Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Shahaptan, Chopunnish, Nimipu, Numipu, Nuumiipuutimt, Nuumiipuutímt
CLASSIFICATION		Sahaptian
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		nez
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Downriver Upriver
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

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<50
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
The Upriver dialect is spoken fluently by a handful of elders at Kamiah and Lapwai on the Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho, and by several more on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington. The Downriver dialect is mainly preserved by a few speakers on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon (most of them descendents of Cayuse speakers who adopted Nez Perce in the 19th century). In addition to these fully fluent speakers there are between 30 and 40 speakers and semi-speakers of varying degrees of fluency, most of them in Idaho.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The Upriver dialect is spoken fluently by a handful of elders at Kamiah and Lapwai on the Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho, and by several more on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington. The Downriver dialect is mainly preserved by a few speakers on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon (most of them descendents of Cayuse speakers who adopted Nez Perce in the 19th century). In addition to these fully fluent speakers there are between 30 and 40 speakers and semi-speakers of varying degrees of fluency, most of them in Idaho.

PLACES: USA, Idaho

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
200
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
2,700
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
200 (1997 H. Aoki), decreasing. Ethnic population: 2,700 (1997 H. Aoki); 612 (2000 US census).

PLACES: USA, Idaho

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: North Idaho.
Upriver dialect: North central Idaho, Nez Perce Reservation, Kamiah and Lapwai; eastern Washington, Colville Reservation. Downriver dialect: Oregon, Umatilla Reservation.

Severely endangered

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

PLACES: USA, Idaho

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
150
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: USA, Idaho

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
100
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
610
SEMI SPEAKERS
30-40
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
100 (1997 H. Aoki), decreasing. Spoken fluently only by a handful of elders on Nez Perce and Colville Reservations. 30–40 semispeakers, mostly in Idaho (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 610 (2000 census).

DATE OF INFO: 1997

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION

PLACES: USA: Idaho

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Idaho: Kamiah and Lapwai on Nez Perce Reservation; Washington: east on Colville Reservation (Upriver dialect). Oregon: Umatilla Reservation (Downriver dialect).

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.															46.0,-116.0
	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	2,700	200		100-999	200 (1997 H. Aoki), decreasing. Ethnic population: 2,700 (1997 H. Aoki); 612 (2000 US census).		Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA, Idaho	North Idaho. Upriver dialect: North central Idaho, Nez Perce Reservation, Kamiah and Lapwai; eastern Washington, Colville Reservation. Downriver dialect: Oregon, Umatilla Reservation.
		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.		610	100	1997	10-99	100 (1997 H. Aoki), decreasing. Spoken fluently only by a handful of elders on Nez Perce and Colville Reservations. 30–40 semispeakers, mostly in Idaho (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 610 (2000 census).	30-40	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15	Idaho: Kamiah and Lapwai on Nez Perce Reservation; Washington: east on Colville Reservation (Upriver dialect). Oregon: Umatilla Reservation (Downriver dialect).	USA: Idaho
	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		20		10-99			Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA, Idaho		46.4347,-116.8268
		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.			<50		10-99	The Upriver dialect is spoken fluently by a handful of elders at Kamiah and Lapwai on the Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho, and by several more on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington. The Downriver dialect is mainly preserved by a few speakers on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon (most of them descendents of Cayuse speakers who adopted Nez Perce in the 19th century). In addition to these fully fluent speakers there are between 30 and 40 speakers and semi-speakers of varying degrees of fluency, most of them in Idaho.		Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	The Upriver dialect is spoken fluently by a handful of elders at Kamiah and Lapwai on the Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho, and by several more on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington. The Downriver dialect is mainly preserved by a few speakers on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon (most of them descendents of Cayuse speakers who adopted Nez Perce in the 19th century). In addition to these fully fluent speakers there are between 30 and 40 speakers and semi-speakers of varying degrees of fluency, most of them in Idaho.	15		USA, Idaho
	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.													USA, Idaho		46.4347,-116.8268
			World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			150		100-999			Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Nez Perce

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<50

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

150

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100

Discussion

Nez Perce

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<50

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

150

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100

Discussion

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