Nambikwaran languages
The Nambikwaran languages are a language family of half a dozen languages, all spoken in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. They have traditionally been considered dialects of a single language, but at least three of them are mutually unintelligible.
- Mamaindê (350)
- Nambikwara (1200)
- Sabanê (60)
Nambikwaran | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | Mato Grosso, Brazil |
Linguistic classification | One of the world's primary language families |
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | namb1299[1] |
The varieties of Mamaindê are often seen as dialects of a single language, but are treated as separate Northern Nambikwaran languages by Ethnologue. Sabanê is a single speech community and thus has no dialects, while the Nambikwara language has been described as having eleven.[2]
The total number of speakers is estimated to be about 1,500, with Nambikwara proper being 80% of that number.[3] Most Nambikwara are monolingual but some young men speak Portuguese.[4] Especially the men of the Sabanê group are trilingual, speaking both Portuguese and Mamainde.[5]
Genetic relations
Price (1978) proposes a relationship with Kanoê (Kapixaná), but this connection is not widely accepted.[6]
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Aikanã, Irantxe, Itonama, Kanoe, Kwaza, Peba-Yagua, Arawak, Bororo, and Karib language families due to contact.[7]
Varieties
Jolkesky (2016)
Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):[7]
(† = extinct)
- Nambikwara
- Sabane
- Nambikwara, Northern
- Guaporé: Mamainde; Negarote; Tawende
- Roosevelt: Lakonde; Latunde; Tawande
- Nambikwara, Southern
- Alantesu: Alantesu; Hahãintesu; Waikisu; Wasusu
- Halotesu: Halotesu; Kithãulhu; Wakalitesu; Sawentesu
- Manduka: Hukuntesu; Niyahlosu; Siwaisu
- Sarare
Loukotka (1968)
Below is a full list of Nambikwaran language varieties listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.[8]
- Eastern dialects
- Tagnaní - spoken on the Castanho River (Roosevelt River), Mato Grosso.
- Tamaindé - spoken on the Papagaio River and Marquez de Sousa River, state of Mato Grosso.
- Neneː - spoken at the confluence of the Juína River and Juruena River, Mato Grosso.
- Tarunde - spoken in the same region on the 12 de Outubro River.
- Central dialects
- Kokozú / Uaindze / Ualíxere - spoken on the left bank of the 12 de Outubro River.
- Anunze / Soálesu - spoken between the Papagaio River and Camararé River, Mato Grosso.
- Kongoreː - spoken on the Buriti River, Mato Grosso.
- Navaite - spoken on the Dúvida River, Mato Grosso. (Unattested)
- Taduté - spoken by the neighbors of the Navaite tribe on the Dúvida River.
- Western dialects
- Tauité / Tawite - spoken on the Camararé River, state of Mato Grosso.
- Uaintasú / Waintazú - spoken in Mato Grosso on the right bank of the Pimenta Bueno River. (Unattested)
- Mamaindé - spoken on the Cabixi River, state of Mato Grosso. (Unattested)
- Uamandiri - spoken between the Cabixi River and Corumbiara River. (Unattested)
- Tauandé - spoken on the São Francisco Bueno River, Mato Grosso. (Unattested)
- Malondeː - spoken in the same region but exact location unknown. (Unattested)
- Unetundeː - spoken on the upper course of the Dúvida River. (Unattested)
- Tapóya - language of the same region, exact location unknown. (Unattested)
- Northern dialects
- Sabané - spoken on the Ananáz River (now the Tenente Marques River) and Juína-Mirim River, state of Mato Grosso.
- Jaiá - spoken on the Ananáz River (now the Tenente Marques River). (Unattested)
- Lacondeː - spoken on the right bank of the Castanho River (Roosevelt River). (Unattested)
Mason (1950) lists the following varieties under "Nambicuara proper":[9]
Mason (1950)
- Northeastern
- Eastern: Cocozu
- Northeastern: Anunzé
- Southwestern
- Western: Tamaindé
- Central and Southern
- Uaintazu
- Kabishi
- Tagnani
- Tauité
- Taruté
- Tashuité
Sabane is listed by Mason (1950) as "Pseudo-Nambicuara" (Northern).
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for various Nambikwaran languages.[8]
gloss | Tauité | Sabané | Anunze | Elotasu | Kokozú | Tagnaní | Tamaindé | Nene | Tarundé |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
one | améro | knakná | kenáge | etegenõ | ganagidzyare | banuré | kanákero | ||
two | baléne | haːro | searu | dehaunõ | bandyere | lauré | baʔãdo | ||
head | ua-negetü | dwa-haniːkin | toa-nekisú | ga-nakitú | nuhi-naite | nu-naite | |||
tongue | tayú-hendü | uai-lehrú | año-heru | toái-herú | uai-hendé | noio-hidnde | nuiú-endé | nui-edende | |
hand | toái-kizeː | depibá | uai-kizé | dwa-hikisu | toái-ikisú | ua-hité | nuhiː-hĩte | nuna-noré | |
woman | akiːnaʔñazé | dusé | dosú | temoreː | ndenore | tenoré | denõ | ||
water | ari | uarazé | iñausu | unsazú | narutundú | nahirinde | narundé | náru | |
sun | utianezeː | yóta | ikidazé | udiʔenikisu | uterikisú | chondí | nahnde | naneré | |
maize | guyakizeː | kayátsu | kayátsu | giaté | kaiate | kiakinindé | kiáteninde | ||
parrot | anʔanzí | kakaitezé | ãhru | áhlu | aundaré | aúndere | |||
bow | arankizeː | ukizé | úkisu | hukisú | huté | hute | aindé | ||
white | eːseːnanzeː | pãte | kuidisú | han | ahéndesu | déʔende | hanidzare | haniʔna |
Proto-language
Proto-Nambikwaran | |
---|---|
Proto-Nambiquara | |
Reconstruction of | Nambikwaran languages |
Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978):[10]
gloss Proto-Nambikwaran ‘maize, corn’ *ka³yat³ ‘tapir’ *hv³¹ũː¹m ‘moon’ *h'e³¹v³ ‘water (n)’ *na1pə̃³¹ ‘now’ *hi¹n ‘water’ *yaut³ ‘to tie’ *t'ait¹ ‘to walk’ *h'ai² ‘that’ *tei²l ‘here’ *tiː¹ ‘bow’ *pok'³ ‘wing’ *n'əi³C ‘to hit’ *su³l ‘to drink’ *naː² ‘animal’ *ha³no³la³ ‘mouth’ *youː² ‘good’ *məu³li⁴ ‘white’ *pãn³ ‘to play’ *ləuː²n ‘head’ *naik³ ‘hair’ *ĩć³ ‘dog’ *waiː³yvl³ ‘to fall’ *hi² ‘road’ *ha³tẽp³ ‘savannah’ *mãl³ ‘to sing’ *pain³ ‘grass’ *sit³ ‘meat’ *sĩn³ ‘house’ *s'ip³ ‘bark, shell’ *kv³ləu³ ‘to dig’ *'uh³ ‘sky’ *h'əu³p(an⁴) ‘to smell’ *nh'õn³ ‘horn’ *na³ ‘rain’ *ha³mə̃i³ ‘ashes’ *Cv³nõn³ ‘snake’ *t'ep³ ‘to scratch’ *kɨn² ‘to eat’ *yain³ ‘long’ *ləː² ‘heart’ *yv³lã¹k ‘string’ *ẽp³ ‘string’ *nu² ‘to run’ *hip³ ‘to chop’ *tau³ ‘child’ *mə̃ić³ ‘to give’ *õː¹ ‘to lie (down)’ *ć'aː¹ ‘tooth’ *wiː³ ‘day’ *lãn²ti³ ‘two’ *p'aː¹l(in¹) ‘to sleep’ *ha³mũ³n'i² ‘he’ *pai³ ‘his’ *na² ‘to rub’ *lɨ¹nɨ³ ‘to listen’ *ain³ ‘I’ *t'ai²l ‘my’ *t'a² ‘knife’ *yu³l ‘to speak’ *sɨ¹ ‘beans’ *ka³mat³ ‘liver’ *p'i⁴l ‘arrow’ *hauːt'¹ ‘flower’ *yãuć³ ‘fire’ *yat² ‘leaf’ *ha⁴ćeih³ ‘leaf’ *n'ãn'⁴ ‘cold’ *liː² ‘fog’ *wi³Ca² ‘tobacco’ *h'əić³ ‘fat’ *pa³nẽit¹ ‘man’ *en³t' ‘to swell’ *wa⁴kaː³n ‘knee’ *kat'³ ‘to throw’ *ta⁴naː¹m ‘there’ *ti⁴paː³t ‘firewood’ *(ha³)ne¹ ‘to clean’ *pəuː¹t ‘to clean’ *han³ ‘tongue’ *pəi³l ‘smooth’ *wa³suː³ ‘worm’ *yõ³yõ³C ‘far’ *uː²l ‘monkey’ *huć³ ‘mother’ *na²C ‘hand’ *pik'² ‘left hand’ *wãt³ ‘husband’ *wei³ćãi¹ ‘to kill’ *hãːn³ ‘forest’ *ća³w'əin³ ‘to bite’ *ĩː³m ‘woman’ *(ha³)t'eh³ ‘to swim’ *həup² ‘nose’ *a⁴miː³ć ‘night’ *ka³na³C ‘to see’ *ẽː²p ‘eye’ *ei³ka³ ‘jaguar’ *ya³na¹l ‘where’ *pai¹ ‘ear’ *n'a⁴ ‘bone’ *soh³ ‘egg’ *nau³ ‘father’ *wãi¹ ‘father’ *mĩː³n ‘bird’ *ai³k' ‘tree, stick’ *ha³piː³ć ‘foot’ *yu³k' ‘stone’ *t'a³pa³l ‘to hold’ *hi³ ‘breast’ *nũn⁴k ‘fish’ *h'ain³ ‘feather’ *w'əit¹ ‘little’ *ći³qi⁴hn ‘leg’ *nəi²k ‘heavy’ *sa³t'ei¹ ‘louse’ *ka³nãip¹ni³ ‘black’ *(ta³)ton³ ‘pull’ *sĩn³ćouː¹ ‘when’ *na³ ‘what’ *Ca¹tei² ‘to burn’ *thəp⁴ ‘hot’ *mãn² ‘round’ *ma³tũ³ma³tũn³ ‘straight’ *wain³ ‘to laugh’ *kãm³li¹ ‘spit’ *ka²sip¹ ‘dry season’ *ka³məi³kəu³n ‘dry’ *lon¹ ‘seed’ *kɨ⁴ ‘to sit’ *yauː² ‘dirty’ *n'aː¹ć'iː³ ‘fear’ *sup³l ‘earth’ *k'ĩp³ ‘earth’ *nu³ ‘crooked’ *ta³ko³ta³kon³ ‘guts’ *ka³nai¹ ‘one’ *ka³naː³ka⁴(nat³) ‘fingernail, claw’ *kai³l ‘achiote’ *top³ ‘old’ *tĩn³ ‘wind’ *'it³ ‘green’ *sa³t'əiː³sa³i'əin³ ‘red’ *həi³n ‘to come’ *mãː² ‘to live’ *ka³t'en³ ‘to fly’ *h'in³ ‘you’ *w'ai²n ‘your’ *mã⁴ ‘to return’ *wam²l ‘to vomit’ *lop³
Bibliography
- Costa, Januacele Francisca da; W. Leo M. Wetzels. 2008. Proto-Nambikwara Sound Structure. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
- Araujo, G. A. (2004). A Grammar of Sabanê: A Nambikwaran Language. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 94. Utrecht: LOT.
- Gomes, M. A. C. F. (1991). Dicionário Mamaindé-Português/Português-Mamaindé. Cuiabá: SIL.
- Kroeker, M. H. (1996). Dicionário escolar bilingüe Nambikuara-Português, Português-Nambikuara. Porto Velho: SIL.
- Price, D. P. (1978). The Nambiquara Linguistic Family. Anthropological Linguistics 20:14-37.
References
Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Nambikwaran reconstructions |
- Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Nambiquaran". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
- Nambiquaran languages. Ethnologue. Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- Kroeker, 2001 p. 1
- Ethnologue. Ethnologue. Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- Price, David P. 1978. The Nambiquara linguistic family. Anthropological Linguistics 20 (1): 14–37.
- Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília.
- Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
- Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.
- Price, D. (1978). The Nambiquara Linguistic Family. In Anthropological Linguistics, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 14-37. Published by: Trustees of Indiana University. Accessed from DiACL, 9 February 2020.