Wappo language
Wappo is an extinct language that was spoken by the Wappo tribe, Native Americans who lived in what is now known as the Alexander Valley north of San Francisco. The last fluent speaker, Laura Fish Somersal, died in 1990. The loss of this language is attributed to the general use of English in schools and workplaces.
| Wappo | |
|---|---|
| Native to | United States |
| Region | Alexander Valley, California |
| Ethnicity | Wappo people |
| Extinct | 1990, with the death of Laura Fish Somersal |
Yuki–Wappo
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | wao |
| Glottolog | wapp1239 |
| ELP | Wappo |
Pre-contact distribution of the Wappo language | |
Wappo is generally believed to be distantly related to the Yuki language. It is distinguished by influence of Pomoan languages.
According to Somersal, the English name for the people and language is derived from the Spanish word guapo, meaning "handsome" or "brave". The people called themselves Micewal. The Pomoan exonym, or name for them, was Ashochimi ("northerners").
Paul Radin published the first texts on Wappo grammar in the 1920s. Jesse O. Sawyer published English-Wappo Vocabulary in 1965 and continued to study Wappo grammar throughout his life. Other linguists who have contributed to the study of Wappo include William E. Elmendorf, Alice Shepherd, Sandra Thompson, Joseph Sung-Yul Park, and Charles N. Li.