▁works ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁the ▁W ich ita ▁Document ation ▁Project ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado , ▁B ould er . ▁ ▁Dia lect s ▁When ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁began ▁to ▁sett le ▁North ▁America , ▁W ich ita ▁separated ▁into ▁three ▁dialect s ; ▁W aco , ▁T aw ak oni , ▁and ▁K iri ki ri : s ▁( aka , ▁W ich ita ▁Pro per ). ▁However , ▁when ▁the ▁language ▁was ▁threatened ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁speak ers ▁decre ased , ▁dialect ▁differences ▁largely ▁disappeared . ▁ ▁Status ▁As ▁late ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁there ▁were ▁three ▁living ▁native ▁speak ers , ▁but ▁the ▁last ▁known ▁fl uent ▁native ▁speaker , ▁Dor is ▁L amar - Mc L em ore , ▁died ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁sharp ▁decl ine ▁from ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁speak ers ▁estimated ▁by ▁Paul ▁L . ▁Gar vin ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁Classification ▁W ich ita ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁C add o an ▁language ▁family , ▁along ▁with ▁modern ▁C add o , ▁P aw ne e , ▁A rik ara , ▁and ▁K its ai . ▁ ▁Ph on ology ▁The ▁ph on ology ▁of ▁W ich ita ▁is ▁unusual , ▁with ▁no ▁pure ▁lab ial ▁con son ants ▁( though ▁there ▁are ▁two ▁lab i ov el ars ▁/ k ʷ / ▁and ▁/ w /. ▁There ▁is ▁only ▁one ▁nas al