Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Uman, Omaha, Mahairi, Ponka, Umanhan, Ppankka, Ponca
CLASSIFICATION		Siouan, Mississippi Valley Siouan, Dhegihan
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		oma
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Omaha Ponca
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Two closely related dialects, Omaha and Ponca.

Compare Sources (7)

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

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<85
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
A larger number of semi-speakers and second-language learners.
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Most of the speakers of the Omaha dialect live in Macy and Walthill in rural southeastern Nebraska. There are fewer than 50 fluent first language speakers, the youngest about 60, and a larger number of semi-speakers and second-language learners. The Ponca dialect is spoken by about 35 elderly people in the Red Rock area of south central Oklahoma.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Most of the speakers of the Omaha dialect live in Macy and Walthill in rural southeastern Nebraska. The Ponca dialect is spoken in the Red Rock area of south central Oklahoma.

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
85
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
85 (1986 SIL). 60 Omaha speakers (1993 V. Zeps): 25 fluent speakers over 60; a few semifluent speakers of Ponca. Omaha Journal Star (Aug 25, 2004) reported 70. Ethnic population: 365 Omaha and 163 Ponca (2000 US census).
(Unchanged 2016.)

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Formally for prayers, especially at funerals, for songs, powwow announcements, but usually translated into English [eng] for nonspeakers present. Speakers 60 and older. In 1985 only a few older women seemed less than fully fluent in at least the regional English [eng] (2013).

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: East Nebraska (Omaha), Omaha Reservation, north central Oklahoma (Ponca).
Omaha dialect: southeastern Nebraska, Macy and Walthill; in Iowa, south of Sioux City, east bank, Missouri river; Ponca dialect: south central Oklahoma, Red Rock area.

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
50
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
85
Native speakers worldwide

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<85
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma

		2007	North America	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	1-96	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge			Victor Golla	Golla, Victor. 2007. "North America." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 1-96. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD	<85	10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma
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.															42.0,-97.25
	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	85	10-99	85 (1986 SIL). 60 Omaha speakers (1993 V. Zeps): 25 fluent speakers over 60; a few semifluent speakers of Ponca. Omaha Journal Star (Aug 25, 2004) reported 70. Ethnic population: 365 Omaha and 163 Ponca (2000 US census). (Unchanged 2016.)		English	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	Formally for prayers, especially at funerals, for songs, powwow announcements, but usually translated into English [eng] for nonspeakers present. Speakers 60 and older. In 1985 only a few older women seemed less than fully fluent in at least the regional English [eng] (2013).	15	15		USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma	East Nebraska (Omaha), Omaha Reservation, north central Oklahoma (Ponca). Omaha dialect: southeastern Nebraska, Macy and Walthill; in Iowa, south of Sioux City, east bank, Missouri river; Ponca dialect: south central Oklahoma, Red Rock area.
	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	50	10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma		42.0817,-96.4855
		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.		<85	10-99	Most of the speakers of the Omaha dialect live in Macy and Walthill in rural southeastern Nebraska. There are fewer than 50 fluent first language speakers, the youngest about 60, and a larger number of semi-speakers and second-language learners. The Ponca dialect is spoken by about 35 elderly people in the Red Rock area of south central Oklahoma.	A larger number of semi-speakers and second-language learners.	English	Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Most of the speakers of the Omaha dialect live in Macy and Walthill in rural southeastern Nebraska. The Ponca dialect is spoken in the Red Rock area of south central Oklahoma.	USA, Nebraska, Oklahoma
	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.															42.0817,-96.4855
			World Oral Literature Project						http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		85	10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Omaha-Ponca

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<85

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

85

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

50

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

85

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<85

Discussion

Omaha-Ponca

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<85

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

85

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

50

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

85

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<85

Discussion

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