Esmeralda, or ''Esmeraldeño'' (also called ''Takame'' or ''Atacame''), is an
extinct language isolate
Language isolates are languages that cannot be classified into larger language families. Korean and Basque are two of the most common examples. Other language isolates include Ainu in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, and Haida in North America. The nu ...
formerly spoken in the coastal region of
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...
, specifically in the western part of
Esmeraldas Province
Esmeraldas () is a province in northwestern Ecuador. The capital is Esmeraldas.
The province is home to the Afro-Ecuadorian culture.
Demographics
Ethnic groups as of the Ecuadorian census of 2010:
*Mestizo 44.7%
* Afro-Ecuadorian 43.9%
* ...
. The only existing data for Atacame was collected by J.M. Pallares in 1877.
Classification
It has been proposed that the language is connected to the still-spoken
Yaruro language
The Yaruro language (also spelled ''Llaruro'' or ''Yaruru''; also called YuapÃn or Pumé) is an indigenous language spoken by Yaruro people, along the Orinoco, Cinaruco, Meta, and Apure rivers of Venezuela. It is not well classified; it may be ...
of
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...
. It also has some lexical similarities with the extinct
Yurumanguà language
Yurumanguà is an extinct language that was spoken along the Yurumanguà River of Colombia. It is known only through a short list of words and phrases recorded by Father Christoval Romero and given by him to Captain Sebastián Lanchas de Estrada, ...
,
as well with the southern
Barbacoan language
Barbacoan (also Barbakóan, Barbacoano, Barbacoana) is a language family spoken in Colombia and Ecuador.
Genealogical relations
The Barbacoan languages may be related to the Páez language. Barbacoan is often connected with the Paezan languages ...
Tsafiki
Tsafiki, also known as Tsachila or Colorado, is a Barbacoan language spoken in Ecuador by c. 2000 ethnic Tsáchila people.
Phonology
Consonants
* /b, d/ are preglottalized �b, ˀdwhen occurring intervocalically.
* /k/ can become voiced ...
(especially plant and animal names).
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.
:
Further reading
*
References
Indigenous languages of South America
Esmeralda–Yaruroan languages
Languages of Ecuador
Language isolates of South America
Extinct languages of South America
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