Preliminary evaluation of the linguistic vitality of Cmiique Iitom (Seri)

Abstract

Within the scope of work focused on linguistic documentation and description, we increasingly find local, academic or combined efforts whose primary or secondary goals are linguistic revitalization and maintenance of endangered languages. In many cases the description of the vitality of the language is presented as a justification to carry out certain activities that promote the use of the language among members of the community, but more detailed information is not always published about how the vitality was measured, the surveys carried out, among other things. In this study we present the preliminary results of an assessment of linguistic vitality of Cmiique Iitom (or Seri), a language isolate spoken in the state of Sonora, Mexico by around 750 people and which has been described as endangered. In general, from the survey we conducted among children and adolescents from El Desemboque de los Seris, we observe that there is a trend of subtractive bilingualism, where the use of the dominant language of the region, Spanish, is taking over the use of the native language in various domains. We contextualize the survey results and our overall impressions within other tools that exist to assess language vitality so that we can provide updated information on the case of the Seri language.