Research Guides: Native American Languages: Zuni

Overview of Zuni

The Zuni language is the primary indigenous language of the Zuni Pueblo of New Mexico and Arizona. The Zuni language is a language isolate but borrows words from several languages including Keres, Hopi, and O’odham. According to the Endangered Languages Project, there are roughly 9,000 speakers of the language and is classified as "threatened."

Zuni Language Revitalization

Using Modern Technology to Preserve the Zuni Language
In 2018, the Zuni Public School District partnered with the University of New Mexico Libraries to digitize their collections of Zuni language materials (known as the Zuni Langauge Materials Collection). This allowed the materials to be disseminated among greater numbers of people.
Zuni Language Course Offerings
An overview of the Zuni language courses offered by the Albuquerque Public School System. Albuquerque Public Schools offers up to Zuni 4.
Zuni Reawakening
Zuni Reawakening is an initiative of several teachers, students, and elders from the Zuni Public School District, who are are committed to supporting students and community members in their journey to learn more about the Zuni Language and culture. The website serves as a valuable tool for the whole community especially for the younger generations and the non- natives alike. It will provide a platform for sharing and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Zuni people. Younger generations will have easy access to information about their tradition.

Zuni Language Resources

Intercontinental Dictionary Series: Zuni - Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The Intercontinental Dictionary Series is an initiative of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology to preserve global languages for the purposes of comparative linguistics. This dictionary includes a brief Zuni/English dictionary with 975 entries divided into 22 different topics. This could serve as a useful overview of basic terms in Zuni.

Zuni Grammar by Stanley S Newman
Call Number: GN2 .N4 1965 (Southwest Room Locked Case

Publication Date: University of New Mexico Press

The present work, begun in 1952, supplies a need to systematize the description of the language. The preface outlines the history of the study of the Zuni. Following chapters cover phonemics, morphophonemics, morphology, and syntax, illustrated with examples. It is hoped the book may provide a basis for further analysis and for comparative studies on origins and relationships of the Zuni language.

Zuni Language - Wikipedia
An overview of the Zuni language as described by Wikipedia. The article includes information on the classification of the language, contact/loanwords, phonology, morphology, sociolinguistics, and orthography.
Zuni Language Materials Collection - New Mexico's Digital Collections, University of New Mexico
The Zuni Language Materials Collection is composed of materials donated by the Zuni Public School District to the University of New Mexico Libraries in 2016. Published by the district’s bilingual education department, these books and posters were designed to help Zuni language learners with a variety of fluency levels. Some materials contain sensitive content which is why some items are not translated. The Zuni Public School District was the first Native American controlled public school district in the United States and these materials were created to support cultural knowledge and understanding Zuni language for pueblo youth.
Zuni Phonology - Wikipedia
An overview of the phonology of the Zuni language on Wikipedia. This includes information about the pronunciation of consonants, vowels, syllables/phonotactics, and prosody.
Zuni Reawakening
Zuni Reawakening is an initiative of several teachers, students, and elders from the Zuni Public School District, who are are committed to supporting students and community members in their journey to learn more about the Zuni Language and culture. The website serves as a valuable tool for the whole community especially for the younger generations and the non- natives alike. It will provide a platform for sharing and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Zuni people. Younger generations will have easy access to information about their tradition.