Numic

Numic is a branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family spoken by Indigenous peoples across the Great Basin and surrounding regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. As a major subgroup within Uto-Aztecan, Numic comprises several languages that share a common historical origin and characteristic linguistic innovations that set them apart from other Uto-Aztecan languages. Scholarly classifications commonly divide Numic into regional groups, with languages described as Northern, Central, Southern, or Western Numic, though exact boundaries vary among researchers.

Prominent Numic languages include Northern Paiute, Southern Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, Mono, Washoe, Kawaiisu, Chemehuevi, and Comanche, along with various Paiute varieties and related Shoshonean languages. The group also encompasses additional, smaller languages with Numic affiliation. Geographic distribution centers on the Great Basin and adjacent areas, extending into parts of the Colorado Plateau, southern California, Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Population sizes differ widely by language; many Numic languages have small speaker communities and are considered endangered, although there are active revitalization and education efforts in several communities.

Linguistically, Numic languages are part of the broader Uto-Aztecan family and share core lexical and grammatical features with other branches, while exhibiting distinct phonological and morphological innovations. Work in documentation, orthography development, and language teaching continues, aimed at preserving and revitalizing Numic languages for future generations. Proto-Numic, the reconstructed common ancestor, is dated to well before extensive European contact, with diversification occurring through millennia of migration, isolation, and intercultural contact.