Indigena – some words of Matagalpan
- Andrew Koontz-Garboden's web page (with links to papers on Ulwa)
Meta-Bibliography
- FDL bibliography (general, but search specific language names)
- Ulwa Language Home Page bibliography
- Moskitia bibliography