Tewa

Tewa is a Tanoan language spoken by about 1,600 people mainly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico, and also in Arizona, in the USA. It is spoken particularly in Ohkay Owingeh, San Ildefonso Pueblo (P'ohwhóge Owingeh), Santa Clara Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, Nambe Pueblo and Pojoaque Pueblo.

Tewa is also known as Tano or Tée-wah. Each community where Tewa is spoken has its own dialect. Various ways to write Tewa with the Latin alphabet have been developed since the 1960s. Some Tewa elders would prefer Tewa to remain an oral language, however other Tewa people believe that literacy is an important way to preserve and pass on the language.

A dictionary of Tewa was published in 1982, and efforts are being made to revitalize the language, which is considered endangered.

Tewa alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

[ɾ] is written ḏ in some Tewa orthographies.

Download an alphabet chart for Tewa (Excel)

Sample text (The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4)

Jesus-di ovâytu̖ˀan, “Úvíjûusuˀandá gin waagi ítú̖u̖ní: Táḏá, uví khá̖wä̖́ wînˀaˀginnamí. Uví tsonkhuu wóegé ówhanbe naˀin dítsonnamíḏí.
Thamuwaagi iˀ húugîˀ gíntáyˀi dímä́ä.
Nanbí tꞌaywóˀdi dînˀowójé, in naˀinbíˀpiye dívítꞌaywóˀnannin âyˀowójénde waagibá. Heḏi wígínpúuwípí wä̖hphaḏe dítayi̖ˀníḏí.”

Source: Bible.com

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Source: Bible.com

Sample videos in Tewa

Links

Information about Tewa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewa_language
http://www.language-archives.org/language/tew
http://www.native-languages.org/tewa.htm
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tew/
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/tew

Tanoan languages

Jemez, Kiowa, Picuris, Southern Tiwa, Taos, Tewa

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 02.03.23. Last modified: 28.08.23

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