User:Razlem/Houma language

The Houma language (Reconstructed Houma: Homa anumpa) is a Muskogean language historically spoken by the Houma people of Southeast Louisiana. It is closely related to Choctaw and shares specific vocabulary with Mobilian Jargon, indicating that the Houma people contributed parts of their language to the region's trade pidgin. Originally thought to be a dialect of Choctaw or Mobilian Jargon itself, a study by C. Brown and H. Hardy showed that the Houma language featured distinct grammar patterns not seen in its close relatives. The Houma language became extinct in the 19th century, but an ongoing language revival was started by members of the Houma Nation in 2013. Since the historical Houma language had no system of writing, the revival has relied solely on the written accounts of European settlers and American anthropologists including John R. Swanton and Mary Haas.

Origins
Little is known about the origins of Houma, other than it being a distinct language of the Western-Muskogean language family. After the last native speakers died in the 1800s, only a few phrases and folk songs remained. The language has had to be reconstructed from a short vocabulary list collected by Swanton and second-hand accounts by tribal elders.

Consonants
*These digraphs were chosen to reflect a French orthographic style.

Vocabulary
Swanton's original list of Houma vocabulary contained approximately 80 words and phrases, from which inklings of grammar and morphology could be gathered.

Morphology
Houma exhibits verbal morphology similar to other Muskogean languages, with dative and objective pronominal affixes.