Zuni language
Zuni /ˈzuːni/ (also formerly Zuñi, endonym Shiwiʼma) is a language of the Zuni people, indigenous to western New Mexico and eastern Arizona in the United States. It is spoken by around 9,500 people, especially in the vicinity of Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, and much smaller numbers in parts of Arizona.
| Zuni | |
|---|---|
| Shiwiʼma | |
| Native to | U.S. |
| Region | Western New Mexico |
| Ethnicity | Zuni |
Native speakers | 9,620 (2015) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | zun |
| ISO 639-3 | zun |
| Glottolog | zuni1245 |
| ELP | Zuni |
Pre-European contact distribution of Zuni | |
Unlike most indigenous languages in the United States, Zuni is still spoken by a significant number of children and, thus, is comparatively less threatened with language endangerment. Edmund Ladd reported in 1994 that Zuni is still the main language of communication in the pueblo and is used in the home (Newman 1996).
The Zuni name for their own language, Shiwiʼma (shiwi "Zuni" + -ʼma "vernacular"; pronounced [ˈʃiwiʔma]) can be translated as "Zuni way", whereas its speakers are collectively known as ʼA꞉shiwi (ʼa꞉(w)- "plural" + shiwi "Zuni").