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Maidu Indian Language (Maidun, Nisenan, Konkow)

Maidu is a Penutian language of California. Actually there are at least three Maiduan languages, Maidu, Nisenan, and Konkow, which are generally considered distinct by linguists, but since each is spoken by only a few elders now, they are often considered together. Although the Maidu languages are seriously endangered, some young Maidu people are working to learn their ancestral tongue again.

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Maidu Language

Maidu language samples and resources.

Maidu Culture and History

Information and links about the Maidu tribe past and present.

Maidu Indians Fact Sheet

Our answers to common questions about the lifestyle of Maidu Indian people.

Maidu Legends

Introduction to Maidu mythology.

Maidu Language Resources

Our Online Maidu Materials

Maiduan Vocabulary
Our list of vocabulary words in the Maidu, Konkow and Nisenan languages, with comparison to other Penutian languages.

Nisenan/Maidu Animal Words:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Nisenan language.

Maidu Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Linguistic Families of Northern California

Pre-Contact California Tribal Territories:
Maps showing where in California the Maidu language is spoken.

Northeast Maidu Language
Scanned-in excerpts from a collection of Maidu texts.

The Maidu Indians: Keepers of a Lost Language
Article on Maidu language revival efforts.

Maidu

Konkow

Nisenan:
Information about Maidu language usage from the House of Languages.

Northeast Maidu:

Northwest Maidu (Konkow)

Valley Maidu

Nisenan (Southern Maidu):
Demographic information about the Maidu language and its dialects from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Konkow

Maidu

Nisenan:
Profiles of the Maidu languages from the Berkeley Survey of California Indian Languages.

Mountain Maidu Language Tree

Valley Maidu Language Tree

Nisenan Language Tree

Konkow Language Tree:
Chico Language Tree:
Theories about Maidu's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Northeast Maidu Language Structures

Konkow Language Structures

Nisenan Language Structures:
Maidu linguistic profiles and academic bibliographies.

Maidu Vocabulary:
Early 20th-century wordlists of Valley and Hill Maidu.

Maidu Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

Nisenan Texts
Several traditional stories in the original Nisenan (Southern Maidu) language, with glossary and a grammatical overview.

Maidu Texts
Collection of several stories in the Maidu and Nisenan languages.

Native American Language Dictionaries:
Maidu and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Maiduan Languages:
  Encyclopedia articles on the Maidu languages.
  Lenguas Maiduan

Idioma Maidu:
  Information about the Maidu language in Spanish.
  Maidu:
  Maidu links.
  Maidu Tribe:
  Maidu Indian books.

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