Topic summary
Cahuilla language

Cahuilla (English: , ), or ’Ivillu’at (Cahuilla pronunciation: or ), is an endangered Uto-Aztecan language, spoken by the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass and San Jacinto Mountains region of southern California. The Cahuilla demonyms include ’Ivilluwenetem or ’Ivi’atam – speakers of ’Ivillu’at (’Ivi’a) – or taxliswet meaning "person." A 1990 census revealed 35 speakers in an ethnic population of 800. With such a decline, ’Ivillu’at is classified as "critically endangered" by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger as most speakers are middle-aged or older with limited transmission rates to children.
Three dialects are known to exist: Desert, Mountain and Pass, as well as some other sub-dialects.