Chitimacha language
Chitimacha (/ˌtʃɪtɪməˈʃɑː/ CHIT-i-mə-SHAH or /tʃɪtɪˈmɑːʃə/ chit-i-MAH-shə, Sitimaxa) is a language isolate historically spoken by the Chitimacha people of Louisiana, United States. It became extinct in 1940 with the death of the last fluent speaker, Delphine Ducloux.
| Chitimacha | |
|---|---|
| Sitimaxa Čitimaaša | |
| Pronunciation | t͡ʃitimaːʃa |
| Native to | USA |
| Region | Southern Louisiana |
| Ethnicity | Chitimacha |
| Extinct | 1940 with the death of Delphine Ducloux |
| Revival | In progress, language learned by children through immersion program |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ctm |
| Glottolog | chit1248 |
| ELP | Chitimacha |
Distribution of Chitimacha language | |
Although no longer spoken, it is fairly extensively documented in the early 20th-century work (mostly unpublished) of linguists Morris Swadesh and John R. Swanton. Swadesh in particular wrote a full grammar and dictionary, and collected numerous texts from the last two speakers, although none of this is published.
Language revitalization efforts are underway to teach the language to a new generation of speakers. Tribal members have received Rosetta Stone software for learning the language. As of 2015, a new Chitimacha dictionary is in preparation, and classes are being taught on the Chitimacha reservation.