Gulf languages explained

Gulf
Acceptance:	proposed
Familycolor:	American
Family:	Proposed language family
Region:	Gulf Coast, United States
Child1:	Muskogean
Child2:	Natchez
Child3:	Tunica
Child4:	Atakapa
Child5:	? Chitimacha
Glotto:	none

The Gulf languages are a proposed family of native North American languages composed of the Muskogean languages, along with four language isolates: Natchez, Tunica, Atakapa, and (possibly) Chitimacha.

History of proposal

Gulf was proposed as a language family by Mary Haas (Haas 1951,^[1] 1952^[2]), but the family has not been rigorously established by the comparative method. Historical linguists such as Lyle Campbell (Campbell and Mithun 1979,^[3] Campbell 1997^[4]) list the relationship as unproven, though a number of Muskogean scholars believe that Muskogean is at least related to Natchez (Campbell 1997:305).

However, the Gulf hypothesis is considered by a number of specialists on Muskogean languages, including Mary Haas and Pamela Munro. Munro (1995) has regarded the hypothesis of a Gulf family of languages as promising; Haas thought the closest language to Muskogean would be Natchez, followed by Tunica, Atakapa, and, rather dubiously, Chitimacha.^[5] A difficulty in evaluating the hypothesis is the lack of available data. Most of the data on Chitimacha and Natchez is still unpublished and held in archives.

Additionally, Haas (1958) proposed that the Gulf languages are related to the Algonquian languages.^[6]

Lexical comparisons

Lexical comparisons by Kimball (1994) showing areal similarities among the "Gulf" languages:^[7]

gloss		Tunica
sibling of opposite sex	xaya	-áhaya 'sister-in-law'
to want	kʷanna	-wána
big gray heron	watola	wátoru-hki 'whooping crane'
fruit; to bear fruit	aθi	ʔélu
willow	osí (Koasati)	ʔx̌ša

gloss	Tunica	Natchez
to stick in	čáhka	cak-
to drip	čólu	col-
corn	háhka	haku
to gulp	kɔ́ra	kolkol-
to put in the mouth	káhpu	hi-kap-
chicken	kápaši	kapaꞏht(i)
wild goose	lálahki	láꞏlak
to fart	píhču	pic-
to shine	réma	leM-
to snore	róhku	loꞏk-
sassafras	rɔ́wasi	waꞏ
to blow the nose	šímu	šiꞏM-
to blow (of wind)	wíhu	wiꞏW-
wild potato	ʔɔ́ška-	ʔac
to cough	ʔúhu	ʔohoꞏ-
like, resembling	-nahku	-neke
intestines	-yóni	ʔuꞏnuh

gloss	Tunica	Chitimacha
man / men	ší	ʔasi / ʔayš
ear	-ála-wɛ́ča	waʔaš
kingfisher	čárina	čana
cypress	háhku	ʔak-šuš
to die	lúpi	nuꞏp-
war	náka	nakš

gloss	Tunica	Atakapa
black	méli	meːl
to call	wáli	wan

gloss	Natchez	Proto-Muskogean
to buy	ciꞏp-hakiʔiš	čoʔpa
pine tree	col	čolyi
squash	coꞏY	tahayo
fox / bark or yelp like a fox	kaWkup	kaxʷ-ka
six	lahanaW	xana-li
perch / fish	šaꞏš(i)	θaθi-xo
wife	ʔaꞏL	xalki
tooth	ʔeNt	innoti
ten	ʔoꞏko	poko-li
nothing but	-aꞏnah	(Koasati) -nánna
ergative / nominative	-c	-*t
absolutive / accusative	-n	-*n

gloss	Natchez	Chitimacha
water / liquid	kuN	kuꞏ
hundred	puꞏp	puꞏp
cow	waštaꞏN	waštik
spider web	weykoL	way’
to hear	ʔeꞏp-le-halʔiš	wopi-
vulture	ʔoꞏši	ʔoꞏš
twenty / two	ʔoꞏk-ahp	ʔupa

gloss	Natchez	Atakapa
name	ʔinu	eːŋ
persimmon	ʔoꞏ	oːl

gloss	Chitimacha	Atakapa
ten	heyč’i	hišiŋ
liver	kesi	keːc(k)
woman	kiča	kiš
gourd	kupu	kipaco
earth	ney	neː
Spanish moss	siꞏc	šiːt
mulberry	sisč’up	ses
beaver	ʔaꞏci	oc

gloss	Tunica	Proto-Muskogean	Natchez
red-headed woodpecker	čuhčuhina	čaxčahka	cawcah
pileated woodpecker	páhpahkana	kʷahkʷa-ka	pakpakuꞏ-šiꞏL
robin (Quapaw šį́kkokkóke)	wiškʔohku	č/kʷiskoko	miškokʷ
breast	ʔúču	piči 'suckle; breasts'	šuꞏ

gloss	Tunica	Chitimacha	Natchez	Atakapa	Proto-Muskogean
hackberry	kó-	kamu	koŋ
negative	-ʔaha		-haꞏt	-hah
wind	húri	howi		hi
uncle		waʔa / waꞏ	ʔaweh	wahš
hand	ʔiꞏš	waši	woːš / wiːš
to give		ʔaꞏ-	ha-ku-ši-ʔiš		im-aka
skunk	šíki	kištʔeʔe	šic	šikitiš

Comparisons with Algonquian

Some lexical similarities between the Algonquian and Gulf languages given by Haas (1958):^[6]

gloss			Natchez	Tunica	Chitimacha	Atakapa
beat	pak-	—	paꞏk-	pɛ́ka	—	pak
cold	tahk-	—	takap-	láka	č’aki	—
cut	kiꞏšk-	kač-	kec-	káhču	—	kec
die	nepe-	ili-	—	lúpi	nuꞏp-	(pih)
fish	nameꞏ-	ɴaɴi/u	ʔeɴ	níni	(ni-)	nti
hand	-neθk-i	-mkʷi	—	-hkeni		nok
name	-iꞏn-	—	ʔinu	—	nuy-t-	eŋ
neck	-hkweꞏ-	—	kʷaht	—	k’eʔ	koy
night	tepeθk-	—	tewe	láwu	t’apk’i	iti
one	kwet-; *nekwet-	—	wiꞏt-		ʔunk’u	(ta)nuk
scrape	kaꞏšk-	kaꞏs-	koꞏc-	kɔ́sa	k’atka-	kau-š
see	neꞏw-	—	ʔeʟ-	hɛ́ra	heč-t-	ini
sharp(en)	kiꞏn-t-	xʷulut-	pilit-	kíri	kihci	kini
shoot	pemw-, *-el-	—	-epenel-	—	paꞏhma-	pem
split	paꞏθk-	paƚ-	paꞏʟ-	pása	[č]ap-t-	paƚ
swallow	kwan-	kʷalak-	-akun-	kɔ́ra	kaꞏč-t-	kul
tail	-aθany-	haci	ʔisi	-ása	mahči	—
three	neʔθ-	—	neꞏ-	ʔéni-	—	lat
through	šaꞏpw-	ƚuput-	—	šíhpu	—	ƚop
tree	meʔtekw-	itti/u	cuꞏ	ríhku	šuš	—
turn	kwetekw-	—	kitip-	kúra	kut’ih-t-	—

Pronoun comparisons

Below are pronouns comparisons by Geoffrey Kimball (1994) showing areal similarities among the "Gulf" languages.^[7] Note that Tunica distinguishes masculine and feminine pronominal forms.

Independent pronouns! gloss !! Proto-Muskogean !! Tunica !! Natchez !! Chitimacha !! Atakapa

I	ano	ʔíma	takeꞏha	ʔiš	wiš
you	ično	má (M); hɛ́ma (F)	ʔakahni	himʔ	naš
s/he	—	ʔúwi (M); tíhci (F)	ʔišina	hus	haːš
we	posno	ʔinima	takahniꞏ	ʔus	yukitiš
you (pl)	hačno	wínima (M); hínima (F)	ʔaNkahniꞏ	was	nakit
they	—	sɛ́ma (M); sínima (F)	ʔišinaꞏniꞏ	hunks	hakitiš

Possessive pronouns! gloss !! Proto-Muskogean !! Tunica !! Natchez !! Chitimacha !! Atakapa

my	ca- / *am-	ʔi-	-niš	ʔiš	wi
your	či- / *čim-	wi- (M); hi-, he- (F)	-piš	himʔ	na
her / his	i- / *im-	ʔu- (M); ti- (F)	-ʔiš	hus	ha
our	po- / pom-	ʔi-n	—	ʔus	yukit
your (pl)	hači- / *hačim-	wi-n- (M); hi-n- (F)	—	was	nakit
their	—	si- (M); si-n- (F)	—	hunks	hakit

Agentive pronouns! gloss !! Proto-Muskogean !! Tunica !! Natchez !! Chitimacha !! Atakapa

I	-li	-ni	ta- / ya- / ʔa- (ka-)	-ki	-o
you	ič- / *či-	wí- (M); hɛ́- (F)	pan- / pi- / paꞏ-	-iʔi	naš
s/he	Ø-	ʔú- (M); ʔá- (F)	na- / ʔi- / ʔaꞏ-	-iʔi	haš
we	il- / -*li	ʔína-		-naka	-cel
you (pl)	hač- / *-hači	wína- (M); hɛ́na- (F)	—	-naʔa	-tem
they	Ø	ʔúna- (M); sina- (F)	—	-naʔa	-oɬ

Patient pronouns! gloss !! Proto-Muskogean !! Tunica !! Natchez !! Chitimacha !! Atakapa

I	ca-	ʔihk-	-t-	-ki-	hi
you	či-	wihk- (M); hihk- (F)	-p-	-Ø-	n
s/he	Ø-	ʔuhk- (M); tihk- (F)	-Ø-	-Ø-	ha
we	po-	ʔink-	—	-kuy-	iš
you (pl)	hači-	wink- (M); hink- (F)	—	-Ø-	nak-
they	—	sihk- (M); sink- (F)	—	-Ø-	šak-
reflexive	ili-	—	-hši-		hat-
reciprocal	ixti-	ʔak-	-tahn-	—	hok-

Stative verb subject pronouns! gloss !! Proto-Muskogean !! Tunica !! Natchez !! Chitimacha !! Atakapa

I	ca-	ʔi-	-t-	-ki-	hi
you	či-	wi- (M); hi- (F)	-p-	-Ø-	n
s/he	Ø-	ʔu- (M); ti- (F)	-Ø-	-Ø-	Ø-
we	po-	ʔi-n	—	-kuy-	ic-
you (pl)	hači-	wi-n- (M); hi-n- (F)	—	-Ø-	—
they	—	si- (M); si-n- (F)	—	-Ø-	Ø-

See also

• Calusa–Tunica languages

Notes and References

1. Haas, Mary. (1951). The Proto-Gulf word for water (with notes on Siouan-Yuchi). International Journal of American Linguistics 17: 71-9.
2. Haas, Mary. (1952). The Proto-Gulf word for 'land' (with notes on Proto-Siouan). International Journal of American Linguistics 18: 238-240.
3. Campbell, Lyle and Marianne Mithun. 1979. The Languages of Native America: A Historical and Comparative Assessment. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
4. Campbell, Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Munro, Pamela. 1995. Gulf and Yuki-Gulf. Anthropological Linguistics 36: 125-222.
6. Haas, Mary R. (1958). A New Linguistic Relationship in North America: Algonkian and the Gulf Languages. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 14(3), 231-264.
7. Kimball, Geoffrey. 1994. Comparative difficulties of the "Gulf" languages. In Langdon, Margaret (ed.), Proceedings of the Meeting of the Society for the Study of the Indigenous languages of the Americas July 2–4, 1993 and the Hokan-Penutian Workshop July 3, 1993 (both held at the 1993 Linguistic Institute at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio). Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, Report 8. Berkeley: University of California.