Cayuga language
| Cayuga | |
|---|---|
| Gayogo̱hó:nǫ’ | |
| Native to | Canada, United States |
| Region | Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, Cattaraugus Reservation |
|
Native speakers
|
250 (2011) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | cayu1261 |
Cayuga (In Cayuga Gayogo̱hó:nǫ’) is a Northern Iroquoian language of the Iroquois Proper (also known as "Five Nations Iroquois") subfamily, and is spoken on Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, Ontario, by around 240 Cayuga people, and on the Cattaraugus Reservation, New York, by less than 10.
Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohsweken, Ontario offers Ogwehoweh language Diploma and Degree Programs in Mohawk or Cayuga. Immersion classes in Cayuga are taught at Gaweni:yo High School, on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. The Cayuga language maintenance project was funded by the Canadian Government in 2010, and is being "carried out in partnership with the Woodland Cultural Centre." A Cayuga e-dictionary can be downloaded for PC or MAC, free of charge.
As of 2012, 79 people are said to be fluent speakers of Cayuga.
There used to be two distinct dialects of Cayuga. One is still spoken in Ontario. The other, called "Seneca-Cayuga," was spoken in Oklahoma until its extinction, in the 1980s.
There are two varieties of Cayuga. The Lower Cayuga dialect is spoken by those of the Lower End of the Six Nations and the Upper Cayuga are from the Upper End. The main difference between the two is that the Lower Cayuga use the sound [ɡj] and the Upper use the sound [dj]. Also, pronunciation differs between individual speakers of Cayuga and their preferences.
There are 5 oral vowels in Cayuga, as well as four long vowels, [iː], [aː], [oː], and [eː]. Cayuga also has 3 nasalized vowels, [ẽ], [õ], and [ã]. Both [u] and [ã] are rare sounds in Cayuga. Sometimes, the sounds [u] and [o] are used interchangeably according to the speaker's preference. After long [eː] and [oː], an [n] sound can be heard, especially when before [t], [d], [k], [ɡ], [ts], and [j].
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Wikipedia