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Kumeyaay Language (Diegueño, Tipai, Kumiai)

Kumeyaay is a Yuman language of Mexico and Southern California, considered by some linguists to be a member of the larger Hokan language family. In the United States the language and people are generally spelled 'Kumeyaay' and were formerly known as 'Diegueno' (the so-called "Mission Indians" of Southern California used to be identified by the name of the nearest Catholic mission), while in Mexico, the language and people are spelled Kumiai and are sometimes referred to as Tipai, Ipai, or, confusingly, Cochimi. (The actual Cochimi language has been extinct since the 1800's, but non-native Mexicans have confused the Cochimis and Kumiais for centuries.) Today Kumiai is spoken by about 300 people on both sides of the Mexican-US border.

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Kumeyaay Language

Kumeyaay language samples and resources.

Kumeyaay Nation Culture and History

Information and links about the Kumeyaay tribe past and present.

Kumeyaay Legends

Introduction to Kumeyaay mythology.

Kumeyaay Language Resources

Our Online Kumeyaay Materials

Kumiai Vocabulary
Our list of vocabulary words in the Kumeyaay language, with comparison to words in other Hokan languages.

Kumeyaay Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Kumeyaay Indian Language
A wealth of Kumeyaay information including phrases, stories, a dictionary lookup and some soundfiles.

Ipai-Tipai Online Workbook
Kumiai words, phrases, and conversations.

Kumiai Words
A short Kumiai wordlist.

AILLA: Kumiai:
Archive of Kumiai language recordings available for download.

Tribal delegates gather to talk about saving their language
Article on language preservation efforts among the Cocopah, Kumeyaay, and other Southwestern Indian tribes.

Ethnologue: Kumiai Language:
Demographic information about the Kumeyaay Indian language.

Survey of California Indian Languages: Kumeyaay:
Profile of the Kumeyaay language from the University of California at Berkeley.

Campo Kumeyaay Language Tree

Ipai Language Tree

Tipai Language Tree:
Theories about Kumeyaay's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Mesa Grande Diegueño Language Structures

Jamul Tiipay Language Structures:
Kumeyaay linguistic profiles and academic bibliographies.

Northern Yuman Vocabulary:
Early 20th-century wordlists of Diegueno.

Links, References, and Additional Information

Kumeyaay:

Tipai:
Bibliography of Kumeyaay language resources from the Endangered Languages Project.
Wikipedia: Kumeyaay Language:
Encyclopedia articles on the Kumeyaay Indians and their language.
Dieguenos:
Kumeyaay links.
Lengua Diegueña:
Articles on the Diegueño language in Spanish.
Kumeyaay Tribe:
Kumeyaay Indian books.

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