Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Shoshoni, Shoshoni-Goshiute, Shonshoni
CLASSIFICATION		Uto-Aztecan, Northern Uto-Aztecan, Numic
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		shh
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Western Shoshone Northern Shoshone Eastern Shoshone
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “North America” (7-41) . Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco (2008) , Chris Moseley and Ron Asher · Routledge

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~1,000
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
~1,000
OLDER ADULTS
The majority of speakers are over 50.
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Altogether, there are around 1000 actively fluent speakers of Shoshoni, and perhaps another 1000 with more restricted competence. While a few children still learn Shoshoni as a first language in the Duck Valley and Gosiute communities, the majority of speakers are over 50.

TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Central to northeastern Nevada; Idaho, Fort Hall Reservation. Northern Shoshoni in Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Goshute in west Utah.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Although there are a few large reservations which are exclusively (or at least half) Shoshoni, there are dozens of smaller reservations and communities scattered throughout the region. Western Shoshoni includes the communities throughout Nevada except for the Gosiute and Duck Valley communities. Northern Shoshoni includes the Duck Valley and Fort Hall communities as well as the smaller communities of northern Utah and southern Idaho. Eastern Shoshoni includes the Wind River community in Wyoming. Gosiute includes the Gosiute and Skull Valley communities in Utah. The largest speech community is at Fort Hall.

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

TRANSMISSION
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT: Shoshoni Language Project at University of Utah
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: The Shoshone language is spoken and taught at the SYLAP (Shoshone Youth Language Apprenticeship Program) in Salt Lake City Utah. More information on SYLAP can be found at http://shoshoniproject.utah.edu/sylap/

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,910
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
7,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Data for the number of native speakers comes from 2000 census; Data for the number of ethnic population comes from SIL 1977.

DATE OF INFO: 2000

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Mostly adults 50 and older but a few children learn the language as L1 in Duck Valley and Gusiute communities.

PLACES: USA;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Central to northeastern Nevada; Idaho, Fort Hall Reservation. Northern Shoshoni in Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Goshute in west Utah.

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
7000
SEMI SPEAKERS
1000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
1,000 (Golla 2007). Also 1,000 speakers who are not fluent (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 7,000 (1977 SIL).

DATE OF INFO: 2007 (speakers), 1977 (ethnic population)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Mostly adults 50 and older but a few children learn the language as L1 in Duck Valley and Gusiute communities

PLACES: USA: Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Idaho: Fort Hall Reservation; Nevada: central to northeast. Wyoming: Wind River Reservation (Northern Shoshoni dialect); Utah: west (Gosiute dialect).

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,284
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6,000
Native speakers worldwide

TRANSMISSION

PLACES: USA

			Shoshoni Language Project							University of Utah	http://shoshoniproject.utah.edu		"Shoshoni Language Project." Online: http://shoshoniproject.utah.edu.										The Shoshone language is spoken and taught at the SYLAP (Shoshone Youth Language Apprenticeship Program) in Salt Lake City Utah. More information on SYLAP can be found at http://shoshoniproject.utah.edu/sylap/	Shoshoni Language Project at University of Utah	Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13
0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																			43.4166666667,-108.833333333
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub		7,000	2,910	2000	1000-9999	Data for the number of native speakers comes from 2000 census; Data for the number of ethnic population comes from SIL 1977.					Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	Mostly adults 50 and older but a few children learn the language as L1 in Duck Valley and Gusiute communities.			USA;	Central to northeastern Nevada; Idaho, Fort Hall Reservation. Northern Shoshoni in Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Goshute in west Utah.
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.			7000	1000	2007 (speakers), 1977 (ethnic population)		1,000 (Golla 2007). Also 1,000 speakers who are not fluent (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 7,000 (1977 SIL).	1000				Critically Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	Mostly adults 50 and older but a few children learn the language as L1 in Duck Valley and Gusiute communities	15	Idaho: Fort Hall Reservation; Nevada: central to northeast. Wyoming: Wind River Reservation (Northern Shoshoni dialect); Utah: west (Gosiute dialect).	USA: Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub			6,000		1000-9999						Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13				USA		43.014,-108.8209
		2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London			Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.		The majority of speakers are over 50.		~1,000		1000-9999	Altogether, there are around 1000 actively fluent speakers of Shoshoni, and perhaps another 1000 with more restricted competence. While a few children still learn Shoshoni as a first language in the Duck Valley and Gosiute communities, the majority of speakers are over 50.	~1,000	English			Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13			Although there are a few large reservations which are exclusively (or at least half) Shoshoni, there are dozens of smaller reservations and communities scattered throughout the region. Western Shoshoni includes the communities throughout Nevada except for the Gosiute and Duck Valley communities. Northern Shoshoni includes the Duck Valley and Fort Hall communities as well as the smaller communities of northern Utah and southern Idaho. Eastern Shoshoni includes the Wind River community in Wyoming. Gosiute includes the Gosiute and Skull Valley communities in Utah. The largest speech community is at Fort Hall.	USA, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming	Central to northeastern Nevada; Idaho, Fort Hall Reservation. Northern Shoshoni in Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Goshute in west Utah.
	2nd edition	2010	Endangered Languages of the United States	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing	108-130	Christopher Moseley		UNESCO	Paris			Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell	Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell. 2010. "Endangered Languages of the United States." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. 108-130. UNESCO.																			43.0438,-112.4629; 40.0358,-113.9835; 43.014,-108.8209
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.				2,284		1000-9999						Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Shoshone

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1,000

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,910

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,284

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000

Discussion

Shoshone

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1,000

Endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,910

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,284

Endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,000

Discussion

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Sources of information

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