Timbira language
Timbira is a dialect continuum of the Northern Jê language group of the Jê languages ̣(Macro-Jê) spoken in Brazil. The various dialects are distinct enough to sometimes be considered separate languages. The principal varieties, Krahô /ˈkrɑːhoʊ/[3] (Craó), and Canela /kæˈnɛlə/[3] (Kanela), have 2000 speakers apiece, few of whom speak Portuguese. Krẽje, however, is nearly extinct, with only 30 speakers in 1995.
Timbira | |
---|---|
Native to | Brazil |
Region | Maranhão, Pará, Tocantins |
Ethnicity | Timbira |
Native speakers | 5,100 (2005–2008)[1] plus moribund Parkatêjê[1] and Kỳikatêjê |
Dialects | Canela, Krahô, Krĩkatí, Pykobjê, Parkatêjê, Kỳikatêjê, Krẽje |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Variously:ram – Canela (Apànjêkra, Mẽmõrtũmre = Ràmkôkãmẽkra)xra – Krahôxri – Krĩkatígvp – Parkatêjê (Pará Gavião)xre – Krẽje (Kreye, Krenje, Taje) |
Glottolog | timb1253 [2] |
Varieties
Linguistic varieties of Timbira include:[4]
- Canela, 2,500 speakers in Maranhão
- Krahô, 2,000 speakers in Tocantins
- Krĩkatí, spoken in Terra Indígena Krikati, Maranhão
- Pykobjê, 600 speakers in Terra Indígena Governador close to Amarante, Maranhão
- Parkatêjê, 12 speakers in Terra Indígena Mãe Maria, Bom Jesus do Tocantins, Pará
- Kỳikatêjê, 9 speakers in Terra Indígena Mãe Maria, Bom Jesus do Tocantins, Pará
- Krẽje, under 30 speakers in Maranhão and Pará
Loukotka (1968)
Loukotka (1968) divides the Timbira tribes into two groups, Timbirá (Canela) and Krao.[5] The majority are included under Timbira:
- Timbira (Canela)
- Mehin, Tajé (Timbirá)
- Kreapimkatajé (Krepúnkateye)
- Krenjé (Krẽyé)
- Remkokamekran (Remako-Kamékrere, Merrime)
- Aponegicran (Apáñekra)
- Krenkatajé (Canella, Kenkateye)
- Sakamekran (Chacamecran, Mateiros)
- Purekamekran, Makamekran (Pepuxi)
- Apinagé, Karaho (Carauau)
- Menren (Gaviões, Augutjé – only a few words known)
- Meitajé
- Krao
Ramirez et al. (2015)
Ramirez et al. (2015) considers Timbira-Kayapó to be a dialect continuum, as follows:[6]
- Canela-Krahô ↔ Gavião-Krĩkati ↔ Apinajé ↔ Kayapó ↔ Suyá-Tapayuna ↔ Panará-Kayapó do Sul
Apart from Kapiekran, all Krao varieties are recognized by the ISO. Under the Timbira group, Loukotka included several purported languages for which nothing is recorded: Kukoekamekran, Karákatajé, Kenpokatajé, Kanakatayé, Norokwajé (Ñurukwayé). The Poncatagê (Põkateye) are likewise unidentifiable.
Another common convention for division, though geographic rather than linguistic, is Western Timbira (Apinayé alone) vs Eastern Timbira (Canela, Krikatí, Krahô, Gavião, and others).
Gurupy is a river, sometimes used to refer to the Krenye.
Nikulin (2020)
References
- Canela (Apànjêkra, Mẽmõrtũmre = Ràmkôkãmẽkra) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
Krahô at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
Krĩkatí at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
Parkatêjê (Pará Gavião) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
(Additional references under 'Language codes' in the information box) - Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Eastern Timbira". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
- Laurie Bauer, 2007, The Linguistics Student’s Handbook, Edinburgh
- Nikulin, Andrey (2020). Proto-Macro-Jê: um estudo reconstrutivo (PDF) (Ph.D. dissertation). Brasília: Universidade de Brasília.
- Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
- Ramirez, H., Vegini, V., & França, M. C. V. de. (2015). Koropó, puri, kamakã e outras línguas do Leste Brasileiro. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas, 15(2), 223 - 277. doi:10.20396/liames.v15i2.8642302