The Comanche language is spoken by the Comanche Indians. The name is pronounced "kuh-MAN-chee," and it is derived from the word "kɨmmantsi," a word from the Ute language meaning "enemy"; the Utes and the Comanches were frequently at war with each other. The Comanches themselves went under the name "Numinu," which, in their language, means "the people."
The Comanche Indians were originally part of the Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming, but separated and went their own way sometime in the early 1700s. They then moved to the Southern Plains, and they were in these parts when the Europeans arrived on the American continent. Given their common origins, there is some similarity between the Comanche and the Shoshone languages.
The arrival of the Europeans did not bode well for the Comanches or their language. They were herded off to reservations, and their children were taken from them and taught to speak in English and forbidden to speak Comanche. There are very few native language speakers now, although an effort is being made by the Comanche Nation and the Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee to renew the language. They organize regular as well as correspondence language courses for the younger generation. Books and dictionaries in the language are also now available.
