Chimariko is an extinct language isolate formerly spoken by the inhabitants of several independent communities in northern Trinity County, California, along the Trinity River, South Fork and New River. Proposals have linked it to the hypothetical Hokan family alongside languages such as Shastan and Palaihnihan, but most specialists currently find these relationships undemonstrated and consider Chimariko best treated as an isolate. The language became extinct in the 1950s with the death of its last fluent speaker, Martha Ziegler.
Facts
RegionNorthern Trinity County, California, United States, along the Trinity River, South Fork and New River. 1 Speaker CountExtinct; the last speaker, Martha Ziegler, died in the 1950s. Proto-Language StatusNo Proto-Chimariko reconstruction has been published; Chimariko is considered a language isolate, though Edward Sapir once grouped it with Shastan, Palaihnihan, Pomoan, Karuk and Yana in a proposed Northern Hokan sub-grouping now considered undemonstrated. 1 Connections
Associated With
Hokan, Language Families 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
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Chimariko Language
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph
Chimariko is an extinct language isolate formerly spoken in northern Trinity County, California, by the inhabitants of several independent communities.
Documentation section
The last Chimariko speaker was Martha Ziegler, who died in the 1950s.
Classification section
Most specialists currently find these relationships to be undemonstrated, and consider Chimariko to be best considered an isolate.
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