Documentation:RelLex/Kwatsáan Iiyáa Mattkuu'éeyk! Learn the Quechan Language!
Kwatsáan Iiyáa Mattkuu'éeyk! Learn the Quechan Language!
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Language Name
Quechan.
Alternate Language Names
Yuma, Kwtsaan, Kwatsáan Iiyáa.
Region
California and Arizona, United States.
Who
Quechan Language Program.
Others Involved
Barbara Levy (Quechan Language Program Coordinator); Ila Dunzweiler, Arlie Emerson, Della Escalanti, Judith Osborne (Quechan Language Program Teachers); Perdius Escalante, Tessy Escalante, Rudy Allen, Myra Andrews, Preston J. Arrow-weed, George Bryant, Muriel Bryant, Juliana Comet, Donna Dewey, Marilyn Dewey, Donna Herrera, Phylis Jones, Shirley Kelly, Charlotte Manuel, Raelene Miguel, Nancy Montague Sr., Lucinda Polk, Linda Rivera, Daisy Simms, Vernon Smith (Contributions); Victor Curran, Alva Emerson, Daron Escalanti, Penelope Jefferson, Olivia José, Milson José Sr., Ivanna Kelly, Patricia Bryant Montague Lumas, Gloria Bryant McGee, Vivian Menta, Ira Murphy, Phelina Roosevelt (Community Assistance); Amy Miller (Linguist); Quechan Tribe, the Institute of Museum and Library Services Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program (Funding); Cliff O'Neill (Administrative Assistance); Penelope Jefferson (Coordinating Publication).
Publishing Information
There is no publication date listed for this digital dictionary. The Introduction mentions an update to the dictionary in 2017.
How People are Cited
People are cited on the title page and in the Introduction.
How Information is Cited
Speakers are cited by name on the title page and in the Introduction. Previous works and the speakers who contributed to these are also cited in the Introduction.
Where is Information Coming from
Information in this dictionary comes from speakers, including those who have previously worked with the linguist A.M. Halpern (detailed in the paragraph below), those part of the Quechan Language Preservation Program, other fluent speakers, and tribal members who worked with linguist Amy Miller during 2013 and 2014.
This dictionary also uses the previous works and field notes from linguist A.M. Halpern. From 1975 to 1983 Halpern worked with Howard Allen, Mabel Brown, Ignatius Cachora, Lorey Cachora Sr., Pete Cachora, Rosita Carr, Amelia Caster, Henry Collins, John Comet, Lee Emerson, Jessie Webb Escalante, Mary Kelly Escalanti, Peter D. Escalanti Sr., Josefa Hartt, Mina Hills, Stewart Homer, Lavina Kelly, Tom Kelly, Lawrence Levy Sr., Ethel Ortiz, Anona Quahlupe, Isabel Rose, and Maggie Townsend, among others, recording traditional stories, songs, and local histories. Some of these recordings were published in Spirit Mountain: An Anthology of Yuman Story and Song (1984) and Stories from Quechan Oral Literature (2014). Both these publications and the recordings done by A.M. Halpern were used in creating this dictionary. Speaker George Bryant narrated in 2004 what is now published as Xiipúktan (First of All): Three Views of the Origins of the Quechan People (2013) from which this dictionary also gathered information.
Tools and Framework used
This dictionary is available as a digital book.
Access
This dictionary is open access on the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe's website, on the Quechan Language Preservation page.
Included Languages and Directionality
English to Quechan.
Dialects Included
No dialect is specfied for this dictionary.
Type of Dictionary
This is a bilingual, mono-directional, topical dictionary.
How are Entries Organised
Entries are organised topically. Topics include actions, animals, body, colours, directions, and many others. Within topics, entries are organised alphabetically by English. Entries include the English headword, the Quechan translation, the literal English translation, and an example phrase. The example phrase is first listed in Quechan, followed by the free English translation, then the syntactic divisions of the Quechan sentence, and the literal English translation. Some entries do not include an example sentence. Entries may also include cross references, variations in pronunciation, or information about borrowed words.
Prior to the dictionary section, there is a brief description of the Quechan alphabet and pronunciation. Following the dictionary, there is an alphabetized English index.
Other Features
| Feature | Included | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Guide to use and understand | ❌ | |
| Audio | ❌ | |
| Images | ❌ | |
| Example phrases | ✅ | In most entries |
| Speakers marked | ❌ | |
| Dialects marked | ❌ | No dialect is specified for this dictionary |
Other Notes
According to the dictionary's Introduction, this dictionary, along with other language materials, is being used to create a more exhaustive dictionary. According to the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe's website, the exhaustive dictionary is titled Kwatsáan liváa: A Multi-Generational Dictionary of the Quechan Language, and, as of mid 2024, is in the editing stages.
External Links
The direct link to the open access dictionary on the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe's website: https://www.quechantribe.com/documents/documents/TheIntermediate-BeginnersQuechanDictionary.pdf