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Research and analysis to complete a bidirectional dictionary of Ventureño, a dormant language of the Chumash family of central and southern coastal California, and English.

The Chumash languages of central and southern coastal California have become functionally extinct within the last 45 years. Much tribal cultural knowledge, however, is still alive, and there are several living individuals who have heard the language spoken and can recall words. Although Chumash languages are known in niche topics in linguistics (e.g., reduplication), there are few readily available materials that the public can access—the major exception being Applegate's Samala (Inese'o Chumash) dictionary (Applegate & Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians 2007). This project will complete and produce a dictionary of one of the most heavily-documented Chumash languages: Ventureño (veo), primarily the Mitsqanaqa' dialect. A preliminary dictionary has been compiled by the PI, but a lack of resources has prevented the completion of the work, including revisions, corrections, and additions. The project also will explore and resolve questions about what is needed to make a dictionary useful to both scholars and to laypersons and heritage learners. Consideration will be given to the fact that heritage learners have varying levels of experience with the technical language common in linguistic descriptions. The data will be archived at Kaipuleohone, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's digital language archive, and at the University of California, Berkeley, California Language Archive. (Edited by staff)