Salinan is the historical Indigenous language of the Salinan people of the central coast of California. It has been extinct since the death of the last speaker in 1958.

History

Documentation

The language is attested to some extent in colonial sources such as Sitjar (1860), but the principal published documentation is Mason (1918). The main modern grammatical study, based on Mason's data and on the field notes of John Peabody Harrington and William H. Jacobsen, is Turner (1987), which also contains a complete bibliography of the primary sources and discussion of their orthography.

Dialects Two dialects are recognized, Antoniaño and Migueleño, associated with the missions of San Antonio and San Miguel, respectively. Antoniaño is "sometimes also termed Sextapay, associated with the area of the Franciscan Mission of San Antonio de Padua in Monterey County." There may have been a third, Playano dialect, as suggested by mention of such a subdivision of the people, but nothing is known of them linguistically but a few proper names possibly recorded in mission records.

Classification Salinan is a language isolate. It may be a part of the Hokan family. Edward Sapir included it in a subfamily of Hokan, along with Chumash and Seri.Sapir, Edward. (1925) The Hokan affinity of Subtiaba in Nicaragua. American Anthropologist 27: (3).402-34, (4). 491-527. This hypothetical classification (which has had many skeptics) found its way into several encyclopedias and presentations of language families before much supporting evidence for this subfamily had been presented, but is currently fairly well established.

Phonology The charts of consonants and vowels in the Salinan language:

Consonants

Bilabial DentalAlveolarPost- alveolar Palatal Velar GlottalPlosive voiceless p t̪ t̠ k ʔejectivepʼt̪ʼt̠ʼkʼ voiced b d ɡ Fricativesʃ x hAffricatevoicelesststʃejectivetsʼtʃʼNasalplainmnglottalizedˀmˀnLateralvoicedlglottalizedˀlTrillr Approximantplain w j glottalizedˀwˀj Voiced plosives likely came as a result of Spanish influence.

Vowels FrontBack Close i iː u uː Close-mid (e eː) (o oː) Open-mid (ɛ) (ɔ) Open a aː Mid vowels occurred likely due to Spanish influence.

Vocabulary Salinan plant and animal names from Mason (1918):University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 14.1-154.

Animals {| class="wikitable sortable" ! English gloss !! Antoniaño !! Migueleño !! plural |- | fly || awa·´tén || a·we·te´ʽ || awaˑ´tneʟ |- | bullhead fish || || cat’ || |- | Lewis's woodpecker || ca´knil || cra´knil || |- | bird || caˑxwe || sa·xe || ca·xten |- | ground owl, gray titmouse || ska´tata || cko·´tɑtʚ || |- | prairie falcon || ck’an || ck’an’ || |- | crow || ckaˑk’ || cka·k’ || skaˑ´k’tenat |- | snake, worm, grub || ck’ot || ck’ot || sk’o´teʟet |- | gull || || clot || |- | abalone || || cmaiyi´k’ || |- | horned owl || cukunui´’ || cokonoi´’ || |- | skunk || cuwa´’ || cowa´ || cuwa´ʽɴeʟ |- | squirrel || cuˑmk’o´m’ || camko´’m || cumk’omona´neʟ |- | small ducks || || cu´n’cun’ || |- | fish || swan || cwa´’ɴ || cwaˑne´t |- | lizard || swakaka´ || cwaˑkek’a´’ || |- | gopher || e´cece || ee´cesi || |- | male squirrel || || emace´ || |- | pinacate || eˑts’ || || |- | tarantula hawk || etskutchɑ´ten || || |- | louse || tik’e´’ || i´ke || tik’eneʟ |- | ant || ilka´t || ilka´t || |- | Mexican bluebird || kalep’a´n || kelep’a´n || |- | small birds || || || kats’aˑne´ʟˑ |- | blue-crested jay || || kalau || |- | house finch || kalwatcai´ || k’aluatc´a’i || |- | goose, crane || ka´lakʽ || kalakʽ || kalak´ne´ʟ |- | mosquito || || kaca´p || |- | grasshopper || kacala´ || kaculo´ || |- | Lawrence's goldfinch || || kiope´ts || |- | kingfisher || k’cu´i || kitcili´tna || |- | band-tailed pigeon || klau´it || || |- | hare || koi’ || koʟ || kolane´ʟ |- | tarantula || || kocai´ye || |- | mountain quail || || k’aiya´k´ || |- | red abalones || kilṭau´ || k’elṭ´u´ʽ || |- | spider || la´kana || || |- | gray rabbit || || ʟa´ma || |- | raven || la´’ || lap’ || |- | tarantula hawk || || lape´ || |- | duck || leaṭ’ || helpa´ṭ’ || leaṭ’ten |- | wasps, bees || lme´m’ || leme´’m || |- | teal || le´ponta || || |- | Gambel's sparrow || le´rporti || leˑ´rpati || |- | coyote || ʟk’a´ || helk’a´ || elk’ane´ʟ; elk’a´lekten |- | Canada goose || loina´ || t’lai || |- | small antelope || || lowe´cɑt’ || |- | rat || ma´kiʟ || mɑ´kel || |- | rabbit || map’ || map’ || map’tenat; map’aˑ´nel |- | eel || masau´hal || masau´wel || |- | chipmunk || matse´ko || mats’e´ko’ || |- | hummingbird || mɑ´ts’we´l’ || || |- | antelope || mu´i’ || mu´ı̄’ || |- | clams || || naiyʚk’ || |- | pocket gopher || nakɑ´k || || |- | young antelope || || nʚtc’ || |- | elk || ac || p’ae || acte´n, astenat |- | California woodpecker || pelaˑ´kˑa’ || pala·´kɑkʼ || |- | two-pronged buck || || paṭalti || |- | hummingbird || || peˑ´lts’e || |- | ruby-crowned wren || pete´ts || || |- | lark finch || pi´ukutc || || |- | sucker || || pʽu´lxoiʽ || |- | wildcat || sam’ || snam || |- | black ant || || santʚn || |- | shrike || || sapele´ || |- | one-pronged buck || || sektaiˑkna || |- | stinking ant || || senese || |- | unidentified fish || || septa´ʟ || |- | snake || senkahl || senk’oʟ || |- | doe || sepo || || |- | mouse || seloˑ´iʽ || || |- | swallow || || siata´nil || |- | cañon finch || sit || set’ || |- | red-headed woodpecker || || sik || |- | animal || || sitaipin || |- | whip-poor-will || || skalo´ || |- | sparrowhawk || skele´le || skeleˑ´le || |- | blue crane || || ska·´u || |- | shellfish || || sk’eˑ´’n || |- | raccoon || skaiya´ʼ || s’kai´ya || skaiyana´neʟ |- | rat || sk’almo´k’ || sk’almokʼ || sk’almok’oten |- | green-winged teal || || slipe´pʚ || |- | quail || || smate·´xan || |- | bee || smo´kɑt || smo´ket || |- | rattlesnake || smeˑkoi´ || smekoi´ || smekoiiten |- | female skunk || || smohel || |- | mole || smokok’e´ || smokike´ || |- | cat || smic || || |- | eagle || sai´yu || snai || saiyane´ʟ |- | kangaroo rat, tusa || snaˑk || snaʽk || |- | butterfly || soko´ko || soko´ko || |- | spotted fawn || || so´ha || |- | very small ant || || sopokan || |- | red-tailed hawk || speˑk’ || spiˑk’ || |- | burrowing owl || || spʽoko´ʼ || |- | fox || sto’ || sto’ || |- | young squirrel || || sumhe || |- | bat || stamaka´la || || |- | bat || suhao´ye || || |- | black-shining flycatcher || swe´ho || swīˑ´yo || |- | male coyote || || swaa´ || |- | crane || || taˑlwa·´x || |- | worm || ta´lmui || || |- | nuthatch || taka´la || || |- | Lawrence's goldfinch || ta´nukupel || || |- | crane || || tapṭe´ʟ || |- | woodpecker || tena´k || || |- | male antelope || || tepce´ || |- | owl || tesik’ || ṭeci´kʼ || ticik’neʟ |- | pelican || tē·´u || tewe´ || |- | pigeon || || tikʽmo´ʽ || |- | worm || || time´hai || |- | great California vulture || titc´k || te’tc’ || |- | badger || t´mɑ´cɑx || || |- | seal || tʽoˑ´i || || |- | badger || || tʽoˑ´io || |- | sea otter || || t’sue || |- | whale || tʸa´i || || |- | blue jay || ṭ’ai’ || ṭahi || |- | flea || ṭa·yiʟ || ṭaiyeʟ’ || tayiʟtena´x |- | crab || || ṭaitc’aˑ´tak || |- | serpent || ṭaˑliˑye´’ || || |- | puma || ṭa´’muʟ || ṭ´a’muʟ || ṭa´’multenax |- | deer || ṭaa´’ || ṭaa´’p || ṭaatne´ʟ |- | bat || ṭapilale || || |- | turtledove || ṭaˑxwe´ne’ || ṭʽaˑxwe´n’ || |- | bear || ṭaxai´’ || ṭᴀxai´’ || ṭaxai´yukten |- | turtle || ṭawai || ṭawʚ´ || ṭawaiiten |- | salmon || ṭetiyau´ || tʽetēyau || ṭetiyauutén |- | kingbird || ṭike´ || ṭ’ike´’ || |- | small frog || || ṭ’iˑkolʚ´ || |- | serpent || || ṭinele´ʼ || |- | grubs, worms || || ṭ’iope´’ || |- | mountain lizard || || ṭʽoiyelɘ´’ || |- | gray squirrel || ṭooloc || ṭoˑlo´c || ṭoolecna´neʟ |- | wolf || ṭʽo·´xo || ṭoˑxo´ʼ || ṭʽoˑ´xolanel |- | curved-bill thrush || tca || tca || |- | Brewer's blackbird || tca´la || tcal || |- | red-shafted woodpecker || tc’am’ || tc’a’ᴍɪ || |- | cricket || tcʼeˑl’ || || |- | blue jay || tc’ele´uʼ || || |- | bat || || tc’e´mtcem || |- | fish-hawk || tcikʼ || tc´iktcik || |- | caterpillar || tcoana´hi || ṭaau´ || |- | mottled snake || || ts’aike´’ || |- | yellow-bellied woodpecker|| || ts’e´’ʟ || |- | owl || || ts’ɘ´tʽenek’ || |- | spider || ts’ope´n || sopne´t || ts’ope´nlax |- | red-winged blackbird || wakeno´ || || |- | frog || wa·´kiṭ || wa´kɑṭ’ || wakiṭten; wa´kɑṭ’ṭʽa´ʟ |- | bullbat || || wa´lwal’ || |- | Oregon bunting || wa´tc || watc’ || |- | white goose || || wau || |- | blue jay, bunting || witcele´’ || wetcele´’ || |- | martin || || weˑtelo´’ || |- | woodpecker || || we´tok || |- | mussel|| xaii´k || || |- | crane || xalau´’ || || |- | ground tit || xane´o || || |- | lizard || xakele´ || xapailʚ´’ || |- | yellow-billed magpie || atce´tc || xatca´tc’ || |- | roadrunner, ground cuckoo || xom || xo·´’mɪ || |- | quail || ho´mlik´ || || |- | red-headed vulture || xopne´l || xo·pɴe´ʟ || |- | dog || xutc || xutcaˑi || xoste´n

Plants {| class="wikitable sortable" ! English gloss !! Antoniaño !! Migueleño !! plural |- | wild oats || || atʟoˑ´s || |- | bark || awu´’l || awuʟ’ || |- | tule || aˑxo´ʟ || || axone´ʟ |- | seed || avexte´ya || || ayextel’i´ya |- | bud || ca´l || || ca´ltine |- | quijara de pala || ck’ua´ || || |- | large soaproot || || ck’alʚ´’ || |- | clover || || cpo´k’at’; cpoku´mt’a || |- | brush || cɑ´tala || || |- | leaf || ctan’ || || stanane´ʟ |- | blackberries|| || elpo´nʚ || |- | wild seeds || || heˑʟka´’ || |- | hay, grass || k’aˑṭ’ || kat || k’atsane´l |- | sunflower || || k’a·´ciʟ || |- | tule || || k’ɑ´mta’ || |- | acorn || k’a’ || kɑp’ || ka’te´ʟ |- | small young oaks || ka´pitc’ || || |- | large pine nut || kʽe || kʽe || |- | fern root || || k’ēˑ´ciapowat || |- | tuna (prickly pear) || || k’eso´i’ || |- | cedar|| keṭipui || || keṭipoilax |- | root || || ko’iʏi || |- | melon || k’olopopo´ || || |- | bulb, wild potato || || k’ona·´ka || |- | cacomite || || kotc’e´ʟ || |- | forest || ku´katak || || |- | flower || mɑkawi´ʼ || mɑkewe´ || makawili´ʼ |- | milkweed || || matai´’ʏi || |- | toloache || || moˑnoi´’ʏi || |- | laurel || mopa´kʽ || || |- | ivy|| mucuelit || || |- | wild grape || || o·pɪs || |- | chia || pa´siʟ || pɑ´siʟ || |- | post oak || || p’ɑ´pex || |- | white oak || at’ || p’aˑ´’t || atne´ʟ; p’atʽne´lat |- | manzanita || patʽax || patʽa´k || patʽaxtén |- | live oak|| askle´t || paxa´kiʟ || |- | buckeye|| || pʚca´ʼ || |- | willow || || pʚsxe´t || |- | grass || || petʟ || |- | seedlings || || peyexte´toʼ || |- | seaweed || || powa´tka || |- | fruit || || pamputen || |- | fruit || || tenpute´s || |- | mescal || saxe´t || || |- | alfilerillos || || seneste´ʟ || |- | brush || || smɑt || |- | acorn || || smoʼ || |- | clover || || smo´kumeʟ || |- | acorn || || sxau´witʽ || |- | seeds || || tana´t || |- | wicker || || tana´st || |- | grains || tate´ || || |- | small soaproot || || tetai´ || |- | elderberries || || tetɑ´pʽkoˑʟ || |- | root || tepa´s || tepa´so || |- | oak|| || tʽio´i || |- | acorn || || t’i´pi’ || |- | mescal || || tʽᴍɑ || |- | grass || || tʽʚma's || |- | milkweed || || tʚmaˑ´ʟ || |- | grass for baskets || || tʽonawɑ´’ || |- | gooseberries || || toipen || |- | flower of mescal || ṭaiya´c || || |- | wood || ṭa·´ka’aṭʽ || ṭa·´kaṭa || tak’ane´ʟ |- | tobacco || ṭala´’ᴍ || ṭoela´m || |- | stump of tree || ṭa´pin || ṭamoina´co || |- | fruit || tata || ṭaˑ´tʽoʼ || |- | root || || ṭepastéɴ || |- | juice || ṭetaco || ṭita´cu || |- | pine nuts || tcʽo’ || tʽo’ || ṭotenʚ´l |- | brush || ṭoki || || |- | barsalillo || || tc’e·´lak || |- | pine || tc’o’ || || |- | wood for pipe || || tcʽo´ʟʚ || |- | chuckberries || || ts’eta´kiʟ || |- | spine || xa´ke || || |- | acorn || xo´le || || |- | live oak || hasli´t’ || || |- | acorn || ha´siʟ || ||

Oak species