Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 3, 2026

Utian languages

Utian is a family of Indigenous languages spoken in Northern California, United States. The Miwok and Ohlone peoples both spoke languages of the Utian language family. It has been argued that the Utian languages and Yokuts languages are sub-families of the Yok-Utian language family. Utian and Yokutsan have traditionally been considered part of the Penutian language phylum.

Last revised
Jun 3, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
578 w
Citations
7
Source
Utian
Miwok–Costanoan, Miwok–Ohlone, Mutsun
Geographic
distribution
California
Linguistic classificationYok-Utian ?
  • Utian
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologmiwo1274
Pre-contact distribution of Utian languages
Pre-contact distribution of Utian languages

Utian (also Miwok–Costanoan, Miwok–Ohlone or formerly Mutsun) is a family of Indigenous languages spoken in Northern California, United States. The Miwok and Ohlone peoples both spoke languages of the Utian language family. It has been argued that the Utian languages and Yokuts languages are sub-families of the Yok-Utian language family.123 Utian and Yokutsan have traditionally been considered part of the Penutian language phylum.456

All Utian languages are severely endangered, extinct or revitalizing.

Languages

The Miwok classification below is based on Mithun (1999),7 while the Ohlone classification below is based primarily on Callaghan (2001). Other classifications of Ohlone list Northern Costanoan, Southern Costanoan, and Karkin as single languages, with the following subgroups of each considered as dialects:

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Callaghan 1997.
  2. Callaghan 2001.
  3. Golla 2007, p. 76-77.
  4. Goddard 1996, p. 313-319.
  5. Mithun 1999.
  6. Shipley 1978, p. 82-85.
  7. Mithun 1999, p. 535.

Bibliography

(California). William C. Sturtevant, and Robert F. Heizer, eds. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-16-004578-9 / 0160045754, pages 80–90.
External links