Tunica-Biloxi - Tunica and Biloxi Languages

Tunica and Biloxi Languages

The Tunica (or Tonica, or less common form Yuron) language is a language isolate. When the last known fluent speaker, Sesostrie Youchigant, died, the language became extinct. Linguist Mary Haas worked with Youchigant to describe what he remembered of the language, and the description was published in A Grammar of the Tunica Language in 1941, followed by Tunica Texts in 1950 and Tunica Dictionary in 1953. The Tunica tribe lived close to the Ofo and Avoyeles tribes, but communication between the three was only possible through the use of the Mobilian Jargon or French.

Biloxi is a Siouan language which was at one time spoken in Louisiana and southeast Texas.The Biloxi were first mentioned as being on the Biloxi Bay in the mid-17th century, but by the mid-18th century they had settled in Louisiana. Some were also noted in Texas in the early 19th century. By the early 19th century their numbers were already dwindling, and by 1934 the last native speaker, Emma Jackson, was in her 80s. Morris Swadesh and Mary Haas discovered her on a linguistic survey trip in September 1934 and confirmed her status as a speaker of the language. With her death the language became extinct.

Most modern Tunica speak English, with a few older members speaking French as a first language.