Language family and location

What language family is Shoshoni a part of?
Shoshoni is a part of the Uto-Aztecan language family.

What branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family is Shoshoni a part of?
Shoshoni is a part of the Numic language branch.

In which states of the United States is Shoshoni spoken?
Shoshoni is spoken in areas of Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho.

What dialect of Shoshoni is spoken in southern Idaho?
The dialect of Shoshoni spoken in southern Idaho is Northern Shoshoni.

What is the main difference between each dialects of Shoshoni?
The main difference between each dialect of Shoshoni is phonology.

Grammar

How many vowels does Shoshoni have and what distinguishes them?
Shoshoni has six vowels differentiated by length.

Shoshoni is a strongly ... language.
Shoshoni is a strongly suffixed language.

What is the word order of Shoshoni?
Shoshoni has a relatively free word order, but shows a preference toward SOV.

What is the syllable structure in Shoshoni?
The syllables in Shoshoni take the structure of (C)V(V)(C), or:

  • An optional consonant at the beginning.
  • At least one vowel.
  • An optional additional vowel which creates a diphthong.
  • An optional consonant at the beginning.

What is the typical structure of roots in Shoshoni?
The roots of Shoshoni typically take the structure of CV(V)CV(V), or:

  • A consonant.
  • A vowel.
  • An optional vowel in the middle which creates a diphthong.
  • A consonant.
  • A vowel.
  • An optional vowel at the end which creates a diphthong.

What are the three cases nouns inflect for in Shoshoni?
In Shoshoni, the three cases nouns inflect for are:

  1. The subjective.
  2. The objective.
  3. The possessive.

What are the three numbers nouns inflect for in Shoshoni?
In Shoshoni, nouns inflect for singular, dual, plural.

What are the suffixes for number in Shoshoni?
The suffixes for number in Shoshoni include:

Singular Dual Plural
Subjective - -nɨwɨh -nɨɨn
Objective - -nihi -nii
Possessive - -nɨhɨn -nɨɨn

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