Paezan languages
Encyclopedia
Paezan may be any of several language-family
proposals of Colombia
and Ecuador
named after the Paez language
.
(Nasa Yuwe) is best considered either a language isolate
or the only surviving member of an otherwise extinct
language family
(Adelaar & Muysken 2004, Gordon 2005, Matteson 1972, Fabre 2005). However, Páez has often been grouped with other languages into a Paezan family, although some of these proposals are due to historical error. Campbell (1997: 173) states: "There is no consensus upon Paezan, and opinions vary greatly".
(also known as Pansaleo, Latacunga, or Quito), formerly spoken in highlands
of Ecuador
. However, Panzaleo is poorly documented and the evidence for this relationship is weak and may be due to language contact
. Thus, Panzaleo may best be considered an unclassified
isolate (Adelaar & Muysken 2004: 393-397; Campbell 1997).
The Andaquí
isolate (also extinct) is often connected with Páez in a Paezan grouping. The documentation consists of a 20-page list of words and expressions by an anonymous author published in 1928 and another wordlist collected in 1854 by a priest (Manuel María Albis). There are a number of similarities in vocabulary between Andaquí and Páez. In other aspects, the differences are greater. Gordon (2005) places Andaquí under the Barbacoan family.
) were first grouped together with Páez by Henri Beuchat & Paul Rivet in 1910 (under a larger Chibchan family, which is considerably more inclusive than the conservative Chibchan recognized today). Curnow (1998) shows how this grouping is based on misinterpretation of a Moguex vocabulary of Douay (1888), which Curnow believes to be a mixed list of both Páez and Guambiano/Totoró. This has led to subsequent classifiers (e.g. Kaufman 1990, 1994; Campbell 1997; Greenberg
1956, 1987; Tovar & Larruceau de Tovar 1984) to group Páez with Guambiano (missing the obvious identification of Coconucan as a sub-family under Barbacoan) leading to a tree such as that of Kaufman (1994):
I. Andaqui
II. Paezan proper
III. Coconucan
Then, since Guambiano is connected with the Barbacoan family, a putative Paezan-Barbacoan (or Páes-Barbakóa) family develops:
I. Paezan
II. Barbacoan
Matteson's 1972 comparison of Páez and Guambiano vocabularies show just a 5.2% overlap. The same author has shown also that comparisons between Páez and Arawak, Quechua
and Proto-Chibchan evidence greater similarities: respectively 16.9, 11.8 and 14.5%. Following linguists such as Matteson (1972), Curnow (1998), Curnow & Liddicoat (1998), and Adelaar & Muysken (2004), the Coconucan languages should be placed under Barbacoan. The question of connections between Páez, Panzaleo, and Andaquí remains open.
A family known as Interandine consists of Páez, Panzaleo, and the Coconucan languages (but excludes Andaquí).
Thus, a conservative classification will recognize Páez, Panzaleo, and Andaquí as isolates and a Barbacoan family consisting of Guambiano, Totoró, Awa Pit, Cha’palaachi, and Tsafiqui that is, as of current research, not demonstrably related to these three isolates.
(or Chibchan-Paezan) stock with Barbacoan, Chibchan
, Chocoan
, Jirajaran
, and other isolates, such as Betoi
, Kamsá
(Sibundoy), Yaruro
, Esmeraldeño, Mochica
, Cunza (Atacameño), Itonama
, Yurumanguí
, and sometimes others.
Morris Swadesh
's Paezan includes Páez, Barbacoan, Coconucan, Andaquí, Cunza, Kapixana, and Mashubí.
Kaufman's (1990, 1994) Macro-Páesan "cluster"
proposal includes "Paesan" (as explained above)–Barbacoan, Cunza-Kapixana, Betoi, Itonama, and Warao
.
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' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
proposals of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
named after the Paez language
Páez language
Páez is a language isolate of Colombia spoken by Páez people in the central Andes region near Popayán...
.
Proposed genealogical relations
Currently, PáezPáez language
Páez is a language isolate of Colombia spoken by Páez people in the central Andes region near Popayán...
(Nasa Yuwe) is best considered either a language isolate
Language isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
or the only surviving member of an otherwise extinct
Extinct language
An extinct language is a language that no longer has any speakers., or that is no longer in current use. Extinct languages are sometimes contrasted with dead languages, which are still known and used in special contexts in written form, but not as ordinary spoken languages for everyday communication...
language family
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' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
(Adelaar & Muysken 2004, Gordon 2005, Matteson 1972, Fabre 2005). However, Páez has often been grouped with other languages into a Paezan family, although some of these proposals are due to historical error. Campbell (1997: 173) states: "There is no consensus upon Paezan, and opinions vary greatly".
Páez, Panzaleo, Andaquí
One of the more oft repeated statements (e.g. Loukota 1968; Kaufman 1990, 1994) is the supposed connection between Páez and the extinct PanzaleoPanzaleo
The Panzaleo are a group of Quichua people in Ecuador, primarily in Cotopaxi and Tungurahua provinces.So-called Panzaleo pottery was originally thought to be associated with this group, but has since been identified as a type of trade pottery....
(also known as Pansaleo, Latacunga, or Quito), formerly spoken in highlands
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. However, Panzaleo is poorly documented and the evidence for this relationship is weak and may be due to language contact
Language contact
Language contact occurs when two or more languages or varieties interact. The study of language contact is called contact linguistics.Multilingualism has likely been common throughout much of human history, and today most people in the world are multilingual...
. Thus, Panzaleo may best be considered an unclassified
Unclassified language
Unclassified languages are languages whose genetic affiliation has not been established by means of historical linguistics. If this state of affairs continues after significant study of the language and efforts to relate it to other languages, as in the case of Basque, it is termed a language...
isolate (Adelaar & Muysken 2004: 393-397; Campbell 1997).
The Andaquí
Andaqui
Andaqui is an extinct language from the southern highlands of Colombia. It may be one of the Paezan or Barbacoan languages, which may be related to each other....
isolate (also extinct) is often connected with Páez in a Paezan grouping. The documentation consists of a 20-page list of words and expressions by an anonymous author published in 1928 and another wordlist collected in 1854 by a priest (Manuel María Albis). There are a number of similarities in vocabulary between Andaquí and Páez. In other aspects, the differences are greater. Gordon (2005) places Andaquí under the Barbacoan family.
Páez and Coconucan
The Coconucan languages (Coconuco, Guambiano, and TotoróTotoro
Totoro may refer to:* a character of the My Neighbor Totoro anime* Totoro, Cauca, a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia* Totoro language, one of the Coconucan languages of Colombia...
) were first grouped together with Páez by Henri Beuchat & Paul Rivet in 1910 (under a larger Chibchan family, which is considerably more inclusive than the conservative Chibchan recognized today). Curnow (1998) shows how this grouping is based on misinterpretation of a Moguex vocabulary of Douay (1888), which Curnow believes to be a mixed list of both Páez and Guambiano/Totoró. This has led to subsequent classifiers (e.g. Kaufman 1990, 1994; Campbell 1997; Greenberg
Joseph Greenberg
Joseph Harold Greenberg was a prominent and controversial American linguist, principally known for his work in two areas, linguistic typology and the genetic classification of languages.- Early life and career :...
1956, 1987; Tovar & Larruceau de Tovar 1984) to group Páez with Guambiano (missing the obvious identification of Coconucan as a sub-family under Barbacoan) leading to a tree such as that of Kaufman (1994):
I. Andaqui
- 1. AndaquíAndaquiAndaqui is an extinct language from the southern highlands of Colombia. It may be one of the Paezan or Barbacoan languages, which may be related to each other....
II. Paezan proper
- 2. PáezPáez languagePáez is a language isolate of Colombia spoken by Páez people in the central Andes region near Popayán...
- 3. PanzaleoPanzaleoThe Panzaleo are a group of Quichua people in Ecuador, primarily in Cotopaxi and Tungurahua provinces.So-called Panzaleo pottery was originally thought to be associated with this group, but has since been identified as a type of trade pottery....
III. Coconucan
- 4. Coconuco
- 5. Guambiano ( Guambiano-Moguez)
- 6. TotoróTotoroTotoro may refer to:* a character of the My Neighbor Totoro anime* Totoro, Cauca, a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia* Totoro language, one of the Coconucan languages of Colombia...
Then, since Guambiano is connected with the Barbacoan family, a putative Paezan-Barbacoan (or Páes-Barbakóa) family develops:
I. Paezan
- 1. AndaquíAndaquiAndaqui is an extinct language from the southern highlands of Colombia. It may be one of the Paezan or Barbacoan languages, which may be related to each other....
- A. Paezan proper
- 2. PáezPáez languagePáez is a language isolate of Colombia spoken by Páez people in the central Andes region near Popayán...
- 3. PanzaleoPanzaleoThe Panzaleo are a group of Quichua people in Ecuador, primarily in Cotopaxi and Tungurahua provinces.So-called Panzaleo pottery was originally thought to be associated with this group, but has since been identified as a type of trade pottery....
- 2. Páez
- B. Coconucan
- 4. Coconuco
- 5. Guambiano
- 6. TotoróTotoroTotoro may refer to:* a character of the My Neighbor Totoro anime* Totoro, Cauca, a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia* Totoro language, one of the Coconucan languages of Colombia...
II. Barbacoan
- A. Northern
- 1. Awa Pit
- 2. Muellama
- 3. Pasto
- B. Southern
- 4. Caranqui
- 5. Cha’palaachiCha’palaachiCha' Palaachi also known as Chachi or Cayapa is a Barbacoan language spoken in northern Ecuador by ca. 3000 ethnic Chachi people."Cha'palaachi" means "language of the Chachi people." This language was described in part by the missionary P...
- 6. Tsafiqui
Matteson's 1972 comparison of Páez and Guambiano vocabularies show just a 5.2% overlap. The same author has shown also that comparisons between Páez and Arawak, Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua 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...
and Proto-Chibchan evidence greater similarities: respectively 16.9, 11.8 and 14.5%. Following linguists such as Matteson (1972), Curnow (1998), Curnow & Liddicoat (1998), and Adelaar & Muysken (2004), the Coconucan languages should be placed under Barbacoan. The question of connections between Páez, Panzaleo, and Andaquí remains open.
A family known as Interandine consists of Páez, Panzaleo, and the Coconucan languages (but excludes Andaquí).
Thus, a conservative classification will recognize Páez, Panzaleo, and Andaquí as isolates and a Barbacoan family consisting of Guambiano, Totoró, Awa Pit, Cha’palaachi, and Tsafiqui that is, as of current research, not demonstrably related to these three isolates.
More distant relations
In spite of the confusion involving Páez and Guambiano discussed above, the Paezan "family" has been connected with other families into larger phylums. These currently remain to be supported by evidence. The most common proposal is the inclusion of Paezan into a Macro-ChibchanMacro-Chibchan
Macro-Chibchan is a proposal linking languages of Colombia and Nicaragua. These languages were once included in the Chibchan family itself, but were excluded pending further evidence as that family became well established...
(or Chibchan-Paezan) stock with Barbacoan, Chibchan
Chibchan languages
The Chibchan languages make up a language family indigenous to the Isthmo-Colombian area, which extends from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia and includes populations of these countries as well as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama...
, Chocoan
Choco languages
The Choco languages are a small family of Native American languages spread across Colombia and Panama.-Family division:Choco consists of perhaps ten languages, half of them extinct....
, Jirajaran
Jirajaran languages
The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spoken in western Venezuela in the regions of Falcón and Lara. All of the Jirajaran languages appear to have become extinct in the early 20th Century.-Characteristics:...
, and other isolates, such as Betoi
Betoi language
Betoi or Betoi-Jirara is an extinct language of Venezuela, south of the Apure River near the modern border with Columbia. The names Betoi and Jirara are those of two of its peoples/dialects; the language proper has no known name. At contact, Betoi was a local lingua franca spoken between the...
, Kamsá
Kamsa
In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa , often known as Kans in Hindi, is the brother of Devaki, and ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. His father was King Ugrasena and mother was Queen Padmavati...
(Sibundoy), Yaruro
Yaruro language
Yaruro is an indigenous language language spoken along the Orinoco, Sinaruco, Meta, and Apure rivers of Venezuela. It is not well classified; it may be an isolate, or distantly related to the extinct Esmeralda language....
, Esmeraldeño, Mochica
Mochica language
Mochica 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...
, Cunza (Atacameño), Itonama
Itonama language
Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama continues to be considered an isolate or unclassified language.-Vowels:Diphthongs:...
, Yurumanguí
Yurumanguí language
Yurumanguí is an extinct language of Colombia. It is known to us only through a short list of words and phrases recorded by Father Christoval Romero and given by him to Captain Sebastián Lanchas de Estrada, who included them in the report of his travels of 1768...
, and sometimes others.
Morris Swadesh
Morris Swadesh
Morris Swadesh was an influential and controversial American linguist. In his work, he applied basic concepts in historical linguistics to the Indigenous languages of the Americas...
's Paezan includes Páez, Barbacoan, Coconucan, Andaquí, Cunza, Kapixana, and Mashubí.
Kaufman's (1990, 1994) Macro-Páesan "cluster"
Macro-Paesan languages
Macro-Paesan is a proposal linking several small families and language isolates of northwest South America. Kaufman proposes the structure at the right. Paez–Barbacoan is commonly proposed; Kunza–Kapixana was a more provisional suggestion, and Kunza has since turned out to be an...
proposal includes "Paesan" (as explained above)–Barbacoan, Cunza-Kapixana, Betoi, Itonama, and Warao
Warao
The Warao are an indigenous people inhabiting northeastern Venezuela and western Guyana. Alternate common spellings of Warao are Waroa, Guarauno, Guarao, and Warrau. The term Warao translates as "the boat people," after the Warao's lifelong and intimate connection to the water...
.
External links
- Ethnologue: Páez
- Ethnologue: Barbacoan
- Proel: Sub-tronco Paezano
- Proel: Familia Barbacoana