Elliott D. Canonge

Elliott Canonge, linguistElliott D. Canonge (1921 – September 21, 1971) was an author and linguist who worked closely with the Comanche and Alaskan Inuit and Athabaskan groups in documenting their language and culture. Canonge worked primarily through grants by Wycliffe Bible Translators as well as related coursework with the Summer Institute of Linguistics on the campus of Oklahoma State University where he was a staff member and an alumnist. Notably, Canonge instructed Native American students to also conduct their own fieldwork, including documenting and speaking the language while many of his contemporaries were only translating the text into English.

At various times, Elliott was assisted by his wife Viola Frew, in writing and recording the Comanche language, as well as overseeing his materials.

A major informant of Comanche language and stories was Emily Riddles of Walters, Oklahoma.