Chamacoco language
Encyclopedia
Chamacoco is a Zamucoan language spoken in Paraguay
and maybe Brazil
. It is also known as Xamicoco or Xamacoco, although the tribe itself prefers the name Ishír, which is also spelled Ishiro or Jewyo. It is spoken by a traditionally hunter-gatherer
society that has now turned to agriculture
. Its speakers are of all ages, and generally do not speak Spanish
or Guarani
well.
. Both languages are considered endangered. There is relatively little information about the Zamucoan family.
Chamacoco speakers live in the northeastern part of the Chaco Boreal
at the origin of the Río Verde
in Paraguay. Four dialects of Chamacoco have been identified: Héiwo, in the Fuerte Olimpo
area; Ebidóso and Hório, spoken in the Bahía Negra region; and Tomaráho, in the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
.
The speakers of Hório and Ebidóso were estimated to be 800 in 1970. less than 200 people spoke Tomaráho then. Back in 1930, over 2000 people were estimated to speak Chamacoco.
Verb inflection is based on personal prefixes, the language is tenseless. Nouns can be divided into possessable and non-possessable. Possessable nouns are characterized by a prefixation whereby the noun agrees with the possessor or genitival modifier.
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and maybe Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is also known as Xamicoco or Xamacoco, although the tribe itself prefers the name Ishír, which is also spelled Ishiro or Jewyo. It is spoken by a traditionally hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
society that has now turned to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Its speakers are of all ages, and generally do not speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
or Guarani
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
well.
Classification
Chamacoco is classified as a Zamucoan language, along with AyoreoAyoreo language
Ayoreo is a Zamucoan language spoken in both Paraguay and Bolivia. It is also known as Morotoco , Moro, Ayoweo, Ayoré, and Pyeta Yovai. However, the name "Ayoreo" is more common in Bolivia, and "Morotoco" in Paraguay...
. Both languages are considered endangered. There is relatively little information about the Zamucoan family.
Chamacoco speakers live in the northeastern part of the Chaco Boreal
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
at the origin of the Río Verde
Río Verde
Rioverde is a city and its surrounding municipality located in the south-central part of the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, behind San Luis Potosí, Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, Ciudad Valles, and Matehuala...
in Paraguay. Four dialects of Chamacoco have been identified: Héiwo, in the Fuerte Olimpo
Fuerte Olimpo
Fuerte Olimpo is a city in Paraguay. It is the capital of the department of Alto Paraguay.Capital of Alto Paraguay Region, far from Asunción 838 km, located on Paraguay River, originally called Fuerte Bordón...
area; Ebidóso and Hório, spoken in the Bahía Negra region; and Tomaráho, in the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
Paraná-Paraíba interior forests
The Alto Paraná Atlantic forests, also known as the Paraná-Paraíba interior forests, is a tropical moist forest ecoregion of southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay.-Setting:...
.
The speakers of Hório and Ebidóso were estimated to be 800 in 1970. less than 200 people spoke Tomaráho then. Back in 1930, over 2000 people were estimated to speak Chamacoco.
Verb inflection is based on personal prefixes, the language is tenseless. Nouns can be divided into possessable and non-possessable. Possessable nouns are characterized by a prefixation whereby the noun agrees with the possessor or genitival modifier.