Wichita language

Wichita is a moribund Caddoan language spoken in Oklahoma by the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. Only one fluent speaker remains, Doris McLemore, although in 2007 there were only three first-language speakers alive. Wichita could soon become extinct. However, the tribe offers classes to revitalize the language and works in partnership with Wichita Documentation Project of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dialects

When the Europeans began to settle North America, Wichita separated into three dialects; Waco, Towakoni, and KirikirɁi:s (aka, Wichita Proper). However, when the language was threatened and the number of speakers decreased, dialect differences largely disappeared

Status

While at present there is one living native speaker, as late as 2007 there were three living native speakers. This is a sharp decline from the 500 speakers estimated by Paul L. Garvin in 1950.

Classification

Wichita is a member of the Caddoan language family, along with modern Caddo, Pawnee, Arikara, and Kitsai.