Timbisha

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A language of United States

ISO 639-3
par
Alternate Names
Coso, Koso, Koso Shoshone, Panamint, Panamint Shoshone, Tumpisa Shoshone, Tümpisa Panamint Shoshone, Tümpisa Shoshone, Tümpisa Shoshoni
User Population

20 (Golla 2007). No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 100 (1998 J. McLaughlin).

Location

California: Little Lake area in south Eureka Valley; Owens Lake, Coso Range, south Owens Valley area; Nevada: Amargosa Desert, Argus range, Beatty area, north and central Death Valley; Funeral Range on California-Nevada border; Grapevine mountains; Inyo mountains east slopes, northern Panamint valley and mountains; Saline valley.

Language Maps
Language Status

8a (Moribund). Language of registered tribe: Big Pine Band Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Tribe, Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe.

Classification
Uto-Aztecan, Northern Uto-Aztecan, Numic, Central
Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Shoshoni [shh] and Comanche [com] but not inherently intelligible with them.

Language Use

Only used among the oldest with each other. Younger speakers attempting to revive interest in Timbisha among the younger generations, but with little success (Golla 2007). Older adults only. Shifted to English [eng].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 90%. Dictionary. Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Timbisha