# Karankawa language

Karankawa /kəˈræŋkəwə/ is the extinct, unclassified language of the Texas coast, where the Karankawa people migrated between the mainland and the barrier islands. It was not closely related to other known languages in the area, many of which are also poorly attested, and may have been a language isolate. A couple hundred words are preserved, collected in 1698, 1720, and 1828; in the 1880s, three lists were collected from non-Karankawa who knew some words.
Karankawa has sometimes been included with neighboring languages in a Coahuiltecan family, but that is now thought to be spurious.

## Phonology

Consonant sounds :
| | | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Velar | Glottal |
| | | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | plain | lab. | Glottal |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | | k | kʷ | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | | ɡ | | |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | | | |
| Affricate | Affricate | | ts | tʃ | | | |
| Fricative | Fricative | | s | ʃ | x | | h |
| Approximant | Approximant | w | l | j | | | |
There were also possible lateral affricate sounds [tɬ, dɮ] which were represented as <kl, gl>.
Vowel sounds :
| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i iː | | u uː |
| Mid | e eː | ə | o oː |
| Open | | a aː | |

## Vocabulary

Though only a few hundred words of the Karankawa language are preserved, the following are selected words recorded by Albert Gatschet, a late Victorian anthropologist and linguist, referenced from the last fluent speakers of the language.
* Nāt’sa "one", counted on the right pinky
* Haikia "two" or "second", counted on the right ring finger
* Kaxayi "three", counted on the right middle finger
* Hayo hak(ě)n "four", or "fourth", counted on the right index finger
* Do-aḍ "Four", or "fourth", literally "deer", counted on the right index finger
* Nāt’sa Behema, "five" or "fifth", literally "First Father", counted on the right thumb
* Hayo Haikia, "Six" or "Sixth", literally "Three two", counted on the left pinky
* Haikia Nāt’sa, "Seven" or "Seventh", literally "Second one", counted on left ring finger
* Haikia Behema, "Eight" or "Eighth", literally "Second father", counted on left middle finger
* Haikia Do-aḍ, "Nine" or "Ninth", literally "Second deer", counted on the left index finger
* (Do-aḍ) Habe "Ten" or "Tenth", literally "Ten(th deer)", counted on the left thumb
* Kaup(ě)n "Speak"
* Yamawe "Man"
* Glo-essen/Glos(ě)n "Boy"
* Kaninma "Woman" or "Mother"
* Ka'da "Girl"
* Glle-i "Water"
* Ahayika "Friend"
* Dōwal "Sun"
* Kiss "Dog"
* Peka "White"
* Pal/Ma "Black"
* Aknamus "Eat"
* Tcha "See"
* Ye "Go" or "Walk"

### Swanton (1940)

The following vocabulary list of Karankawa is from John Swanton (1940).
    glossKarankawa about totcápn acornkalac adzekusila affectionatemutá after a whilemessús all the timemucawáta alligatorhókso alsoténno alwaysmucawáta andténno angry, to be verynapé-nai naxerúaxa pára arm (forearm)se-cotan arm (upper)se-imahaha arrowdemo ashesahona at presentmessús axkialn babekwā́n badtcúta ball for musketkecila-demuks barrelbúdel basinkoje ön beadskujahin beanskudec bearǒ's beefdidot, tíkĕmai behold, totcá bellya-luk bigkunin birdkúdn bird, a commontekotsen biscuitkuejam bisondidot blackma, pál bluetsō'l boardkuaham boatawán, elucun bow, agái, kruin bowlkok boykolohs, níktam breadkwiáṃ bread, freshkokam break, totáhama breastkanín brushtesselénia bucket of tinkoláme build (a fire), tokosáta buildingbá-ak, kaham bulldidot by and bymessús cabinbá-ak, kaham calfkoco calicokádla calumetkadiol campbá-ak, kaham cantá cannonetjam canoeawā́n, elucun, uahahim capture, tohaítn caskkaa-konam catgáta catch, tohaítn cattledidot cherish, toka chickenkúdn, wólya chiefhálba childkwā́n chinem-imian hanéna cigarettekáhe, swénas circularlá-akum clothkwíss clothinga-lams colddelin come!éwē come, togás come here! éwēgás, wána come quick!éwē converse, tokaúpn cordbacina comkwiáṃ cow, anen, didot cowhornteke-dolan cranekĕdō'd, koln curlewkwojol dangeroustcúta dartkusila daybákta deadmál dearmutá deerdóatn, tekomandotsen deerskinkesul desire, totá disk-shapedlá-akum do, tokosáta dogkec don't cry!ăhămmic dresskádla, kwíss drink, tokouaen duckkue, medá-u dugoutawā́n eaglebalsehe eat, toaknámas eggdáhome eighthaíkia exhaustedkwá-al eyeem-ikus eyebrowsim-lahue fabrickwíss fall, toamóak far offnyá wól farewell!atcáta fatherbéhema feathershamdolok femalenen fineplá fingerétsma firehúmhe, kwátci, kwoilesem fire-potkoko fire-sticksakta demaje fisháṃ, kiles fish-hookkusila fivenā́tsa flagonkedika flourámhătn fly, akamej footeham, kékeya fourhayo French, thekalbasska friendaháyika get away!ăhắmmic gimletklani girlkā́da give, tobáwûs glasskusila glasswarekujahin globiformlá-akum go, togás, yé go away!wána going totcápn gonebudáma goodkuìst-baha, plá good bye!atcáta gooselá-ak gownkádla, kwíss grassawátcxol greatyá-an grindstonehama grow, tokwā́n gunkisulp gunpowderkalmel hairekia aikui handétsma handsomehamála harpoonkusila hasten, tokóta, xankéye hatkalama hatchetmatcíta hate, tomatákia hetál headen-okea healthyklabán heartláhama henkúdn, wólya hogtapcewá horn of cowteke-dolan horsekanueüm, kuwáyi housebá-ak, kaham hungryámel hurry, tokóta, xankéye hurt, tokassítcuwakn hushăhắmmic hutbá-ak, kaham Ináyi injure, tokassítcuwakn ittál jugkahan jump, toéṃ kettlekukujol kill, toahúk kittengáta kneeen-klas knifebekekomb, kusila, silekáyi know, tokúmna, kwáss largeyá-an larkkutsen laugh, tokaíta legem-anpok let us go!wána lie down, towú-ak littlekwā́n, níktam lodgebá-ak, kaham longwól long agoupāt love, toka maizekwiáṃ make, tokáhawan, kosáta manahaks, tecoyu, úci, yámawe manufacture, tokáhawan marry, tomawída mastkesul matdidaham menáyi metalkusila milktesnakwáya minenáyi molassestéskaus moona-uil mosquitogắ motherkanín mouthemi-akwoi muchwól musicyŏ'ta musket-ballkecila-demuks mynáyi neckem-sebek needleaguíya, besehena niceplá ninehaíkia no!kóṃ noseem-ai aluak notkóṃ nowacáhak oak-appleēkskitula obnoxioustcúta octopusáṃ onenā́tsa oysterdắ paddleem-luajem pailkok pain, to causekassítcuwakn pan, frying-koláme paperimetes akuam pastbudáma peaskudec pelicanōkman perform, tokosáta pickaxkialn pigkalbasska, madóna pimentokesesmai pinbesehena pinnaclekesesmai pipekadiol pistolka ai kuan plaiceampaj plate made of tinkesila-konan plenty ofwól ploversebe potatoyám pound, tokássig powerfulwól prairie chickenkúdn, wólya presentlyacáhak prettyhamála produce, tokáhawan push, todán quick, to comexankéye rainwí-asn read, togwá redtamóyika return, togás roundlá-akum run, toxankéye, tólos saberteheye saila-lams saltdem, ketac sandkohon satisfaction, expression ofbaa say, tokaúpn scat!ăhămmic see, totcá serpentaúd sevenhaíkia, nā́tsa sew, toteksilea sexual organs, maleem-ibak shetál shipawā́n, elucun shirtgusgáma shoekameplan shoot, toódn shoulderem-sehota sicka-eas, kwátco side to side, to pass fromlon sit, toháka sit down!háka sixhaíkia, háyo skin of deerkesul skip, toéṃ sleep, toĭṃ, neianana smallkwā́n smokeánawan snakeaúd soonmessús Spaniardskahamkeami speak, togaxiamétĕt, kaúpn stagtekomandotsen stand, toyétso stomacha-luk strike, togá-an strongwól suck, toénno sugartéskaus sunklos, dóowal sweettéskaus swim, tonótawa talk, tokaúpn tallyá-an tarkuja tattooingsbacenana tear, totáhama teatkanín tell, tokaúpn tenhábe textilekwíss thattál therenyá thighem-edal thineáwa thistál thouáwa threekaxáyi thyáwa tiredkwá-al tobaccoa-kanan, káhe, dé tonguea-lean Tonkawa IndianTcankáya tooténno toothdolonakin, é tooth-brushtesselénia touch, totcaútawal treeakwiní turtle, a large greenhaítnlokn twohaíkia understand, tokúmna usefulplá vermilionkadüm vesselawā́n, elucun walk, toshak, yé wallkesul want, totá waterklai, komkom water-henuapa weep, toowíya wellklabán where?mudá whiskeylabá-i whistle, toáksōl whitepéka wickedtcúta wideyá-an willtcápn windbá, eta wineklebö wish, totá wolfkec woman, aacade woodkesul work, totakína yesihié-ă yesterdaytuwámka yondernyá youáwa young of an animalkwā́n youngsterníktam