The Gulf languages are a proposed family of native North American languages composed of the Muskogean languages, along with four language isolates: Natchez, Tunica, Atakapa, and (possibly) Chitimacha.

History of proposal

Gulf was proposed as a language family by Mary Haas (Haas 1951, 1952), but the family has not been rigorously established by the comparative method. Historical linguists such as Lyle Campbell (Campbell and Mithun 1979, Campbell 1997) list the relationship as unproven, though a number of Muskogean scholars believe that Muskogean is at least related to Natchez (Campbell 1997:305).

However, the Gulf hypothesis is considered by a number of specialists on Muskogean languages, including Mary Haas and Pamela Munro. Munro (1995) has regarded the hypothesis of a Gulf family of languages as promising; Haas thought the closest language to Muskogean would be Natchez, followed by Tunica, Atakapa, and, rather dubiously, Chitimacha. A difficulty in evaluating the hypothesis is the lack of available data. Most of the data on Chitimacha and Natchez is still unpublished and held in archives.

Additionally, Haas (1958) proposed that the Gulf languages are related to the Algonquian languages.

Lexical comparisons

Lexical comparisons by Kimball (1994) showing areal similarities among the "Gulf" languages:

glossProto-MuskogeanTunica sibling of opposite sex *xaya-áhaya 'sister-in-law' to want *kʷanna-wána big gray heron *watolawátoru-hki 'whooping crane' fruit; to bear fruit *aθiʔélu willow osí (Koasati)ʔx̌ša

glossTunicaNatchez to stick in čáhkacak- to drip čólucol- corn háhkahaku to gulp kɔ́rakolkol- to put in the mouth káhpuhi-kap- chicken kápašikapaꞏht(i) wild goose lálahkiláꞏlak to fart píhčupic- to shine rémaleM- to snore róhkuloꞏk- sassafras rɔ́wasiwaꞏ to blow the nose šímušiꞏM- to blow (of wind) wíhu*wiꞏW- wild potato ʔɔ́ška-ʔac to cough ʔúhuʔohoꞏ- like, resembling -nahku-neke intestines -yóniʔuꞏnuh

glossTunicaChitimacha man / men šíʔasi / ʔayš ear -ála-wɛ́čawaʔaš kingfisher čárinačana cypress háhkuʔak-šuš to die lúpinuꞏp- war nákanakš

glossTunicaAtakapa black mélimeːl to call wáliwan

glossNatchezProto-Muskogean to buy ciꞏp-hakiʔiš*čoʔpa pine tree col*čolyi squash coꞏY*tahayo fox / bark or yelp like a fox kaWkup*kaxʷ-ka six lahanaW*xana-li perch / fish šaꞏš(i)*θaθi-xo wife ʔaꞏL*xalki tooth ʔeNt*innoti ten ʔoꞏko*poko-li nothing but -aꞏnah(Koasati) -nánna ergative / nominative -c-*t absolutive / accusative -n-*n

glossNatchezChitimacha water / liquid kuNkuꞏ hundred puꞏppuꞏp cow waštaꞏNwaštik spider web weykoLway’ to hear ʔeꞏp-le-halʔišwopi- vulture ʔoꞏšiʔoꞏš twenty / two ʔoꞏk-ahpʔupa

glossNatchezAtakapa name ʔinueːŋ persimmon ʔoꞏoːl

glossChitimachaAtakapa ten heyč’ihišiŋ liver kesikeːc(k) woman kičakiš gourd kupukipaco earth neyneː Spanish moss siꞏcšiːt mulberry sisč’upses beaver ʔaꞏcioc

glossAtakapaProto-Muskogean shell iwalxʷolo

glossTunicaProto-MuskogeanNatchez red-headed woodpecker čuhčuhina*čaxčahkacawcah pileated woodpecker páhpahkana*kʷahkʷa-kapakpakuꞏ-šiꞏL robin (Quapaw šį́kkokkóke) wiškʔohku*č/kʷiskokomiškokʷ breast ʔúču*piči 'suckle; breasts'šuꞏ

glossTunicaChitimachaNatchezAtakapaProto-Muskogean hackberry kó-kamukoŋ negative -ʔaha-haꞏt-hah wind húrihowihi uncle waʔa / waꞏʔawehwahš hand ʔiꞏšwašiwoːš / wiːš to give ʔaꞏ-ha-ku-ši-ʔiš*im-aka skunk šíkikištʔeʔešicšikitiš

Comparisons with Algonquian

Some lexical similarities between the Algonquian and Gulf languages given by Haas (1958):

glossProto- Central AlgonquianProto-MuskogeanNatchezTunicaChitimachaAtakapa beat *pak-—paꞏk-pɛ́ka—pak cold *tahk-—takap-lákač’aki— cut *kiꞏšk-*kač-kec-káhču—kec die *nepe-*ili-—lúpinuꞏp-(pih) fish *nameꞏ-*ɴaɴi/uʔeɴníni(ni-)nti hand *-neθk-i*-mkʷi—-hkeninok name *-iꞏn-—ʔinu—nuy-t-eŋ neck *-hkweꞏ-—kʷaht—k’eʔkoy night *tepeθk-—teweláwut’apk’iiti one *kwet-; *nekwet-—wiꞏt-ʔunk’u(ta)nuk scrape *kaꞏšk-*kaꞏs-koꞏc-kɔ́sak’atka-kau-š see *neꞏw-—ʔeʟ-hɛ́raheč-t-ini sharp(en) *kiꞏn-t-*xʷulut-pilit-kírikihcikini shoot *pemw-, *-el-—-epenel-—paꞏhma-pem split *paꞏθk-*paƚ-paꞏʟ-pása[č]ap-t-paƚ swallow *kwan-*kʷalak--akun-kɔ́rakaꞏč-t-kul tail *-aθany-*haciʔisi-ásamahči— three *neʔθ-—neꞏ-ʔéni-—lat through *šaꞏpw-*ƚuput-—šíhpu—ƚop tree *meʔtekw-*itti/ucuꞏríhkušuš— turn *kwetekw-—kitip-kúrakut’ih-t-—

Pronominal comparisons

Below are pronouns comparisons by Geoffrey Kimball (1994) showing areal similarities among the "Gulf" languages. Note that Tunica distinguishes masculine and feminine pronominal forms.

Independent pronouns glossProto-MuskogeanTunicaNatchezChitimachaAtakapa I *anoʔímatakeꞏhaʔišwiš you *ičnomá (M); hɛ́ma (F)ʔakahnihimʔnaš s/he —ʔúwi (M); tíhci (F)ʔišinahushaːš we *posnoʔinimatakahniꞏʔusyukitiš you (pl) *hačnowínima (M); hínima (F)ʔaNkahniꞏwasnakit they —sɛ́ma (M); sínima (F)ʔišinaꞏniꞏhunkshakitiš

Possessive pronouns glossProto-MuskogeanTunicaNatchezChitimachaAtakapa my *ca- / *am-ʔi--nišʔišwi your *či- / *čim-wi- (M); hi-, he- (F)-pišhimʔna her / his *i- / *im-ʔu- (M); ti- (F)-ʔišhusha our *po- / pom-ʔi-n—ʔusyukit your (pl) *hači- / *hačim-wi-n- (M); hi-n- (F)—wasnakit their —si- (M); si-n- (F)—hunkshakit

Agentive pronouns glossProto-MuskogeanTunicaNatchezChitimachaAtakapa I *-li-nita- / ya- / ʔa- (ka-)-ki-o you *ič- / *či-wí- (M); hɛ́- (F)pan- / pi- / paꞏ--iʔinaš s/he *Ø-ʔú- (M); ʔá- (F)na- / ʔi- / ʔaꞏ--iʔihaš we *il- / -*liʔína--naka-cel you (pl) *hač- / *-hačiwína- (M); hɛ́na- (F)—-naʔa-tem they *Øʔúna- (M); sina- (F)—-naʔa-oɬ

Patient pronouns glossProto-MuskogeanTunicaNatchezChitimachaAtakapa I *ca-ʔihk--t--ki-hi you *či-wihk- (M); hihk- (F)-p--Ø-n s/he *Ø-ʔuhk- (M); tihk- (F)-Ø--Ø-ha we *po-ʔink-—-kuy-iš you (pl) *hači-wink- (M); hink- (F)—-Ø-nak- they —sihk- (M); sink- (F)—-Ø-šak- reflexive *ili-—-hši-hat- reciprocal *ixti-ʔak--tahn-—hok-

Stative verb subject pronouns glossProto-MuskogeanTunicaNatchezChitimachaAtakapa I *ca-ʔi--t--ki-hi you *či-wi- (M); hi- (F)-p--Ø-n s/he *Ø-ʔu- (M); ti- (F)-Ø--Ø-Ø- we *po-ʔi-n—-kuy-ic- you (pl) *hači-wi-n- (M); hi-n- (F)—-Ø-— they —si- (M); si-n- (F)—-Ø-Ø-

See also