Tanoan

Tanoan is a small language family within the Puebloan languages of the southwestern United States. It comprises three primary branches: Tiwa, Tewa, and Towa (also known as Jemez). Each branch includes multiple languages and dialects spoken by different Pueblo communities in the Rio Grande region of New Mexico. The name Tanoan reflects the historical and cultural associations of the Pueblo peoples who speak these languages.

Tiwa languages are spoken in northern parts of the region, including communities around Taos and related pueblos. Southern Tiwa varieties are found farther south in other Pueblo communities. Tewa languages are spoken by several Rio Grande Pueblo communities in northern and central areas of the valley. Towa, or Jemez, is spoken at Jemez Pueblo. The branches share a common ancestry but have developed distinctive phonologies, grammars, and vocabularies over time.

Historical research on Tanoan languages began in earnest in the 19th and 20th centuries as linguists documented the Puebloan language families. Today, all Tanoan languages face ongoing endangerment to varying degrees, with fluent speakers often in older generations and younger people shifting toward English. Revitalization efforts include bilingual and immersion education, community language classes, language documentation projects, and the development of orthographies for literacy and transmission in ceremonial and daily life. Scholars and communities emphasize the importance of language as a core component of Tanoan cultural identity and Pueblo heritage.