List of indigenous languages in Argentina
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Indigenous languages
that are or were spoken in the present territory of Argentina
.
Although the official language of Argentina
is Spanish
, several Indigenous
languages are in use. Most are spoken only within their respective indigenous communities, some with very few remaining speakers. Others, especially Aymara
, Quechua (South Bolivian Quechua
and Santiago del Estero Quichua
), Toba (Qom) and Guaraní
(Western Argentine Guaraní, Paraguayan Guaraní, Mbyá Guaraní
), are alive and in common use in specific regions. Finally, some such as Abipón
and Yaghan
, are now completely extinct. Since 2004 the Guaraní language
is official, together with Spanish, in the northeastern Corrientes Province
.
Aboriginal languages in Argentina
|____ Living
| |____ Tupi–Guaraní family
| | |_Guaraní subfamily
| | |___ Subgroup I
| | |___ Paraguayan Guaraní
| | |___ Western Guaraní (Avá Guaraní or "chiriguano")
| | |___ Mbyá Guaraní
| | |___ Chiripá
| | |___ Kaiwá [+]
| | |___ Tapieté
| |____ Guaycuruan family
| | |___ Qom group
| | |___ Mocoví
| | |___ Pilagá
| | |___ Toba
| |____ Mataguayo ("mataco") family
| | |____Wichí group ("mataco")
| | | |___ Nocten (Oktenay)
| | | |___ Güisnay (Wenhayéy)
| | | |___ Vejoz (Wehwos)
| | |____Nivaklé group ("chulupí")
| | | |___ Forest Nivaklé (Yita'a lhavós)
| | | |___ River Nivaklé (Chishamne and Shichaam lhavos)
| | |____Chorote group
| | |___ Jo'wuwa or Iyo'wujwa (Manjui)
| | |___ Yofwaja or Iyojwa'ja (Eklenjui)
| |____ Quechua family
| | |____Quechua II C
| | |___ Southern Bolivian (Kolla)
| | |___ Santiago del Estero Quichua
| |____ Araucanian family
| | |_____________ Mapudungun (Mapuche)
| |____ Isolated and unclassified
| |_____________ Aymara
|____________ Endangered or nearly extinct
| |____ Chon family
| | |_____ Aönikën ("Tehuelche")
| | |_____ Śelknam ("Ona") [*]
| |____ Lule–Vilela family
| | |_____ Vilela [*]
| |____ Isolated and unclassified
| |_____ Gennaken ("Puelche")
|___ Extinct (an incomplete list)
|____ Arawakan family
| |_____ Chané
|____ Charruan (?)
| |_____ Güenoa
| |_____ Chaná (?)
|____ Guaicuruan family
| |_____ Abipón
| |_____ Mbayá
| |_____ Payaguá
| |_____ Mbeguá (?)
|____ Lule–Vilela family
| |_____ Lule
|____ Chon family
| |_____ Manek'enk or Haush
| |_____ Teushen
|____ Isolated and unclassified
|___ Huarpe group
| |___ Allentiac or Alyentiyak
| |___ Millcayac or Milykayak
|_____ Toconoté
|_____ Omaguaca
|_____ Cacán (Diaguita-Calchaquí)
|_____ Kunza, or Likanantaí (Atacameño)
|_____ Henia-camiare or "Comechingon"
|_____ Sanavirón
|_____ Het
|_____ Yagan, Yámana or Háusi-kúta
[+] Dubious. Fabre states (with convincing arguments) that no Kaiwá live in Argentina.
[*] Some authors give this languages as extinct.
(?) Tentative classification
Other extinct languages are known just by the ethnic group that spoke them, since very scarce (if any) linguistic material remains. Among them: Omaguaca; Sanavirón; several languages probably belonging to the Guaycurú family but known by their Guaraní etnonyms as Mbayá, Payaguá, Minuané, Mbeguá, Timbú, Corondá, Quiloazá and Colastiné; and others related to the Chon
stock, as Manek'enk and Teushen.
Indigenous languages of the Americas
Indigenous languages of the Americas are spoken by indigenous peoples from Alaska and Greenland to the southern tip of South America, encompassing the land masses which constitute the Americas. These indigenous languages consist of dozens of distinct language families as well as many language...
that are or were spoken in the present territory of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Although the official language of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
is 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...
, several Indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
languages are in use. Most are spoken only within their respective indigenous communities, some with very few remaining speakers. Others, especially Aymara
Aymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
, Quechua (South Bolivian Quechua
South Bolivian Quechua
South Bolivian Quechua, also known as Central Bolivian Quechua, is a variety of Southern Quechua, spoken mainly in Bolivia and belonging to Qusqu-Qullaw Quechua. It is also spoken in Argentina, where it is also known as Colla...
and Santiago del Estero Quichua
Santiago del Estero Quichua
Santiago del Estero Quichua or Santiagueño Quichua is an Amerindian language spoken by ca. 60,000 people in Argentina. It is spoken in the province of Santiago del Estero...
), Toba (Qom) and Guaraní
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...
(Western Argentine Guaraní, Paraguayan Guaraní, Mbyá Guaraní
Mbyá Guaraní
Mbyá Guaraní is a Tupi–Guaraní language spoken 16,050 Brazilians, 3,000 Argentines, and 8,000 Paraguayans. It is 75% lexically similar to Paraguayan Guaraní.Mbyá Guaraní is one of a number of "Guaraní dialects" now generally classified as distinct languages....
), are alive and in common use in specific regions. Finally, some such as Abipón
Abipón language
The 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:...
and Yaghan
Yaghan language
Yagán , also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta, is one of the indigenous languages of Tierra del Fuego, spoken by the Yagán people...
, are now completely extinct. Since 2004 the Guaraní language
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...
is official, together with Spanish, in the northeastern Corrientes Province
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
.
Aboriginal languages in Argentina
|____ Living
| |____ Tupi–Guaraní family
| | |_Guaraní subfamily
| | |___ Subgroup I
| | |___ Paraguayan Guaraní
| | |___ Western Guaraní (Avá Guaraní or "chiriguano")
| | |___ Mbyá Guaraní
| | |___ Chiripá
| | |___ Kaiwá [+]
| | |___ Tapieté
| |____ Guaycuruan family
| | |___ Qom group
| | |___ Mocoví
| | |___ Pilagá
| | |___ Toba
| |____ Mataguayo ("mataco") family
| | |____Wichí group ("mataco")
| | | |___ Nocten (Oktenay)
| | | |___ Güisnay (Wenhayéy)
| | | |___ Vejoz (Wehwos)
| | |____Nivaklé group ("chulupí")
| | | |___ Forest Nivaklé (Yita'a lhavós)
| | | |___ River Nivaklé (Chishamne and Shichaam lhavos)
| | |____Chorote group
| | |___ Jo'wuwa or Iyo'wujwa (Manjui)
| | |___ Yofwaja or Iyojwa'ja (Eklenjui)
| |____ Quechua family
| | |____Quechua II C
| | |___ Southern Bolivian (Kolla)
| | |___ Santiago del Estero Quichua
| |____ Araucanian family
| | |_____________ Mapudungun (Mapuche)
| |____ Isolated and unclassified
| |_____________ Aymara
|____________ Endangered or nearly extinct
| |____ Chon family
| | |_____ Aönikën ("Tehuelche")
| | |_____ Śelknam ("Ona") [*]
| |____ Lule–Vilela family
| | |_____ Vilela [*]
| |____ Isolated and unclassified
| |_____ Gennaken ("Puelche")
|___ Extinct (an incomplete list)
|____ Arawakan family
| |_____ Chané
|____ Charruan (?)
| |_____ Güenoa
| |_____ Chaná (?)
|____ Guaicuruan family
| |_____ Abipón
| |_____ Mbayá
| |_____ Payaguá
| |_____ Mbeguá (?)
|____ Lule–Vilela family
| |_____ Lule
|____ Chon family
| |_____ Manek'enk or Haush
| |_____ Teushen
|____ Isolated and unclassified
|___ Huarpe group
| |___ Allentiac or Alyentiyak
| |___ Millcayac or Milykayak
|_____ Toconoté
|_____ Omaguaca
|_____ Cacán (Diaguita-Calchaquí)
|_____ Kunza, or Likanantaí (Atacameño)
|_____ Henia-camiare or "Comechingon"
|_____ Sanavirón
|_____ Het
|_____ Yagan, Yámana or Háusi-kúta
[+] Dubious. Fabre states (with convincing arguments) that no Kaiwá live in Argentina.
[*] Some authors give this languages as extinct.
(?) Tentative classification
Living languages
- AymaraAymara languageAymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
- Caiwá
- Chiriguano
- ChiripáChiripáChiripá Guarani , also known as Ava Guarani and Nhandéva , is a Guaraní language spoken in Paraguay, Brazil, and also Argentina. It is closely related to Paraguayan Guaraní, a language which speakers are increasingly switching to. There are 4,900 speakers in Brazil and 7,000 in Paraguay.Nhandéva is...
- Chorote
- Chulupi
- GuaraníGuaraní languageGuaraní, 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...
- MapudungunMapudungunThe Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
- Wichí (Wichí Lhamtés)
- Mocoví languageMocovi languageThe Mocoví language is a Guaicuruan language of Argentina spoken by about 4,500 people mostly in Santa Fé province.- External links :**http://www.mpi.nl/DOBES/INFOpages/Posters/Argentina/Argentina.pdf*http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10412b.htm...
- NivacléNivacléNivaclé is a Matacoan language spoken in Paraguay by c.8,400 and in Argentina by 200. It is also known as Chulupí and Ashluslay, and in older sources has been called Ashuslé, Suhin, Sujín, Chunupí, Churupí, Choropí, and other variant spellings of these names...
- PilagáPilagáPilagá is a language spoken by 6,000 people in the Bermejo and Pilcomayo River valleys, western Formosa Province.-Sociocultural context:The geographical distribution into communites is permeated bypan-Chacoan social organization of people into bands...
- QuechuaQuechua languagesQuechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
- TapietéTapietéTapieté is a subdialect of Eastern Bolivian Guaraní spoken by 33 Paraguayans , 100 Argentines, and 70 Bolivians. It is also known as Guasurango, Guasurangue, Tirumbae, Yanaigua, Ñanagua, and Nandeva....
- Toba Sur
- KaiwáKaiwáKaiwá is a Guarani language spoken by about 18,000 in Brazil in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 15,000 in Paraguay , and 500 in Argentina. Literacy is 5-10% in Kaiwá and 15–25% in Portuguese. Kaiwá proper is 70% lexically similar with the Pai Tavytera dialect, and is somewhat intelligible with...
Severely endangered or nearly extinct languages
- Ona
- PuelchePuelchePuelche is the name that the Mapuche used to give the ethnic groups who inhabited the lands to the east of the Andes Mountains including the northern Tehuelches and Hets, these last ones were also known as the Pampas or Querandíes...
- Tehuelche languageTehuelche languageTehuelche is a nearly extinct Chon language spoken by four people in Patagonia out of an ethnic group of 200. They were originally nomadic hunters from Chile. It is also known as Aonikenk or Aonek'o 'ajen...
- Vilela languageVilela languageVilela is a nearly extinct language which is only spoken in the Resistencia province of Argentina and in the eastern Chaco near the Paraguayan border. Dialects were Ocol, Chinipi, Sinipi; only Ocol survives...
Extinct languages
A large number of languages once spoken in Argentina have disappeared. According to Censabella (1999), two thirds of the languages spoken when the Spaniards arrived became extinct. In some cases, the languages disappeared along with the ethnic groups that spoke them; in other, the acculturation and transculturation phenomena associated with deep changes in the living conditions of the indigenous peoples caused the extinction, even if a number of individuals of the ethnical group still survive.- 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:...
, from the Guaykuruan family, somewhat related to KadiwéuKadiweu languageKadiweu is a Mataco–Guaicuru language spoken by 1,200-1,800 people in Brazil. It is mainly a subject–verb–object language and its ISO 639-3 code is kbc....
of BrazilBrazilBrazil , 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...
. No living speakers of this language are known. - CacánCacán 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...
, spoken by peoples known as DiaguitaDiaguitaThe Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Diaguita culture developed between the 8th and 16th centuries in what are now the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina, and in the Atacama and Coquimbo...
s and CalchaquíCalchaquíThe Calchaquí were a tribe of South American Indians of the Diaguita group, now extinct, who formerly occupied northern Argentina. Stone and other remains prove them to have reached a high degree of civilization...
es, in northwestern Argentina. Extinct since the mid-17th century or beginning of 18th century. Its genetic classification remains unsolved. The language was supposedly documented by the JesuitSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
Alonso de Bárcena, but the manuscript is lost. - 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....
, from the ArawakanArawakan languagesMacro-Arawakan is a proposed language family of South America and the Caribbean based on the Arawakan languages. Sometimes the proposal is called Arawakan, in which case the central family is called Maipurean....
family. It has been sometimes compared with Guana or Kashika language of ParaguayParaguayParaguay , 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 also with the TerenaTerêna languageTerêna or Etelena is spoken by 15,000 Brazilians. The language has a dictionary and written grammar. Many Terênan people have low Portuguese proficiency. It is spoken in Mato Grosso do Sul...
of Brazil, but both are different. Chané was spoken about 300 years ago in the north-east of Salta ProvinceSalta ProvinceSalta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
; the ethnical group, now called Izoceño, became subject as vassals to the Avá Guaraní people, and the language was lost. All surviving Chané individuals speak Western Guaraní. - Güenoa (or Wenoa) and 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....
languages, of CharrúanCharruan 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...
stock, were spoken in today's central-eastern Argentina and UruguayUruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Charruan languages became extinct by the beginning of the 19th century west of Uruguay RiverUruguay RiverThe Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
, and around 1830 in the eastern shores of the same river. - Kunza (also Cunza, Likanantaí, Lipe, Ulipe or Atacameño), probably an isolated language, was spoken in northwestern Argentina, northeastern ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, in and around the region of Atacama up to Bolivian Salar de UyuniSalar de UyuniSalar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes...
by the Lickan-amtay (Atacameño) people. It is almost certainly extinct in Chile too. - Henia-Camiare or Hênia-Kamiare,sometimes considered as two different languages, was spoken by the ethnic group of the same name, known by Spaniards as "comechingonesComechingónComechingón is the common name for a group of people indigenous to the Argentine provinces of Córdoba and San Luis...
". The extant elements of this language (some toponyms and plant names) are not enough to establish its genetic relationships, nor to attempt a reconstruction. - Het was the language spoken by the original dwellers of the Pampas, known as Pampas or Querandíes, before they became intermixed with peoples of MapucheMapucheThe Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
origin and progressively switched to MapudungunMapudungunThe Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
. Its very existence as a unique language (by opposition to a group) is merely speculative. - Allentiac or Alyentiyak and Millcayac or Milykayak languages belonged to the HuarpeHuarpe languagesHuarpe was a small language family of central Argentina that consisted of two closely related languages, traditionally considered dialects, Alyentiyak and Milykayak ....
or Warpe family and were spoken in the Cuyo region in central-western Argentina. The scarcity of remaining elements prevents accurate classification or reconstruction. - LuleLule languageLule is an indigenous language of northern Argentina.Lule may be extinct today. Campbell writes that in 1981 there was an unconfirmed report that Lule is still spoken by 5 families in Resistencia in east-central Chaco Province....
, supposed to be part of the Lule–VilelaLule–Vilela languages-External links:*Alain Fabre. 2005. Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos....
family, was spoken by peoples living in today's SaltaSalta ProvinceSalta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
TucumánTucumán ProvinceTucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
and Santiago del EsteroSantiago del Estero ProvinceSantiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
provinces. Only a few toponyms and names remain, but their precise meaning is often obscure. However, the language is fairly well documented in a vocabulary and grammar composed by the JesuitSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
Antonio Machoni in 1732. - Toconoté, sometimes confused with Lule, was spoken by a settledSettlerA settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
people dwelling in western and central regions of today's Santiago del Estero ProvinceSantiago del Estero ProvinceSantiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
. There is some speculation among scholars about the possible ArawakanArawakan languagesMacro-Arawakan is a proposed language family of South America and the Caribbean based on the Arawakan languages. Sometimes the proposal is called Arawakan, in which case the central family is called Maipurean....
origin of that ethnic group, while other sources state that they were switching to QuechuaQuechua languagesQuechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
in the 16th century. No evidence of the language has survived. - YaghanYaghan languageYagán , also known as Yámana and Háusi Kúta, is one of the indigenous languages of Tierra del Fuego, spoken by the Yagán people...
, Yámana, Háusi-Kúta or Yagán is a language spoken by indigenous peoples of southern shores and islands of Tierra del FuegoTierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. A very analytical language, it had an extensive vocabulary. In Argentina Yaghan became extinct at the beginning of 20th century, but lexiconLexiconIn linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
s and early recordings remain. It is recognised in a number of well known toponyms as UshuaiaUshuaiaUshuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, Lapataia, TolhuinTolhuinTolhuin is a town in the province of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. It has 1,382 inhabitants as per the . It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Fagnano, in the southern part of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. It is the third biggest settlement on the Argentine side of Tierra del Fuego after...
, etc. Some elder speakers (between 1 and 5) remain in Chile, where the language is nearly extinct.
Other extinct languages are known just by the ethnic group that spoke them, since very scarce (if any) linguistic material remains. Among them: Omaguaca; Sanavirón; several languages probably belonging to the Guaycurú family but known by their Guaraní etnonyms as Mbayá, Payaguá, Minuané, Mbeguá, Timbú, Corondá, Quiloazá and Colastiné; and others related to the Chon
Chon languages
-External links:*Alain Fabre, 2005, Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: CHON...
stock, as Manek'enk and Teushen.