Paiute, Northern
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A language of United States
700 (Golla 2007), decreasing. Plus 400 semispeakers (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 6,000 (1999 SIL).
Nevada: north; adjacent areas of California, Idaho, Oregon. About 20 reservations spread over 1,610 square km.
8a (Moribund). Language of registered tribe: Bridgeport Indian Colony, Burns Paiute Tribe, Cedarville Rancheria, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation (Nevada and Oregon), Klamath Tribes (Yahooskin Band of Paiute), Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada, Susanville Indian Rancheria, Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada, Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch.
Bannock, North Northern Paiute (Mcdermitt), South Northern Paiute (Yerington-Schurz). Related to Mono [mnr]. Most reservations have their own dialect.
SOV; agglutinating language; 21 consonants and 6 vowels.
Greatest use in McDermitt. Older adults only, with 20%–30% of the children acquiring it as L1 at Fort McDermitt (Golla 2007).
Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1985–2012. Language programs in several communities but no immersion schools. Have increased awareness but made no new fluent speakers (Golla 2007). Informal language programs in Owens Valley Paiute, language classes, written materials for Gidutikad band.
Latin script [Latn].