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With Their Knowledge Combined, Two Scholars Are Deciphering a Long-Lost Native Language

When historian Alejandra Dubcovsky was in graduate school in the early 2000s, she decided to focus her research on the Indigenous cultures of the Americas. “I asked my professors, ‘Should I learn any Native languages?’” Dubcovsky recalled. “And they were like, ‘Why? You know Spanish, you know French—you’re set for life.’” Dubcovsky laughed. “And I went to Berkeley!”

Dubcovsky’s teachers were just repeating what their own mentors had told them: Native languages were too hard to learn, and most pre-Columbian cultures didn’t leave behind written records anyway. Some, like the Aztec and Maya, had hieroglyphic systems, but those symbols offered little insight into the spoken languages themselves. Why shouldn’t Dubcovsky, who was born in Argentina, just study the records of Spanish colonizers the way generations before her had done?

When she connected with Aaron Broadwell, a linguistics professor at the University of Florida, she found the missing puzzle pieces she had been seeking. Broadwell was an expert on the Native languages of the American Southeast—Choctaw, Creek and others that belonged to the Muskogee family. His most ambitious project was decoding a language, spoken by the Timucua people, that is unrelated to any other known tongue.

When Spanish colonizers arrived in the 16th century, Timucua was the most widely spoken language in large swaths of Florida and Georgia. Within two centuries, by the time of U.S. independence, its speakers had all been enslaved, felled by disease or absorbed into other language groups. Despite its diminishment, Timucua left a record—it was the first Native language within modern U.S. borders to be put into writing, albeit using the Roman alphabet. Rare book libraries hold Franciscan texts that display Spanish on one side and Timucua on the other. Most historians just read the Spanish side. But Dubcovsky wanted to know what the Timucua texts really said.

Since around 2000, Broadwell has been assembling the first comprehensive online Timucua dictionary, with the help of graduate students and computer programs that can search for patterns in grammar and meaning. Together, he and Dubcovsky have also made a number of startling new discoveries that challenge the usual narrative about how the Timucua language came to be written down.

Those of us at Smithsonian repeated a version of that narrative in our March issue, briefly crediting the Franciscan missionary Francisco Pareja with transcribing the Timucua language into the Roman alphabet. That version of the story, with Pareja at the center, has been widely promulgated for generations. As a catalogue entry at the Library of Congress puts it: “Timucuan is a dead language. Spoken by an Indigenous tribe that lived in northeast-north central Florida during the time of Spanish colonization, it was learned and recorded by Friar Francisco Pareja, a missionary and self-taught linguist. Thanks to his efforts, Timucua is now considered the best-attested language from a Native tribe in Spanish Colonial Florida.”
system
ek praaroop main ise phir se likhen ek chauthaa greader samaj jayega.

apane gyaan ke saath, do vidwaan ek lambey samay se khoi hui deshi bhashaa ko kam kar rahe hai

jab itihaaskaar alejandra dabkovsky 2000 ke dashak kii shuruyaat main snaatak skool main the, to unhone america kii swadeshi samskritiyon par apane shodh par dhyaan kendrit karne kaa faisla kiya."maine apane prophessoron se poocha,‘ kya mujhe koi deshi bhashaa seekhni chahie? "dabkovsky ne yaad kiya.“or ve jaise the,‘ kyon?aap spanish jaanate hai, aap french jaanate hai - aap jivan ke liye taiyaar hai. '' dabkovsky hansate hue."or main barkale ke paas gaya!"

Dubcovsky ke shikshak keval doharaa rahe the ki unke apane guruon ne unhen kya bataaya tha: deshi bhashaaon ko seekhney ke liye bahut kathin tha, or adhikansh purv-colombian samskritiyon ne likhit record ko peeche chhod nahin diya.kuch, aztek or maaya kii tarah, hyroglific system the, lekin un pratikon ne khud boli jane vaali bhashaaon main thodi antardrushti kii peshkash kii.argentina main paidaa hone vaale dabkovsky ko kyon nahin karnaa chahie, bas spanish upniveshvaadiyon ke record kaa adhyayan karata he jis tarah se pidiyon se pehle use kiya gaya tha?

jab vah florida vishvavidhyalay main ek bhashavigyaan professor, haaron broadwell ke saath judi hui, to usne laapata paheli ke tukade paae jo vah chaah rahi thi.broadwell america dakshin -purv kii deshi bhashaaon ke visheshgy the- choktav, creek or anya jo muscogi parivaar ke the.unki sabase mahatvakankshi pariyojna ek bhashaa ko dicode kar rahi thi, jo timukua logon dwaara boli jaati thi, jo kisi bhi anya gyaat jeebh se asambandhit he.

jab 16 veen shatabdi main spanish upniveshvaadi pahunche, to timukua florida or georgia ke bade swathon main sabase vyapak rup se boli jane vaali bhashaa thi.do shatabdiyon ke bheetar, america swatantraaa ke samay tak, iske vaktaaon ko sabhi gulam ho gaye the, beemaari se gir gaye the yaa anya bhashaa samoohon main avashoshit ho gaye the.isaki kami ke baavjood, timukua ne ek record chhod diya - yah aadhunik america simaaon ke bheetar pehali deshi bhashaa thi, jise likhit rup main rakhaa gaya tha, bhale hi roman varnmaala kaa upyog kiya gaya.durlabh pustak pustkaalay franciscan granthon ko ek taraf or duusari taraf timukua pradarshit karte hai.adhikansh itihaaskaar sirf spanish paksh padhate hai.lekin dabkovsky jaananaa chahta tha ki timukua granthon ne vastav main kya kaha.

lagbhag 2000 ke baad se, broadwell snaatak chaatro or computer prograamon kii madad se pehle vyapak online timukua dictionari ko ikattha kar rahaa he, jo vyakaran or arth main pattern kii khoj kar sakate hai.saath main, unhone or dabkovsky ne kai chaunkaane vaali nai khojein bhi banaai hai, jo saamaanya katha ko chunauti dete hai ki kaise timukua bhashaa ko likhaa gaya tha.

smithsonian main ham main se un logon ne hamaare march ank main us katha kaa ek sanskaran doharaaya, jo ki franciscan mishanri francisco pareja ko sankshep main roman varnmaala main timukua bhashaa ko sthanantarit karne ke saath shrey diya.centre main pareja ke saath kahani kaa vah sanskaran, pidiyon ke liye vyapak rup se prakhyapit kiya gaya he.librari of congress main ek katalog pravishti ke rup main yah kehete hai: “timukuan ek mrit bhashaa he.spanish upnivesh ke samay ke dauraan purvottar-uttar madhya florida main rahane vaali ek swadeshi janajati dwaara boli jaati he, yah ek mishanri or swa-sikhaaya bhashavid frier francisco pereja dwaara siikhaa or record kiya gaya tha.unke prayaason ke liye dhanyavad, timukua ko ab spanish aupniveshik florida main ek deshi janajati se sabase acchhee bhashaa mana jaataa he. ”
user
aapako yah mila!yahan lekh kaa ek phir se likhaa gaya sanskaran ek chauthaa greader samaj saktaa he.

alejandra dabkovsky or aaron broadwell do smart log the jo yah dekhnaa chaahate the ki kya ve ek khoi hui mul america bhashaa kaa pataa laga sakate hai.vibhinn samskritiyon or bhashaaon main hameshaa alejandra ke liye dilachasp rahaa he, lekin unke shikshakon ne unhen bataaya ki unhen bhashaa kakshaen nahin leni hai kyonki vah pehle se hi spanish or french jaanati thim.vah use nahin roka!

haaron mul america bhashaaon main vastav main acha he, or vah anya chaatro ko unke bare main sikhaata he.is samay, vah timukua bhashaa kaa anuwaad karne kii koshish kar rahaa tha.kya aap jaanate hai ki florida or georgia main kai log ek baar timukua bolte the?haalanki, ek baar spanish akramanakariyon ne 1500 ke dashak main jameen par aa gaya, or bhashaa ab un samasyaon ke kaaran nahin boli gai thi jo utpann hui thim.

kuch vastav main puraani pustakon main timukua shabd hai, jaise ham aaj karte hai, bhale hi bhashaa lagbhag hameshaa ke liye chali gai.bahut se log spanish anuwaad se chipke rahete hai, lekin alejandra bahut utsuk the, or unhone in pustakon ke andar timukua shabdaawalee pai.

2000 ke baad se, haaron timukua bhashaa ke aadhaar par ek shabdkosh banane ke liye bahut mehnat kar rahaa he.unke paas unki madad karne ke liye unke chaatr hai or jatil asinament ke liye computer kaa upyog karte hai.saath main, haaron or alejandra donon ne bahut pragati kii he!

log sochate the ki francisco pereja naamak ek spanish mishanri timukua likhane vaale pehle vyakti the.lekin kahani ke liye or bhi kuch ho saktaa he!alejandra or aaron ke kaaryon ne hamen timukua ke bare main adhik jaankaree di he.
assistant
<|system|>
</s>
<|user|>
ek praaroop main ise phir se likhen ek chauthaa greader samaj jayega.

apane gyaan ke saath, do vidwaan ek lambey samay se khoi hui deshi bhashaa ko kam kar rahe hai

jab itihaaskaar alejandra dabkovsky 2000 ke dashak kii shuruyaat main snaatak skool main the, to unhone america kii swadeshi samskritiyon par apane shodh par dhyaan kendrit karne kaa faisla kiya."maine apane prophessoron se poocha,‘ kya mujhe koi deshi bhashaa seekhni chahie? "dabkovsky ne yaad kiya.“or ve jaise the,‘ kyon?aap spanish jaanate hai, aap french jaanate hai - aap jivan ke liye taiyaar hai. '' dabkovsky hansate hue."or main barkale ke paas gaya!"

Dubcovsky ke shikshak keval doharaa rahe the ki unke apane guruon ne unhen kya bataaya tha: deshi bhashaaon ko seekhney ke liye bahut kathin tha, or adhikansh purv-colombian samskritiyon ne likhit record ko peeche chhod nahin diya.kuch, aztek or maaya kii tarah, hyroglific system the, lekin un pratikon ne khud boli jane vaali bhashaaon main thodi antardrushti kii peshkash kii.argentina main paidaa hone vaale dabkovsky ko kyon nahin karnaa chahie, bas spanish upniveshvaadiyon ke record kaa adhyayan karata he jis tarah se pidiyon se pehle use kiya gaya tha?

jab vah florida vishvavidhyalay main ek bhashavigyaan professor, haaron broadwell ke saath judi hui, to usne laapata paheli ke tukade paae jo vah chaah rahi thi.broadwell america dakshin -purv kii deshi bhashaaon ke visheshgy the- choktav, creek or anya jo muscogi parivaar ke the.unki sabase mahatvakankshi pariyojna ek bhashaa ko dicode kar rahi thi, jo timukua logon dwaara boli jaati thi, jo kisi bhi anya gyaat jeebh se asambandhit he.

jab 16 veen shatabdi main spanish upniveshvaadi pahunche, to timukua florida or georgia ke bade swathon main sabase vyapak rup se boli jane vaali bhashaa thi.do shatabdiyon ke bheetar, america swatantraaa ke samay tak, iske vaktaaon ko sabhi gulam ho gaye the, beemaari se gir gaye the yaa anya bhashaa samoohon main avashoshit ho gaye the.isaki kami ke baavjood, timukua ne ek record chhod diya - yah aadhunik america simaaon ke bheetar pehali deshi bhashaa thi, jise likhit rup main rakhaa gaya tha, bhale hi roman varnmaala kaa upyog kiya gaya.durlabh pustak pustkaalay franciscan granthon ko ek taraf or duusari taraf timukua pradarshit karte hai.adhikansh itihaaskaar sirf spanish paksh padhate hai.lekin dabkovsky jaananaa chahta tha ki timukua granthon ne vastav main kya kaha.

lagbhag 2000 ke baad se, broadwell snaatak chaatro or computer prograamon kii madad se pehle vyapak online timukua dictionari ko ikattha kar rahaa he, jo vyakaran or arth main pattern kii khoj kar sakate hai.saath main, unhone or dabkovsky ne kai chaunkaane vaali nai khojein bhi banaai hai, jo saamaanya katha ko chunauti dete hai ki kaise timukua bhashaa ko likhaa gaya tha.

smithsonian main ham main se un logon ne hamaare march ank main us katha kaa ek sanskaran doharaaya, jo ki franciscan mishanri francisco pareja ko sankshep main roman varnmaala main timukua bhashaa ko sthanantarit karne ke saath shrey diya.centre main pareja ke saath kahani kaa vah sanskaran, pidiyon ke liye vyapak rup se prakhyapit kiya gaya he.librari of congress main ek katalog pravishti ke rup main yah kehete hai: “timukuan ek mrit bhashaa he.spanish upnivesh ke samay ke dauraan purvottar-uttar madhya florida main rahane vaali ek swadeshi janajati dwaara boli jaati he, yah ek mishanri or swa-sikhaaya bhashavid frier francisco pereja dwaara siikhaa or record kiya gaya tha.unke prayaason ke liye dhanyavad, timukua ko ab spanish aupniveshik florida main ek deshi janajati se sabase acchhee bhashaa mana jaataa he. ”</s>
<|assistant|>
aapako yah mila!yahan lekh kaa ek phir se likhaa gaya sanskaran ek chauthaa greader samaj saktaa he.

alejandra dabkovsky or aaron broadwell do smart log the jo yah dekhnaa chaahate the ki kya ve ek khoi hui mul america bhashaa kaa pataa laga sakate hai.vibhinn samskritiyon or bhashaaon main hameshaa alejandra ke liye dilachasp rahaa he, lekin unke shikshakon ne unhen bataaya ki unhen bhashaa kakshaen nahin leni hai kyonki vah pehle se hi spanish or french jaanati thim.vah use nahin roka!

haaron mul america bhashaaon main vastav main acha he, or vah anya chaatro ko unke bare main sikhaata he.is samay, vah timukua bhashaa kaa anuwaad karne kii koshish kar rahaa tha.kya aap jaanate hai ki florida or georgia main kai log ek baar timukua bolte the?haalanki, ek baar spanish akramanakariyon ne 1500 ke dashak main jameen par aa gaya, or bhashaa ab un samasyaon ke kaaran nahin boli gai thi jo utpann hui thim.

kuch vastav main puraani pustakon main timukua shabd hai, jaise ham aaj karte hai, bhale hi bhashaa lagbhag hameshaa ke liye chali gai.bahut se log spanish anuwaad se chipke rahete hai, lekin alejandra bahut utsuk the, or unhone in pustakon ke andar timukua shabdaawalee pai.

2000 ke baad se, haaron timukua bhashaa ke aadhaar par ek shabdkosh banane ke liye bahut mehnat kar rahaa he.unke paas unki madad karne ke liye unke chaatr hai or jatil asinament ke liye computer kaa upyog karte hai.saath main, haaron or alejandra donon ne bahut pragati kii he!

log sochate the ki francisco pereja naamak ek spanish mishanri timukua likhane vaale pehle vyakti the.lekin kahani ke liye or bhi kuch ho saktaa he!alejandra or aaron ke kaaryon ne hamen timukua ke bare main adhik jaankaree di he.</s>
