the.com/washo
a lake tribe's language, quietly proving not every native tongue fits a family tree.
means washo is a language isolate spoken by the washoe people around lake tahoe, unrelated to neighboring uto-aztecan or hokan languages.
from the name comes from washiw, meaning person from here in the language itself; the people have lived around lake tahoe for thousands of years, long before it had that name.
speakers leftfewer than 20 fluent elders remain
language familyisolate, linked to no known relatives
homelandlake tahoe basin, nevada and california
revival effortstribe runs immersion classes for children now