Tucanoan (also Tukanoan, Tukánoan) is a
language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term ''family'' is a metaphor borrowed from biology, with the tree model used in historical linguistics ...
of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, and
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
.
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the
Arutani,
Paez,
Sape,
Taruma,
Witoto-Okaina,
Saliba-Hodi,
Tikuna-Yuri,
Pano,
Barbakoa,
Bora-Muinane, and
Choko language families due to contact.
Classification
Chacon (2014)
There are two dozen Tucanoan languages. There is a clear binary split between Eastern Tucanoan and Western Tucanoan.
[Nikulin, Andrey V. 2019. ]
The classification of the languages of the South American Lowlands: State-of-the-art and challenges / Классификация языков востока Южной Америки
'. Illič-Svityč (Nostratic) Seminar / Ностратический семинар, Higher School of Economics, October 17, 2019.
* Tucanoan
** Western Tucanoan
*** ?
Cueretú (Kueretú)
*** Napo
****
Orejón ( M'áíhɨ̃ki, Maijiki, Coto, Koto, Payoguaje, Payaguá, Payowahe, Payawá)
**** Correguaje–Secoya
*****
Correguaje (Koreguaje, Korewahe, Caquetá)
***** Siona–Secoya (Upper Napo, Baicoca–Siecoca)
****** ?
Macaguaje ( Kakawahe, Piohé)
******
Siona (Bai Coca, Sioni, Pioje, Pioche-Sioni, Tetete)
******
Secoya (Sieko Coca, Airo Pai, Piohé)
****** ?
Tama
** Eastern Tucanoan
*** South
****
Tanimuca ( Retuarã)
**** ?
Yauna (Jaúna, Yahuna, Yaúna)
*** West
**** Barasana–Macuna
*****
Macuna ( Buhagana, Wahana, Makuna-Erulia, Makuna)
*****
Barasana (Southern Barasano, Paneroa, Eduria, Edulia, Comematsa, Janera, Taibano, Taiwaeno, Taiwano)
**** Cubeo–Desano
*****
Cubeo (Cuveo, Kobeua, Kubewa)
***** Yupua–Desano
****** ?
Yupuá
******
Desano–
Siriano ( Desano)
*** East
**** Central
*****
Tucano (Tukana, Dasea)
***** Waimaha–Tatuyo
******
Waimajã ( Bara, Northern Barasano)
******
Tatuyo
**** North
***** Kotiria–Piratapuyo
******
Guanano (Wanana, Wanano, Kotedia, Kotiria, Wanana-Pirá)
****** Piratapuyo ( Waikina, Uiquina)
***** Pisamira–Yuruti
******
Pisamira–
Carapano (Carapana, Karapana)
****** Tuyuca–Yuruti
*******
Tuyuka (Tejuca, Teyuka, Tuyuca, Bara, Barasana)
*******
Yurutí
Plus unclassified
Miriti.
Most languages are, or were, spoken in Colombia.
Jolkesky (2016)
Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):
[Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. ]
Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas
'. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
.
( = extinct)
* Tukano
** Tukano, Western
*** ''
Kueretu''
*** Tukano, Western, Nuclear
**** ''
Mai Huna''
**** Koreguaje-Pioje
***** Koreguaje-Tama
****** ''
Koreguaje''
****** ''
Tama''
***** Pioje (Baicoca–Siecoca)
****** ''
Makaguaje''
****** ''
Sekoya''
****** ''
Siona''
****** ''
Tetete''
** Tukano, Eastern
*** ''
Tanimuka''; ''
Retuarã''; ''
Yahuna''
*** Tukano, Eastern, West
**** Kubeo-Desano
***** ''
Kubeo''
***** Desano-Yupua
****** ''
Desano''; ''
Siriano''
****** ''
Yupua''
**** ''
Makuna''; ''
Barasano''; ''
Eduria''
*** Tukano, Eastern, East
**** Tukano-Tatuyo
***** ''
Tukano''
***** Tatuyo-Bara-Waimaha
****** ''
Tatuyo''
****** ''
Bara''; ''
Waimaha''
**** Tuyuka-Wanano
***** Wanano-Piratapuyu
****** ''
Wanano''
****** ''
Piratapuyo''
***** Tuyuka-Karapanã
****** ''
Karapanã''; ''
Pisamira''
****** ''
Tuyuka''; ''
Yuruti''
Loukotka (1968)
Below is a full list of Tucanoan language varieties listed by
Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.
;Western group
*Tama - spoken on the
Yarú River and
Caguán River, Caquetá territory, Colombia, but now perhaps extinct.
*Coreguaje - spoken at the sources of the
Caquetá River, department of Cauca, Colombia.
*Amaguaje / Encabellado / Rumo - extinct language once spoken on the
Aguarico River,
department of Loreto, Peru.
*Siona / Zeona / Ceño / Kokakañú - language spoken at the sources of the
Putumayo River
The Putumayo River or Içá River (, ) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River.
Course
The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well as most of the border with Per ...
and
Caquetá River, Putumayo territory, Colombia.
*Ificuene - spoken between the
Güepi River and
Aguarico River, Loreto. (Unattested.)
*Eno - language spoken by a few individuals at the mouth of the
San Miguel River, Caquetá territory, Colombia. (Unattested.)
*Secoya - language spoken on the
Putumayo River
The Putumayo River or Içá River (, ) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River.
Course
The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well as most of the border with Per ...
, Oriente province, Ecuador. (Johnson and Peeke 1962.)
*Icaguate - extinct language once spoken on the
Caucaya River and
Putumayo River
The Putumayo River or Içá River (, ) is one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, southwest of and parallel to the Japurá River.
Course
The Putumayo River forms part of Colombia's border with Ecuador, as well as most of the border with Per ...
, Putumayo territory, Colombia.
*Macaguaje - spoken in the same territory on the
Mecaya River and
Caucaya River and around
Puerto Restrepo, by a few families.
*Tetete / Eteteguaje - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the
Güepi River, Loreto. (Unattested.)
*Pioje / Angotero / Ancutere - spoken on the
Napo River,
Tarapoto River, and
Aguarico River, Loreto.
*Cóto / Payoguaje - spoken at the mouth of the
Napo River, Loreto, Peru.
;Yahuna group
*Yahuna / Jaúna - spoken on the
Apoporis River, territory of Amazonas, Colombia.
*Tanimuca / Opaina - spoken by a small tribe on the
Popeyaca River and
Guacayá River, Amazonas, Colombia.
*Dätuana - spoken north of the preceding tribe on the
Apoporis River.
*Menimehe - spoken by a very little known tribe at the mouth of the
Mirití-paraná River and
Caquetá River. (Unattested.)
;Yupua group
*Yupua / Hiupiá - spoken on the
Coca River, a tributary of the
Apoporis River, Colombia.
*Kushiita - once spoken at the mouth of the
Apoporis River, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Now perhaps extinct. (Unattested.)
*Durina / Sokó - spoken on the
Carapato River, Amazonas territory, Colombia.
;Coretu group
*Coretu / Kueretú - spoken on the
Mirití-paraná River, state of Amazonas, Brazil.
;Cubeo group
*Cubeo / Kobéua / Kaniwa / Hahanana - spoken on the
Caiarí River and
Cuduiarí River, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Dialects are:
**Dyuremáwa / Yiboia-tapuya - spoken on the
Querarí River, Amazonas.
**Bahukíwa / Bahuna - spoken by a tribe that originally spoke a language of the Arawak stock, on the
Cuduiarí River.
**Hehénawa - spoken on the
Cuduiarí River.
**Hölöua - spoken on the
Cuduiarí River, now perhaps extinct. (Unattested.)
;Särä group
*Särä - spoken between the
Tiquié River and
Piraparaná River, Vaupés territory, Colombia.
*Ömöa - spoken at the sources of the
Tiquié River, Colombia.
*Buhágana / Karawatana - spoken on the
Piraparaná River, Colombia.
*Macuna - spoken at the mouth of the
Apoporis River, Colombia.
;Erulia group
*Erulia / Paboa / Eduria - spoken on the
Piraparaná River, Colombia.
*Tsaloa - spoken on the
Piraparaná River.
*Palänoa - spoken on the middle course of the
Piraparaná River.
;Desána group
*Desána / Wína / Vina - spoken between the
Tiquié River and
Caiarí River, partly in Colombia and partly in Brazil.
*Chiránga / Siriána - spoken on the
Paca-igarapé River, Colombia.
;Tucano group
*Tucano / Tocano / Dace / Dagseje / Dajseá / Tocana - language of a large tribe that lived on the Vaupés and
Tiquié River; state of Amazonas, Brazil.
*Uaíana - on the
Caiary River, Colombia.
*Tuyuca / Doxcapura - spoken on the
Tiquié River and
Papury River, partly in Brazil, partly in Colombia.
*Arapaso / Koréa - extinct language once spoken on the
Yapú River, Amazonas, Brazil. The last survivors now speak only Tucano. (Unattested.)
*Waikína / Uiquina / Uaíkana / Pira-tapuya - spoken on the
Papury River, Colombia.
*Uantya / Puçá-tapuya - once spoken on the
Macú-igarapé River, Colombia.
*Bará / Pocanga - spoken at the sources of the
Tiquié River, Colombia.
*Uasöna / Pisa-tapuya - spoken on the
Caiary River, Colombia.
*Tsölá / Teiuana - spoken on the
Tiquié River and
Piraparaná River, Colombia.
*Urubú-tapuyo - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the
Caiary River, Colombia.
*Pamöá / Tatú-tapuyo - spoken at the sources of the
Papury River and on the
Tuyigarapé, Colombia.
*Patsoca / Iuruty-tapuyo - once spoken on the
Abio River and
Apoporis River, Colombia.
*Möxdöá / Carapana-tapuya - spoken between the
Papury River and
Caiary River, Colombia.
*Uanána / Wanána / Kotédia - spoken on the
Caiarí River near the
Cachoeira dos Araras, Brazil.
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.
Proto-language
Proto-Tukanoan reconstructions by Chacon (2013):
[Chacon, Thiago (2013). On Proto-Languages and Archaeological Cultures: pre-history and material culture in the Tukanoan Family. In ''Revista Brasileira de Linguística Antropológica''. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 217-245.]
References
Bibliography
* Campbell, Lyle. (1997). ''American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America''. New York: Oxford University Press. .
* Kaufman, Terrence. (1990). Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more. In D. L. Payne (Ed.), ''Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages'' (pp. 13–67). Austin: University of Texas Press. .
* Kaufman, Terrence. (1994). The native languages of South America. In C. Mosley & R. E. Asher (Eds.), ''Atlas of the world's languages'' (pp. 46–76). London: Routledge.
External links
* Proel
Familia Tucanoana
{{Authority control
Language families
Indigenous languages of the South American Northwest
Indigenous languages of Western Amazonia