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Coast Miwok

From:Barry Garcia <barry_garcia@...>
Date:Friday, June 20, 2003, 9:51
I discovered a site: http://www.jamatra.com/cm/

that gives a tutorial for Coast Miwok (Bodega bay). Coast Miwok is found
in Marin County in California. The "pronunciation guide" could be improved
because it doesn't list all the consonants, just the "special" ones.
Granted, it is new, so i can forgive it for that.

Vowels are all cardinal, but they have complimentary short and long values
(ex. /a/, /a:/, /i/, /i:/, etc.).

It apparently has three diphthongs: /aj/, /au/, /oj/.

Consonants are not too difficult. there is a retroflex t, and s, as well
as a regular t, which is apparently closer to /T/ (pronounced with the
tongue between the teeth). /s/ supposedly only occurs in English and
Spanish loans. Although Marin Miwok has /s/ where Bodega Miwok has final
/h/: towih vs. towis.

Consonants can be geminated as well.

Grammar wise, there doesnt seem to be true pronouns, as there are prefixes:

ka- first person
'un- second person
'uh- third person.

These are affixed to nouns to indicate posession, and with verbs to
indicate person.

Some sample words:

1. kapichah "I know"
2. 'ustowis "it's good," "he/she is well"
3. 'unmolis "he/she is happy"
4. ka'unu "my mother"
5. 'uhkoya "he/she sings"
6. ka'áay "my child"
7. 'usmissu "he/she thinks"
8. 'usmacchaw "he/she is speaking"
9. 'uslawwa "her dress"
10. kasút "my eye"
11. 'unkoccha "your house"
12. 'un'api "your father"
13. ka'alu "I hear"
14. 'un'ukkus "your hand"
15. 'uslanta "his arrow"
16. 'unsukku "you're young"

Unfortunately, that's about it. It does have a pretty nead "Vocabulary
Illustrated" page though.

I think this site would be a pretty good online resource as the creator
updates it.