Linguistic Classification
of American Indians

(Greenland, Canada, USA, Mexico)
Made by John Madsen
© Copyright 2000

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Tribe/Language Index

A -B -C - D -E -F - G -H -I -J - K -L -M - N -O -P - Q -R -S -T - U -V -W -Y - Z

The numbers in my Tribe List refer to the language classification proposed by Sapir (1929)
but you can also compare with the classification proposed by Voegelin (1966)
and the language families proposed by Campbell and Mithun (1979)
and Greenberg's continent-wide hyphoteses (1987)

See also the classification made by SIL: Languages of the Americas (Ethnologue)
Numbers from 1 - 10 in many American indian languages
Unknown tribes. Please, help me with the classification!
Old books (Dakota and Tetulo languages)

Other LINKS to American indians


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Language classification proposed by Sapir (1929)

Modified by John Madsen
(?) doubtful classification
[INDEX]

I. ESKIMO-ALEUT

A. Aleut B. Eskimo
    1. Inuit
    2. Yupik

[INDEX]
II. ALGONKIAN-WAKASHAN

A. Algonkian-Ritwan B. Kootenay
    1. Algonkin     
    2. Beothuk                     
    3. Ritwan (?)      
        a. Wirot      
        b. Yorok		 C. Mosan (Wakashan-Salish)
     1. Wakashan (Kwakiutl-Nootka)
     2. Chimakuan
     3. Salish

III. NADENE

A. Haida B. Continental Nadene
    1. Tlingit
    2. Athapascan

[INDEX]
IV. PENUTIAN

A. Californian Penutian
    1. Miwok-Costanoan
    2. Yokuts
    3. Maidu
    4. Wintun
B. Oregon Penutian 
    1. Takelma
    2. Coast Oegon Penutian  
        a. Coos
        b. Siuslaw  
        c. Yakonan
    3. Kalapuya 		C. Chinook
D. Tsimshian
E. Plateau Penutian
    1. Sahaptin (Nez Perche)
    2. Waiilatpuan (Molala-Cayuse)
    3. Lutuami (Klamath-Modoc)                 
F. Mexican Penutian (?)
    1. Mayan     
        a. Maya 
        b. Mixe-Zoque (Mixeano)
    2. Totonacan
    3. Tarasco     

[INDEX]
V. HOKAN-SIOUAN

A. Hokan-Coahiltecan   
     1. Hokan
         a. Northern Hokan
             1a Karok   
             1b Chimariko
             1c Shasta-Achomawai
             2. Yana
             3. Pomo
         b. Washo
         c. Esselen-Yuman
             1. Esselen
             2. Yuman
         d. Salinan-Seri
             1. Salinan
             2. Chumash
             3. Seri
         e. Tequistlatecan (Chontal)
     2. Subtiaba-Tlappanec
     3. Coahuiltecan
         a. Tonkawa
        b. Coahilteco
             1. Coahuilteco proper
             2. Cotoname
             3. Comecrudo
        c. Karankawa
B. Yukian (?)
C. Keresan (?)
D. Tunican (?)
     1. Tunica-Atakapa
     2. Chitimacha
E. Iroquois-caddoan
     1. Iroquian
     2. Caddoan
F. Eastern Group
    1. Siouan-Yuchi
        a. Siouan (Subdivisions)
        b. Yuchi
    2. Natchez-Muskogian (?)
        a. Natchez
        b. Muskogian
        c. Timucua (?)

[INDEX]
VI. AZTEC-TANOAN

A. Uto-Aztecan
     1. Nahuatl
     2. Piman-Coran
     3. Shoshonean (Numic)   		B. Tanoan-Kiowa
     1. Tanoan
     2. Kiowa
C. Zuñi (?) (Penutian?)

[INDEX]
VII. OTOMANGUE

A. Otopame
     1. Pame-Jonáz  
     2. Otomí-Mazahua 
     3. Matlatzinca   
     4. Chichimec   
E. Huave (?) (Penutian?)   		B. Savizaa
     1. Mazateco-Popoloca
     2. Mixteca
     3. Zapoteca
C. Chinanteco
D. Manguean


Language classification proposed by Charles F. and Florence M. Voegelin (1966)
(Consensus Classification of 1964)

* means extinct or moribund
isolate means a unique language with few or no elements in common with other languages

[INDEX]

AMERICAN ARCTIC-PALEOSIBIRIAN 

 1. Eskimo-Aleut                    2. Chukchi-Kamchatkan

NA-DENE 

 1. Athabascan (+ Eyak)             2. Tlingit (isolate)
                                    3. Haida (isolate)

MACRO-ALGONIAN 

 1. Algonkian                       6. Atakapa*
 2. Yurok (isolate)                 7. Chitimacha (isolate)
 3. Wiyot (isolate)                 8. Tunica (isolate)
 4. Muskogean                       9. Tonkawa* (?)
 5. Natchez (isolate)

MACRO-SIOUAN 

1. Siouan                           3. Caddoan
2. Catawba (isolate)                4. Iroquian
                                    5. Yuchi (isolate)

HOKAN 

1. Yuman                            9.  Salinan*
2. Seri (isolate)                   10. Karok (isolate)
3. Pomo                             11. Chumachan*
4. Palaihnikan                      12. Comecrudan*
5. Shastan                          13. Coahuiltecan (isolate)
6. Yanan*                           14. Esselen* (isolate)
7. Chimariko (isolate)              15. Branches in Meso-America:
8. Washo (isolate)                      a. Jicaque (isolate)
					b. Tlapenacan (Subtiaba-Tlapenec)
					c. Tequistlatecan

PENUTIAN 

1. Yokuts                           9.  Coos
2. Maidu                            10. Yakonan (Alsea, Siuslaw-Lower Umpqua)(isolate)
3. Wintun                           11. Takelma (isolate)
4. Miwok-Costanoan                  12. Kalapuya
5. Klamath-Modoc (isolate)          13. Chinookan
6. Sahaptin-Nez Perce               14. Tsimshian (isolate)
7. Cayuse* (isolate)                15. Zuni (isolate)
8. Molale* (isolate)

AZTEC-TANOAN 

1. Uto-Aztecan                      2. Kiowa-Tanoan

UNCLASSIFIED 

1. Keres (isolate)                  6. Chimakuan
2. Yuki                             7. Salish (Algonquian?)
3. Beothuk* (isolate)               8. Wakashan
4. Karankawa (isolate)              9. Timucua* (isolate)
5. Kutenai (isolate)(Algon.?/Wakashan?/Salish?)

Language families proposed by Campbell and Mithun (1979)

[INDEX]

1.   Adai
2.   Algonquian-Ritwan
3.   Alsea (isolate)
4.   Aranama-Tamique (isolate)
5.   Atakapa (isolate)
6.   Beothuk (isolate)
7.   Cayuse (isolate)
8.   Caddoan
9.   Chimakuan
10. Chimariko (isolate) H
11. Chinookan
12. Chitimacha (isolate)
13. Chumashan
14. Coahuilteco (isolate)
15. Comecrudo (isolate)
16. Coos
17. Costanoan P
18. Cotoname (isolate)
19. Eskimo-Aleut
20. Esselen (isolate)
21. Iroquoian
22. Jicaque
23. Kalapuya
24. Karankawa (isolate)
25. Karok (isolate) H
26. Keresan
27. Kiowa-Tanoan
28  Klamath-Modoc (isolate)
29. Kutenai (isolate)
30. Maiduan P
32. Miwok P		 31. Molala (isolate)
33. Muskogean
34. Nadene (Haida (isolate))
35. Natchez (isolate)
36. Palaihnihan H
37. Pomoan H
38. Sahaptian
39. Salinan H
40. Salish
41. Seri (isolate) H
42. Shastan H
43. Siouan
44. Siuslaw-Lower Umpqua (isolate)
45. Solano (isolate)
46. Subtiaba-Tlapanec
47. Takelma (isolate)
48. Tequistlatecan
49. Timucua (isolate)
50. Tonkawa (isolate)
51. Tsimshian (isolate)
52. Tunica (isolate)
53. Uto-Aztecan
54. Wintuan P
55. Yanan H
56. Yokuts P
57. Yuchi (isolate)
58. Yukian
59. Yuman H
60. Wakashan
61. Washo (isolate) H
62. Zuni (isolate)

H   may be considered Core Hokan languages
P   may be considered Core Penutian languages

[INDEX]
SUBDIVISIONS OF SIOUAN INDIAN LANGUAGES
(Made by John Madsen)

A. SIOUAN
            1. Crow-Hidatsa
                a. Hidatsa (Gros Ventres)
                b. Crow (Absaroka)
            2. Central Siouan
                a. Mandan
                b. Mississippi Valley
                    1. Dakotan
                        a. Santee (Dakota)
                        b. Yankton (Nakota)
                        c. Teton (Lakota)
                        d. Assiboin
                   2. Dhegiha
                        a. Ponca (Ponca & Omaha)
                        b. Kansas
                        c. Osage
                        d. Kwapa
                    3. Chewere
                        a. Iowa, Oto
                        b. Missouri
                   4. Winnebago
            3. Eastern Siouan
                a. Tetulo (Yesan)
                b. Biloxi & Ofo            
B. CATAWBA

Greenberg's Continent-Wide Hypotheses (1987)

[INDEX]

I.   Eskimo-Aleut

II.  Na-Dene

       a. Continental Nadene groups (like Sapir)
       b. Haida

III. Amerind

       1. Almosan-Kerosiouan
           a. Almosan (Sapir's Algonkin-Wakashan)
           b. Caddo
           c. Iroquoian
           d. Siouan-Yuchi
           e. Keresan

       2. Penutian
           a. Penutian (like Sapir)
           b. Gulf
           c. Yukian
           d. Zuni
           e. Maya
           f. Totonac

      3. Hokan
          a. Hokan-Coahuiltecan (like Sapir)
          b. Guaicura
          c. Maratino
          d. Quinigua
          e. Jicaque (in Honduras)
          f. Yurumanguí (in Columbia)

      4. Central Amerind
          a. Kiowa-Tanoan
          b. Uto-Aztecan
          c. Otomanguean
          d. Central American (other groups except Tlapanecan (=Hokan))

      5. Chibcha-Paezan
          a. Timucua
          b. Central American and northern South American groups

      6 - 11 Subgroups in South America 

[INDEX]

Unknown Tribes

If you have any linguistic information on these tribes, please inform me by e-mail

Tribes of the South East:
Keys

Tribes of the South West:

THANKS
to:
Luis Alfonso Valdés Blackaller (valdesla@prodigy.net.mx)
Jim Rader (jrader@m-w.com)
Frederik M. Balster-Philips van Buren
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