The Palta language is an extinct language of the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is attested by only a few words: ''yumé'' 'water', ''xeme'' 'maize', ''capal'' 'fire', ''let'' 'wood/firewood' (Jiménez de la Espada, 1586), and some toponyms. Based on this, Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño (1936) classified it as a Jivaroan language. Kaufman (1994) states that there is "little resemblance", but Adelaar (2004) finds the connection reasonable. In addition to these four words are

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

s, which commonly end in ''-anga, -numa, -namá''. The latter two suggest the Jivaroan

locative case In grammar, the locative case ( ; abbreviated ) is a grammatical case which indicates a location. In languages using it, the locative case may perform a function which in English would be expressed with such prepositions as "in", "on", "at", and ...

suffix ''-num ~ -nam'', and Torero (1993) notes that the last resembles Aguaruna (Jivaroan) ''namák(a)'' 'river' as well. Mason (1950) also lists Malacata as an alternate name for Palta.

Bibliography

* Jiménez de la Espada, Marcos, ed. (1965 586: ''Relaciones geográficas de Indias: Perú'', 3 vols. Biblioteca de Autores Españoles 183–5. Madrid: Atlas. * Jijón y Caamaño, Jacinto (1936–8): ''Sebastián de Benalcázar'', vol. 1 (1936) Quito: Imprenta del Clero; vol. 2 (1938) Quito: Editorial Ecuatoriana. * Jijón y Caamaño, Jacinto (1940–5): ''El Ecuador interandino y occidental antes de la conquista castellana'', vol. 1 (1940), vol. 2 (1941), vol. 3 (1943), vol. 4 (1945). Quito: Editorial Ecuatoriana (1998 edition, Quito: Abya-Yala).

References

Indigenous languages of Western Amazonia Languages of Ecuador Languages of Peru Extinct languages of South America Unclassified languages of South America {{IndigenousAmerican-lang-stub