Tsoyaha
Yuchi
Language isolate
Yuchi (Tsoyaha "children of the sun") is a language isolate of the southeastern United States, now critically endangered with fewer than 5 fluent first-language speakers, all elderly. The Yuchi were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears. Documentation by Mary Linn (Yuchi grammatical sketch) and earlier by Günter Wagner (1934).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Yuchi
Water
cha
/tʃa/
Fire
tsoda
/tsoda/
Sun
dethla
/dɛhla/
Moon
zethla
/zɛhla/
Mother
ahnʌh
/ahnʌh/
Father
—
/—/
Eat
gʌ
/ɡʌ/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
tsotʔa
/tsotʔa/
Dog
shtsé
/ʃtsɛ/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Eye
shela
/ʃela/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
hahgo
/hahɡo/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Linn (2001) — A grammar of Euchee (Yuchi)
- Wagner (1934) — Yuchi
Words compared
Compared with related Language isolate languages
| Meaning | Yuchi | Iberian | Goguryeo | Nicaraguan Sign Language | Damin (Lardil ceremonial register) | Tartessian | Liburnian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | cha /tʃa/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | tsoda /tsoda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | l!ii /lǃiː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | dethla /dɛhla/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | zethla /zɛhla/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | ahnʌh /ahnʌh/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | gʌ /ɡʌ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | tsotʔa /tsotʔa/ | iltiŕ /iltir̥/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | shtsé /ʃtsɛ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | shela /ʃela/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | hahgo /hahɡo/ | ban /ban/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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