California Language Archive

{{short description|Linguistics project}} The '''California Language Archive''' (CLA), housed in the '''Survey of California and Other Indian Languages''' at the University of California at Berkeley, documents, catalogs, and archives the indigenous languages of the Americas. The CLA also hosts events related to language revitalization and preservation.

==Origins== The CLA was started as a pilot project by Berkeley linguistics professors Murray Emeneau<ref name="sfcronObit">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/12/BAGCKEM6UU1.DTL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915015802/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/12/BAGCKEM6UU1.DTL |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2005 |title=Murray Emeneau -- famed UC Berkeley linguist |work= The San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=2009-06-08 | first=Patrick | last=Hoge |date=2005-09-12}}</ref> and Mary Haas on January 1, 1953.<ref name="golla1997">{{Cite journal | pages = 550–555 | last = Golla | first = V. | title = The Formative Influences on Mary R. Haas's Career | journal = Anthropological Linguistics | year = 1997 }}</ref><ref name="mclendonBio">{{Cite journal| volume = 39| issue = 4| pages = 522–543| last = McLendon| first = S.| title = Mary R. Haas: A Life in Linguistics| jstor=30028484|journal = Anthropological Linguistics| year = 1997}}</ref> Haas was a particular influence on the early working culture of the CLA. One student, Brent D. Galloway, recalled<ref name="gallowayNatchez">{{Cite journal | volume = 39 | issue = 4 | pages = 636–641 [640] | last = Galloway | first = B. | title = Recollections of Mary R. Haas as Teacher, Supervisor, and Inspiration | journal = Anthropological Linguistics | year = 1997 }}</ref> how several of Haas' students had used a Natchez greeting, ''wanhetahnú·ʼis'', and that "the tradition had apparently continued for over twenty years." (Haas' first publication had been on Natchez.)

The first project was a study of the Karuk language by William Bright, then a graduate student.<ref name="shipley1988">{{cite book | last = Shipley | first = William | title = In Honour of Mary Haas | publisher = Walter de Gruyter & Co | location = City | year = 1988 | isbn = 978-3-11-011165-1 }}</ref> Since its founding 80 doctoral dissertations have been written under the auspices of the CLA.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~survey/resources/dissertations.php|title=Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley|work=linguistics.berkeley.edu|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}</ref>

==International networks== The California Language Archive is a member of the Digital Endangered Languages and Musics Archives Network (DELAMAN).

==Publications==

The CLA published a series of "Reports" beginning in 1981, covering a variety of topics related to languages of California as well as Native American languages elsewhere. Some volumes were standalone works such as dictionaries, others were collections of varied articles.<ref name=surveyReports>{{Cite journal | title = Proceedings of the Hokan–Penutian Workshop | journal = Publications – Survey of California and Other Indian Languages | accessdate = 2011-03-01 | url = http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~survey/resources/publications.php?publication=hokan-penutian }}</ref> Beginning in 1976 the CLA began publishing the proceedings of Hokan–Penutian Workshop, which addressed the proposed Hokan and Penutian language families.<ref name=hokanPenutian>{{Cite journal | title = Survey Reports | journal = Publications – Survey of California and Other Indian Languages | accessdate = 2011-03-01 | url = http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~survey/resources/publications.php?publication=survey-reports }}</ref> Both resources are available online.

In 2011, a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities made it possible to merge online resources from CLA and the Berkeley Language Center (BLC) into a single website.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Maclay | first = Kathleen | title = California Language Archive clicks with multiple resources | accessdate = 2013-06-02 | date = 2011-06-20 | url = http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/06/20/california-language-archive/ }} {{Dead link|date=December 2025 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}} </ref><ref>{{Cite web | accessdate = 2025-12-23 | date = 2011-06-20 | title = California Language Archive | url = https://cla.berkeley.edu//index.html }} </ref>

==Directors== In addition to Haas, the CLA has been directed by Wallace Chafe and Leanne Hinton.<ref name="surveyHistory">{{Cite web |url= http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~survey/about-us/history.php |title=Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley |work=linguistics.berkeley.edu |accessdate=May 4, 2010 }}</ref> The current director is Andrew Garrett.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~garrett/ |title=Andrew Garrett |publisher=linguistics.berkeley.edu |accessdate=2009-12-18 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://cla.berkeley.edu/ Survey of California and Other Indian Languages] (California Language Archive. Retrieved 2025-12-23.) *{{Cite web |last = Bower |first = David |title = California Language Archive Gives Great Insight into America's Indigenous Languages |work = Industry News from LT-Innovate |accessdate = 2012-08-07 |date = 2012-06-12 |url = http://langtechnews.hivefire.com/articles/share/171820/ |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130125152537/http://langtechnews.hivefire.com/articles/share/171820/ |archive-date = 2013-01-25 }}

+ Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Southwest Category:University of California, Berkeley Category:Extinct languages of North America Category:Native American language revitalization Category:Linguistics organizations Category:Research projects Category:1953 establishments in California