A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language [Paperback]

Julian Granberry (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0817307044 | ISBN-13: 978-0817307042 | Publication Date: August 30, 1993 | Edition: 2

Taken from the surviving contemporary documentary sources, Julian Granberry's volume describes the grammar and lexicon for the extinct 17th-century Timucua language of Central and North Florida and traces the origins of the 17th-century Timucua speakers and their language. Originally privately published in 1987, with limited circulation, this is the only available publication on the Timucuan language. It provides full grammatical analysis and complete lexical data, and it synthesizes both linguistic and archaeological data in order to provide a coherent picture of the Timucua peoples. Granberry traces the probable historical origins of Timucua speakers to a central Amazonian homeland at approximately 2,500 B.C. and proposes that Timucua speakers were responsible for introducing ceramic wares into North America.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Granberry's volume is a remarkably comprehensive treatment of the Timucuan language and will undoubtedly stand as a classic reference for linguists, ethnohistorians, and archaeologists alike. He has done a commendable job of compiling, synthesizing, and preserving what little evidence remains of this now-extinct Native American language, finishing a task begun by Spanish friars nearly four centuries ago."

—John E. Worth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History

"Ought to be on the shelf of anyone interested in the Timucua and Native American languages of the region. . . . The grammatical sketch and dictionary are perhaps the most valuable parts of the book. . . . The dictionary is extensive and an invaluable aid to anyone trying to understand the grammar of the Timucua sources."

—Southeastern Archaeology

About the Author

Julian Granberry is the Language Coordinator for Native American Language Services in Florida and author of numerous publications, including A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language and The Americas That Might Have Been: Native American Social Systems through Time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University Alabama Press; 2 edition (August 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817307044
• ISBN-13: 978-0817307042
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Native American
  • #20 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Native American

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Attempt to Complie Long Lost Language, May 16, 2010

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Kevin M. Derby (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Grammar and Dictionary of the Timucua Language (Paperback)

Julian Granberry is to be thanked for finishing the work of Father Fernando Pareja and creating a dictionary of the Timucua language. Yes, the last Timucuan passed away in the 1760s. But this work is long over do and Granberry has relied on many sources including five of Pareja's books to create this work. Granberry offers a fascinating account of the language, arguing that it is tied to languages from South America as well as an excellent study of Timucua grammar. Then comes the dictionary of the words and an index for English translations. The work is not for everyone obviously but Granberry's achievements should not be shortchanged. He has saved a language from extinction and presented it in a very accessible format. This is a remarkable linguistic achievement and we are all in Granberry's debt.