List of extinct languages of South America
Encyclopedia
This is a list of extinct languages of South America
, languages which have undergone language death
, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant
.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, languages which have undergone language death
Language death
In linguistics, language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native and/or fluent speakers of the variety...
, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant
Historical language
Historical languages are languages that were spoken in a historical period. See:*Historical linguistics*List of languages by first written accounts*List of extinct languages*Classical language*Proto-language...
.
Argentina
- AbipónAbipón languageThe Abipón language was a native American language of the Mataco–Guaycuru family that was at one time spoken in Argentina by the Abipón people. Its last speaker is thought to have died in the 19th century.-Consonants:- Vowels :-Bibliography:...
- ChanéChané languageChané is an extinct language of Argentina and Bolivia. It was either a dialect of or closely related to the Terena language of the Arawakan language family. There is little data on this language. In Argentina it was spoken in Salta province....
- Cacán o HetCacán languageCacán is an extinct language that was spoken by the Diaguita and Calchaquí tribes in northern Argentina and Chile. It became extinct during the late 17th century or early 18th century. The language was documented by the Jesuit Alonso de Bárcena, but the manuscript is lost...
- All languages of the CharruanCharruan languagesThe Charruan languages are an extinct group of languages once spoken in Uruguay and the Argentine province of Entre Ríos. Recently a semi-speaker of Chaná language has appeared...
family, as ChanáChaná languageChaná is an extinct Charruan language that was once spoken in Uruguay along the Uruguay and Paraná-Guazú rivers.Chaná is poorly attested. There exists a short grammar by Dámaso Larrañaga. and a few wordlists....
and Güenoa - Henia-Camiare
- Kunza
- Huarpe languages: Allentiac and Millcayac
- Lule Toconoté
Bolivia
- CanichanaCanichana languageCanichana, or Canesi, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia . As of 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language was extinct.-References:...
- CayubabaCayubaba languageCayuvava is an extinct language of Bolivia, the descendants of the ethnic group of the same name live in the region of Beni, west of Mamore River, north of Santa Ana del Yacuma with a population of 794 inhabitants.-References:...
- Itene
- Jorá
- Saraveca
- Shinabo
Brazil
- Acroá
- Arara
- AruaAruá languageAruá is an extinct language of Brazil. The last speaker died in 1877. All that survives is a word list from 1869....
- Guana
- KaimbéKaimbé languageKaimbé is an extinct unclassified language of eastern Brazil. The ethnic population numbered an estimated 1,100 to 1,400 in 1986. The language is scarcely attested; in 1961 one elder was able to remember a few single words mixed with Kiriri.-References:...
- Kamakan
- KambaKamba language (Brazil)Kamba is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. The ethnic population of about 2000 migrated from Bolivia. They may have been Tupian....
- KambiwáKambiwá languageKambiwá Cambioá is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. A couple dozen words were collected from two people in the 1960s, but by that time no-one spoke the language any longer. Apart from two apparent borrowings, none of the words are relatable to known languages. Loukotka characterized...
- KanoéKanoé languageKanoê or Kapishana is a nearly extinct language isolate of Brazil. The Kapishana people now speak Portuguese or other indigenous languages from intermarriage....
- KapinawáKapinawá language-References:*Alain Fabre, 2005, Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: KAPINAWÂ....
jj - KaripunaKaripuná languageKaripuná is a Tupi language spoken by 12-15 individuals in Rondônia, Brazil, though it is unknown how many speakers live in the forest. It is near extinction. It is very similar to neighboring languages, and might be considered a dialect of Kagwahiva....
- Kariri-Xocó
- Maritsauá
- Nukuini
- OtiOti languageThe Oti language, also known as Chavante or Euchavante, is an extinct language isolate once spoken by the Oti people near São Paulo, Brazil....
- Otuke
- Pankararé
- Paranawát
- Pataxó-Hãhaãi
- Puri
- TapebaTapeba languageTapeba is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. The ethnic population is about 2,500....
- Tingui-BotoTingui-Boto languageTingui-Boto, or Tingui, also known as Carapató ~ Karapató, is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. The ethnic population is about 350....
- TrukáTruká languageTruká is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. The ethnic population is about 1,300.-References:* Fabre, Alain :...
- Tukumanféd
- Tupinambá
- Turiwara
- TuxáTuxá languageTuxá was the eastern Brazilian language of the Tuxá people, who now speak Portuguese. The language ceased being spoken in the late 19th century, but in the 1960s a research team found two women that had been expelled from the Tuxa tribe in Bahia who knew some thirty words....
- Tuxinawa
- Uamué
- UmotinaUmotína languageUmotína is a recently extinct language of Brazil. It was one of the few languages in the world with linguolabial consonants....
- WakonáWakoná languageWakoná is an extinct unclassified language of eastern Brazil. The dispersed ethnic population numbered an estimated 500 to 1,000 in 1995....
- WasuWasu languageWasu is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. The ethnic population is about 1,500.-References:* Fabre, Alain :...
- Wiraféd
- XakriabáXakriabá languageXakriabá is an extinct Ge language formerly spoken in Minas Gerais, Brazil by the Xakriabá people, who today speak Portuguese.The last confirmed native speaker of the language died in 1864....
- Yabaâna
Colombia
- Andaqui
- Anserma
- Arma
- Barbacoas
- CaguaCagua languageCagua is an extinct unclassified language of Colombia....
- ChibchaChibcha languageChibcha, also known as Muisca or Mosca, is an extinct Chibchan language of Colombia, formerly spoken by the Muisca people, a complex indigenous civilization of South America and the present-day Colombian region. Scholars believe the Chibcha language arose in South America and then migrated with...
- ChipiajesChipiajes languageChipiajes is an extinct unclassified language of Colombia. The people survive as a Saliba surname; Chipiajes is also a common name among the Guahibo....
- CoximaCoxima languageCoxima is an extinct unclassified language of Colombia....
- Coyaima
- Cumeral
- Macaguaje
- NatagaimasNatagaimas languageNatagaimas is an extinct unclassified language of Colombia....
- Omejes
- PijaoPijao languagePijao is an unclassified indigenous American language that was spoken in the Magdalena River Valley in Colombia until the 1950s....
- Ponares
- Runa
- TamaTama language (Colombia)Tama is an extinct indigenous Tucanoan language of Colombia. It was spoken in the regions of Vicente, Orteguaza River and Caquetá Region....
- Tomedes
- Totoro
- Yahuna
- Rafaelii
Peru
- AbishiraAbishira languageTequiraca , also known as Abishira *, is a language spoken in Peru. In 1925 there were between 50 and 80 speakers in Puerto Elvira on Lake Vacacocha...
- AguanoAguano languageAguano is a possible extinct language of Peru. It is not listed in Kaufman . Ruhlen says it's the same language as Chamicuro, but Chamicuro speakers say that the Aguano language was not the same as theirs, but rather that the Aguano people spoke Quechua .Alternate spellings are Uguano, Aguanu,...
- Akano
- Andoa
- Atsahuaca
- Aymara, Classical
- AushiriAushiri languageAushiri is an extinct Zaparoan language formerly spoken in Peru. It was spoken in the area of the tributaries to the right bank of the Napo River, in the Escuelacocha region....
- Caxamarca
- Chavín
- Chimú
- HibitoHibito languageHibito is an extinct language of Peru. It, together with Cholón, also extinct, constituted the Hibito-Cholon family....
- Kauki
- MochicaMochica languageMochica is a Chimuan language formerly spoken along the northwest coast of Peru and in an inland village. First documented in 1607, the language was widely spoken in the area during the 17th and early 18th century...
- Mouchick
- Nocaman
- OmuranoOmurano languageOmurano is an unclassified extinct language from Peru. It is also known as Humurana, Roamaina, Numurana, Umurano, and Mayna.Tovar linked Omurano to Taushiro ; Kaufman finds the links reasonable, and tentatively proposes a Kandoshi–Omurano–Taushiro language family...
- PanoboPanobo languagePánobo or Pano is a recently extinct Panoan language of Peru. Huariapano is sometimes considered a distinct language....
- Pukara
- PuquinaPuquina languagePuquina is an extinct language once spoken by the ancient Inca in the region surrounding Lake Titicaca and in the north of what is now Chile....
- RemoRemo languageRemo , also Sakuya or Kukuini , is an extinct Panoan language of Amazonas, Peru....
- Sickán
- Sensi
- YameoYameo languageYameo is an extinct language from Peba–Yaguan language family that was formerly spoken in Peru. It was spoken along the banks of the Amazon River from the Tigre River to the Nanay River.-Sources:...
Venezuela
- Baniva
- BaréBaré languageBaré is an Arawakan language, probably extinct, of Venezuela and Brazil. Aikhenvald reports "just a few old speakers left" of Baré proper, and that the Guinau variety was extinct. Ethnologue reports "no known speakers". Kaufman considers Baré proper, Guinau, and extinct Marawá to be distinct...
- Cumanagoto
- MaipureMaipure languageMaipure , once spoken along the Ventuari, Sipapo, and Autana rivers and, as a lingua franca, in the Upper Orinoco region, became extinct around the end of the eighteenth century...
- Paraujano
- Tamanaku
- YaviteroYavitero language-External links:*...