In what is now California, close to 100 Indigenous languages were spoken before Europeans arrived. According to UNESCO, most of the languages native to the Americas are critically endangered — many others are entirely extinct.
Linguist Lewis Lawyer, a аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢ Davis alumnus, has compiled the first-ever published description of one of those languages, Patwin — originally spoken in hundreds of communities in Northern California.
In this episode of The Backdrop, Lawyer discusses the history of the language, how he came to publish A Grammar of Patwin, and how the language is making a comeback.
The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢ Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture. It is available free, on demand at , , , , and . The Backdrop is hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson.
Media Resources
Media Contacts:
- Kathleen Holder, College of Letters and Science, 530-752-8585, kmholder@ucdavis.edu
- Lewis Lawyer, lclawyer@ucdavis.edu
- Soterios Johnson, 530-454-5956, sojohnson@ucdavis.edu