One source supports the claim that Northwest Maidu had at least nine
dialects, designated today according to the locality in which each was spoken. These dialects were: Otaki,
Mikchopdo, Cherokee, Eskeni, Pulga, Nemsu, Feather Falls, Challenge, and Bidwell Bar. Lexica of each remain scant. In addition, there may have been many family variations within each dialect group; thus, certainly there was no one Konkow language, but Konkow means a phonologically distinct pronunciation from what is popularly defined as 'Maidu' or 'Mountain Maidu', namely in terms of stress patterns on lexicon. According to limited historical data, by the turn of the 19th century there were only four of these dialects still being spoken.
Alternate names The name "Konkow" has been variously spelled
Concow and
Konkau. The language is also known as Maidu (
Meidoo),
Holólupai, Michopdo, Nákum, Secumne (Sekumne), Tsamak, Yuba, and the pejorative "Digger".
Modern Konkow Since 2002, a dialect which could be called "Modern Konkow," based on what is conventionally called the Cherokee dialect of Konkow, has come into limited use by some California Native Americans with cultural and familial ties to the old Konkow tribe. This dialect is primarily based on the dialect as learned by Mary Jones, one of the last speakers of Old Konkow, who learned the dialect that was spoken in the vicinity of
Cherokee, California. It is being promulgated with a DVD-based course of study called "Twenty-two Lessons in the Koyoongkʼawi Language". As of 2010,
MP3 learning materials of the
Mechoopda dialect were also available, based on old recordings of Emma Cooper, made during the 1940s as a part of the
war effort. Also based on the Emma Cooper recordings, a "Konkow Toddler" app was released for
iPhone,
iPad, and other
iOS devices in July 2012. Materials for study of the Northwest Maidu language, including the 22-lesson course mentioned above, have been made available on the website of the Konkow Maidu Cultural Preservation Association. == Phonology ==