ART. XVL-COMPARATIVE VOCABULARY OF UTAH DIALECTS. 



By Edwin A. Barber. 



To the group of ludiaa tribes known as the Shoshoni family belong 

 the Utahs, or Utes, of Colorado and. Utah. That the Utah is a very 

 ancient tribe, there can be no doubt. Among their traditions is one 

 which claims that they were the original people which drove the " ancient 

 Pueblo" races from their fastnesses centuries ago. Don Jos6 Oortez wrote 

 of this tribe, in the year 1799: " The Yutah Nation is very numerous, and 

 is also made up of many bands, which are to be distinguished only by 

 their names, and live in perfect agreement and harmony. Four of these 

 bands, called Noaches,* Payuches, Tabiachis, and Sogup, are accustomed 

 to occupy lands within the province of New Mexico,t or very near it." 



The Utah language consists of at least three distinct dialects, which 

 we shall call the Uinta, the Tampa, and the WeminucJie. Our atten- 

 tion, at present, will be directed to the latter two of these, the Yampa 

 and the Weminuche. The Yampa Utes are located in the northwest- 

 ern portion of Colorado, and their agency is situated on the White 

 Eiver, a tributary of the Yampa, or Bear. The Uinta band of the 

 Utah Nation occupies the Uinta Valley of Northeastern Utah, while the 

 Weminuche branch of the tribe frequents that portion of the reserva- 

 tion which lies in the extreme southwestern corner of the State. The 

 Utah language is subject to variations, resulting from surrounding 

 influences ; yet, while certain words employed by each band may vary 

 slightly, there is not sufficient difference in construction and general 

 form to warrant us in dividing the language into seven distinct dialects. 

 The Uinta branch of the tribe is somewhat influenced by the jargons of 

 the neighboring tribes. The Weminuche dialect has become adulter- 

 ated with Mexican and impure Spanish, which all of the southern In- 

 dians employ to some extent. With the Weminuches, we may class 

 the Capotes and Muaches, and probably the Tabequaches. With the 

 Yampa band, we may group the Grand Eiver, or Piah band, sometimes 

 known as the Middle Park branch. The Yampas, Grand Rivers, and 

 Uintas retain more of the original purity in their speech than the south- 

 ern divisions, and this is accounted for by their greater isolation from 

 the influence of foreign dialects. 



"The Ute tribe of luilians, at present occupying the reservation, is divided into 

 seven bands, as follows : — Uinta, Yampa, Grand River, Tabequacbe, Muachc, Capote, 

 and Werainucbe. The Noaches of Cortez vrere probably the same as the Muaches 

 the Payuches were thePai-Utes, a closely allied tribe, and the Tabiachis were identical 

 with the Tabequaches. The tribe now numbers between five and six thousand souls. 



tThen including the Territory of Arizona. 



