Catawban languages
Language family of eastern US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eastern Siouan branch consists of various historical languages spoken by Siouan peoples of the Appalachian Plateau and Piedmont regions of present-day Virginia and the Carolinas. These languages are sometimes collectively referred to as Catawban.
| Catawban | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Siouan | |
| Geographic distribution | The Carolinas |
| Linguistic classification | Siouan
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Linguasphere | 64-AB |
| Glottolog | cata1285 |
Pre-contact distribution of the Catawban languages | |
The two attested Eastern Siouan languages were historically spoken by the Catawba and Woccon peoples. While early scholars such as John R. Swanton suggested that the Woccon may have represented a late subdivision of the Waccamaw, contemporary linguists have not reached a consensus on whether Woccon was the specific language of the historic Waccamaw people or a related Catawban variety.[1][2] The Eastern Siouan languages possibly represent a dialect continuum with Ohio Valley Siouan languages (Ofo language/Mosopelea, Biloxi language).[3] The Catawban family is a branch of the larger Siouan–Catawban language family.
Family division
Recognized members of the Eastern Siouan/Catawban family include:
- Catawba (†) – spoken by the Catawba people
- Woccon (†) – spoken by the Woccon people, possibly Waccamaw[2]
