Tanoan
/təˈnoʊ.ən/noun
A term referring to a family of Indigenous languages historically spoken in the Pueblo region of the southwestern United States.
Did you know?Tanoan is a scholarly classification label, not a single ancient tribal language; its best-known branches include Tewa, Tiwa, and Towa, while the wider Kiowa–Tanoan relationship remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English/Spanish usage
Tano
“A historical name associated with Pueblo peoples and languages of the upper Rio Grande region; its deeper Indigenous origin is uncertain.”
Late 19th Century
English
Tanoan
“A scholarly adjective formed from Tano with the English suffix -an, meaning “related to Tano.””
1890s
English
Tanoan
“Used in comparative linguistic classification for a group of related Pueblo languages.”
Early 20th Century
English
Kiowa-Tanoan
“A broader proposed family grouping linking Tanoan languages with Kiowa.”
Modern English
English
Tanoan
“A linguistic-family term covering the Tewa, Tiwa, and Towa branches, among others.”