What are the Origins of the Chickasaw Language?
The Chickasaw language is classified as part of the Muskogean family and is spoken by Chickasaw inhabitants. It is one of the less common Native American languages, as only about 1,000 individuals speak it. It was much more popular during the eighteen and nineteen hundreds, when all tribes along the lower Mississippi knew it. A few descendants of Chickasaws who pretended to be white during the Trail of Tears reside in the original Chickasaw homelands of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Chickasaw is pronounced just how it reads and comes from the tribal name Chickasha, a man who was a famous Chickasaw leader. The Chickasaws are U.S. citizens who must follow American rules, just like those who are not Native Americans. The majority of speakers are middle-aged or older, with the children favoring English. Chickasaw was chiefly an oral speech prior to the arrival of Europeans to the Americas. As is the case with other Native American languages, there is no native writing stru
