Numic Comparative Lexicon

努米克比较词典是四位专家的合作成果，目的是为乌托-阿兹特克语系努米克分支的七种语言建立一个计算机数据库，并对原努米克语进行新的和明确的重建。说努米克语言的部落生活在美国西部的每一个州，除了华盛顿，在接触后的早期，他们的范围远至北部的阿尔伯塔省和萨斯喀彻温省。一个部落也占领了南部平原的大片地区。因此，对这些语言的完整重建是了解美国西部史前史的一个重要环节。除了内部关系外，努米克语言还与邻近的说不相关语言的群体有广泛的联系。一个完整的努米克语言数据库将有助于查明其他语言的借用，并进一步阐明大盆地周围地区的历史。该项目汇集了所有已知的词汇和词汇表，使用商用软件在Power Macintosh 7100计算机上。这不仅可以进行详细的跨语言比较，还可以进行全面的历史分析和广泛的方言研究。数据库的设计是为了提高数据处理的效率和灵活性。在一个地点收集了所有数据之后，一个更大、更可靠的重建原始努米克形式和同源集的主体将准备好与迄今为止可用的乌托-阿兹特克同源集相结合。使用商业上可获得的软件和兼容的麦金塔和IBM版本，将使计算机化的数据库随时可供尽可能广泛的学者使用。此外，该数据库将用于补充整个努米克地区的部落扫盲课程。说努米克语言的人数从少于10人（卡瓦伊苏和帕纳明）到超过500人（南派尤特人）不等。上面列出的发言者绝大多数都是50岁以上的人。这种情况使得编写一本全面的努米克语言比较词典变得非常紧迫，而仍然有使用者掌握他们的语言，并且可以提供目前可用资源缺乏数据的信息。

The Numic Comparative Lexicon is a cooperative effort among four specialists to build a computerized data base for the seven languages of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family and to make a new and definitive reconstruction of Proto-Numic. Bands speaking Numic languages lived in every western state in the United States, except for Washington, and in early postcontact times ranged as far north as Alberta and Saskatchewan. One band also occupied a large area in the South Plains. A complete reconstruction of these languages is therefore an important link in the understanding of the prehistory of the western United States. In addition to internal relationships, the Numic languages also had extensive contact with neighboring groups speaking unrelated languages. A complete data base of the Numic languages will aid in the identification of borrowings in other languages and further clarify the history of the region surrounding the Great Basin. The project brings together all known lexicons and vocabularies using commercially available software on a Power Macintosh 7100 computer. This makes possible not only detailed cross-linguistic comparisons, but also comprehensive historical analyses and wide-ranging dialect studies. The data base is designed for efficiency and flexibility of data handling. After gathering all the data in a single location, a larger and more reliable body of reconstructed Proto-Numic forms and cognate sets will be ready for incorporation into Uto-Aztecan cognate sets than has heretofore been available. The use of commercially available software with compatible Macintosh and IBM versions will make the computerized data base readily available to as broad a spectrum of scholars as possible. In addition, the data base will be available for use to supplement tribal literacy courses throughout the Numic area. The number of speakers of Numic languages ranges from fewer than 10 (for Kawaiisu and Panamint) to more than 500 (for Southern Paiute). The vast majority of the speakers listed above are over 50 years of age. This state of affairs makes the compilation of a thorough comparative dictionary of the Numic languages quite pressing while there are still speakers who command their languages and can provide information where data are lacking in currently available sources.