Ulwa (southern sumo) - a distinct language?
Keywords:
Ethnic group, Language, Linguistics, Linguistic researchAbstract
The story that will be told in this article is an account of the beginnings of a research program on one of the indigenous languages of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. It is, so to speak, a “before and after” study, recounting the events leading up to the researcher's first field trip and contact with members of the language community, the research done on that same trip, and the outcome in relation to future stages of the project. The language in question, Ulwa, is the southern variety of the Sumo group. The other variety of Sumo is called Twahka-Panamaka. Ulwa is spoken mainly by the inhabitants of Karawala, a community of 770 inhabitants, near the mouth of the Rio Grande de Matagalpa, which separates the northern and southern autonomous regions. About 30 inhabitants of the neighboring community of Kara also speak Ulwa. The total number of speakers of this language should not exceed 800. But in reality, we know that even this number is too high. Only 75 percent of the population of Karawala belongs to the Ulwa community, and some members of the community itself no longer use the language, as Miskito is the main language of the village.
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