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

Quechuan Quechua (, ), also called (, 'people's language') in Southern Quechua, is an indigenous language family that originated in central Peru and thereafter spread to other countries of the Andes. Derived from a common ancestral " Proto-Quechua" l ...

Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient Indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...

, Candoshi-Shapra, Puquina, and

Cariban The Cariban languages are a family of languages Indigenous to north-eastern South America. They are widespread across northernmost South America, from the mouth of the Amazon River to the Colombian Andes, and they are also spoken in small pock ...

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) The extinct language Maynas can be identified 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 Provinces of Argentina, province in the north of Argentina. Neighboring provinces, clockwise from the ...

*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 A Swadesh list () is a compilation of cultural universal, tentatively universal concepts for the purposes of lexicostatistics. That is, a Swadesh list is a list of forms and concepts which all languages, without exception, have terms for, such as ...

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. :

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. {{Authority control Cahuapanan languages, Language families Endangered Indigenous languages of the Americas Languages of Peru