Page Type: languageTimbisha | Ethnologue

PAR ISO 639-3

Timbisha

A language of United States

ISO 639
par
Alternate Names
Coso, Koso, Koso Shoshone, Panamint, Panamint Shoshone, Tumpisa Shoshone, Tümpisa Panamint Shoshone, Tümpisa Shoshone, Tümpisa Shoshoni
Population
20 (Golla 2007). No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 100 (1998 J. McLaughlin).
Location:
California: Little Lake area in south Eureka Valley; Owens Lake, Coso Range, south Owens Valley area; Nevada: Amargosa Desert, Argus range, Beatty area, north and central Death Valley; Funeral Range on California-Nevada border; Grapevine mountains; Inyo mountains east slopes, northern Panamint valley and mountains; Saline valley.
Language Status
8a (Moribund). Language of registered tribe: Big Pine Band Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Tribe, Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe.
Classification
Uto-Aztecan, Northern Uto-Aztecan, Numic, Central
Dialects
None known. Reportedly similar to Shoshoni [shh] and Comanche [com] but not inherently intelligible with them.
Language Use
Only used among the oldest with each other. They lament the shift to English [eng] by youth. Younger speakers attempting to revive interest in Timbisha among the younger generations, but with little success (Golla 2007). Older adults only. Most shifted to English [eng].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 90%. Dictionary. Grammar.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: California: Little Lake area in south Eureka Valley; Owens Lake, Coso Range, south Owens Valley area; Nevada: Amargosa Desert, Argus range, Beatty area, north and central Death Valley; Funeral Range on California-Nevada border; Grapevine mountains; Inyo mountains east slopes, northern Panamint valley and mountains; Saline valley.