Case Marking in the Pyramid Lake Dialect of Northern Paiute: A Speaker-Based Approach

Abstract

Numu, or Northern Paiute, is a language indigenous to the Great Basin area and is spoken by the Numu people. Although there have been some scholarly works examining the Numu language, most are not particularly accessible to non-linguists. Additionally, the Pyramid Lake dialect is especially understudied, with little comparisons drawn between it and other dialects. This thesis has two primary, intertwining goals: to analyze case marking in the Pyramid Lake dialect of Northern Paiute, and to present linguistic findings in a way that is meaningful and useful to the overall documentation, revitalization, and reclamation efforts within the Numu language community. This research finds that case marking in the Pyramid Lake dialect is for the most part consistent with findings regarding the Fort McDermitt and Burns dialects (Snapp, Anderson, & Anderson, 1982; Thornes, 2003). This is helpful because explaining basic linguistic concepts such as subject/object case marking can ease Numu language learning for community members who grew up primarily with English. On a larger scale, in order for reclamation efforts to be effective, the link between the Numu language and the Numu culture, as well as the relationship between the language and the earth, must be understood.