The Cahuapanan languages are a language family spoken in the Amazon basin of northern Peru. They include two languages,
Chayahuita and
Jebero, which are spoken by more than 11,300 people. Chayahuita is spoken by most of that number, but Jebero is almost extinct.
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the
Kechua,
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greater ...
,
Kandoshi,
Pukina, and
Karib language families due to contact.
Varieties
*
Chayahuita or Chawi (also known or rendered as Balsapuertino, Cahuapa, Chayabita, Chayawita, Chayhuita, Tshaahui, Paranapura, Shayabit)
** Chayahuita dialect
** Cahuapana dialect
*
Jebero (also known or rendered as Chebero, Xebero, Xihuila)
''Glottolog'' classifies the extinct language
Maynas as close to Chawi.
Other Cahuapanan varieties that are listed by Loukotka (1968):
*Yamorai - spoken on the Sillai River in
Loreto Department
Loreto Department is a department of Argentina in Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero (), also known simply as Santiago, is a province in the north of Argentina. Neighboring provinces, clockwise from the north, are Salta, Chac ...
*Ataguate - extinct language of the same region, once spoken on the Aipena River and around Lake Atagua (unattested)
*Pamdabegue - once spoken on the Aipena River and Paranapura River in Loreto Department (unattested)
*
Miguira (Shuensampi, Miquira, Mikirá) - extinct language once spoken in the single village of Maucallacta on the Paranapura River
Proto-language
Rojas-Berscia (2019)
Rojas-Berscia (2019) gives the following forms for Proto-Kawapanan, along with their respective
Shawi, and
Shiwilu reflexes.
:
Valenzuela (2011)
Valenzuela (2011) gives the following
Swadesh list
The Swadesh list ("Swadesh" is pronounced ) is a classic compilation of tentatively universal concepts for the purposes of lexicostatistics. Translations of the Swadesh list into a set of languages allow researchers to quantify the interrelatedness ...
table for the Proto-Cahuapana,
Jebero, and
Chayahuita.
[Valenzuela Bismarck, Pilar. 2011. Contribuciones para la reconstrucción del proto-cahuapana: comparación léxica y gramatical de las lenguas jebero y chayahuita. In Willem F. H. Adelaar and Pilar Valenzuela Bismarck and Roberto Zariquiey Biondi (eds.), ''Aru, Simi, Taqu, Lengua: Estudios en homenaje a Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino'', 271-304. Lima: Fondo Editorial, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.]
:
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968)
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Cahuapanan languages.
:
Further reading
*Hart, H. L. (1988). ''Diccionario chayahuita-castellano'' (Serie Lingüística Peruana, 29). Yarinacocha: Ministerio de Educación and Summer Institute of Linguistics.
References
*Alain Fabre, 2005, ''Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: KAWAPANA
*Valenzuela Bismarck, Pilar, 2011, Contribuciones para la reconstrucción del proto-cahuapana: Comparación léxica y grammatical de las lenguas jebero y chayahuita. In W.F.H. Adelaar, P. Valenzuela Bismarck & R. Zariquiey Biondi (eds.), ''Estudios en lenguas andinas y amazónicas. Homenaje a Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino'', pp. 271–304. Lima: Fondo Editorial Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
{{South American languages
Cahuapanan languages,
Language families
Endangered indigenous languages of the Americas
Languages of Peru