Definition

Noun 1. A member of a North American Indian people: A person belonging to a group of indigenous peoples traditionally living in the Sacramento Valley in California. 2. A Copehan language: The language spoken by the Wintun people.

Usage Examples

• As a member of a people:
  • The museum exhibit features artifacts crafted by a Wintun.
  • She is a Wintun and is knowledgeable about her people's history.
• As a language:
  • Few fluent speakers of Wintun remain today.
  • Scholars are working to document the Wintun language.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used primarily in anthropological, historical, and linguistic contexts.
• It can function attributively (like an adjective) to describe things related to the people or language.
  • Wintun territory, Wintun mythology, Wintun dialects.

Variants and Related Words

• Wintu: Refers specifically to one of the principal subgroups of the Wintun people and their language.
• Nomlaki: Refers to another principal subgroup of the Wintun people and their language.
• Patwin: Refers to another principal subgroup of the Wintun people and their language.

Synonyms

• Indigenous Californian (This is a broader, less specific term).
• Native American (This is a much broader, general term).

Notes on Meaning

The word "Wintun" has two closely related meanings: 1. It denotes an ethnic and cultural identity (a person). 2. It denotes a linguistic entity (a language family or specific language within that family).

The specific meaning is usually clear from the context in which the word is used.

Noun

1. a Copehan language spoken by the Wintun
2. a member of a North American Indian people living in the Sacramento valley in California