Hokan is a hypothetical and controversial grouping of Indigenous language families spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California, with some versions of the proposal extending to languages of Oaxaca and Honduras. First proposed in 1913 by Roland B. Dixon and Alfred L. Kroeber, the hypothesis initially found little supporting evidence, but increased documentation of the languages since around 1950 has added weight to it and won acceptance from many specialists, though some skepticism remains. As classified, the grouping includes about 25 languages, and its name derives from a shared word for two found across several of the languages it proposes to unite.
Facts
Disputed
Proto-Language StatusDisputed grouping proposed by Dixon and Kroeber (1913); accepted by many specialists in Californian and Mesoamerican historical linguistics but not universally. 1 Hokan is a proposed genetic grouping, not a settled family; no secure Proto-Hokan has been reconstructed and inclusion of several branches (Seri, Salinan, Tequistlatecan) remains contested. RegionMainly California, Arizona, and Baja California; some versions of the hypothesis also include languages of Oaxaca and Honduras 1 Connections
Associated With
Why this is disputed. Sapir's 1929 Northern Hokan grouping placed Chimariko with Shastan, Palaihnihan, Pomoan, Karuk and Yana; most specialists now find the Hokan relationship undemonstrated.
Source Wikipedia: Chimariko Language
Esselen, Language Families Why this is disputed. Shaul (2019) assigns Esselen to the proposed Hokan family; H. W. Henshaw earlier treated it as its own monotypic family.
Source Wikipedia: Esselen Language
Salinan, Language Families Why this is disputed. Sapir grouped Salinan with Chumash and Seri in a Hokan subfamily; the hypothesis had many skeptics before much supporting evidence existed.
Source Wikipedia: Salinan Language
Yana, Language Families Why this is disputed. Sapir suggested grouping Yana within a Northern Hokan sub-family with Karuk, Chimariko, Shastan, Palaihnihan and Pomoan; contemporary linguists generally reject this and treat Yana as an isolate.
Source Wikipedia: Yana Language
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hokan Languages
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction, first sentence
spoken mainly in California, Arizona, and Baja California
History of the proposal section, final sentence
However, some skepticism remains among scholars.
View the Source Wikipedia: Chimariko Language
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Chimariko, Classification sectionQuote, Associated With: Chimariko, Classification section
Edward Sapir's famous 1929 classification grouped Chimariko together with the Shastan, Palaihnihan, Pomoan, Karuk, and Yana languages in a Hokan sub-grouping known as Northern Hokan.
Wikipedia: Esselen Language
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Esselen, Classification sectionQuote, Associated With: Esselen, Classification section
Others, such as Shaul (2019), have assigned the language to the proposed Hokan family.
Wikipedia: Salinan Language
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Salinan, Classification sectionQuote, Associated With: Salinan, Classification section
This hypothetical classification (which has had many skeptics) found its way into several encyclopedias and presentations of language families before much supporting evidence for this subfamily had been presented, but is currently fairly well established.
Wikipedia: Yana Language
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Yana, Classification sectionQuote, Associated With: Yana, Classification section
Sapir suggested a grouping of Yana within a Northern Hokan sub-family with Karuk, Chimariko, Shastan, Palaihnihan, and Pomoan.
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