Region New Mexico Native speakers 13,000 (2006–2010) | Ethnicity Keres Dialects East Keres
West Keres | |
 | ||
Language family One of the world's primary language families ISO 639-3 Either:
kee – Eastern
kjq – Western | ||
Keresan /kəˈriːsən/, also Keres /ˈkeɪrᵻs/, is a dialect cluster spoken by the Keres Pueblo people in New Mexico. The varieties of each of the seven Keres pueblos are mutually intelligible with its closest neighbors. There are significant differences between the Western and Eastern groups, which are commonly counted as separate languages.
Contents
Family division
Genetic relationships
Keres is a language isolate. Edward Sapir grouped it together with a Hokan–Siouan stock. Morris Swadesh suggested a connection with Wichita. Joseph Greenberg grouped Keres with Siouan, Yuchi, Caddoan, and Iroquoian in a superstock called Keresiouan. None of the proposals has gained the consensus of linguists.
Consonants
The chart below contains the reconstructed consonants of the proto-Keresan (or pre-Keresan) as reconstructed by Miller & Davis (1963) based on a comparison of Acoma, Santa Ana, and Santo Domingo, as well as taken from phonetic notes written by Thomas Noxon Toomey (1914).
The consonant *tʂʼ only surfaces as an alternate form of underlying *tʂ or *tʂʰ.
Morphophonemic alternations:
Tones
Acoma Keres has a relatively complex tone system.
Due to tone deafness, Franz Boas encountered difficulties studying tonal languages such as Laguna; however, after he left, his student Elsie Clews Parsons stayed behind and documented Laguna language and stories.
Syllable
The structure is C(C)V(V).
History and usage
Keres was one of the seven languages used in the Coca-Cola commercial called "It's Beautiful" broadcast during the 2014 Super Bowl.