Wintun language
Quick Summary
The Wintun language is part of the Penutian language family, spoken by Indigenous peoples in California. The Wintun people traditionally inhabited the west side of the Sacramento Valley. The Wintun language itself is classified as a Copehan language.1
The Wintun language is one of two languages within the Wintun family, which is part of the larger Penutian grouping of American Indian languages. Before European colonization, there were significant Wintun populations, but disease and violence, particularly during the California gold rush, drastically reduced their numbers. Descendants of the Wintun people numbered over 3,800 in the early 21st century.23
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