Witotoan languages
Encyclopedia
Bora–Witóto is a proposal to unite the Bora and Witotoan
language families
of northeastern Peru
(Loreto Region
), southwestern Colombia
(Amazonas Department), and western Brazil
(Amazonas State). Kaufman (1990) found the proposal plausible; by 1994 he had accepted it and added the Andoque language
.
The classification above is based on Campbell (1997) who follows Richard Aschmann's 1993 classification and reconstruction
of proto-Witotoan.
Kaufman (1994) lists Bóran and Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) as separate families (they are grouped together with Andoque
as Bora–Witótoan; by 2007 he moved Andoque to Witotoan). He does not show internal branching. Nipode and Mïnïca are listed as dialect
s of a single Meneka language (whereas Aschmann and Campbell treat these as separate languages at different branch nodes). Kaufman also includes within his Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) the following languages (followed by their Lingist List codes):
Andoquero, Coeruna, and Koihoma are all extinct
. Nonuya may be extinct as well.
Synonymy note:
language isolate
Andoque
(Andoke). By 2007 he had moved Andoque to within the Witotoan branch, and included Bora–Witoto in his Macro-Andean
proposal. Richard Aschmann (1993) considered Andoque an isolate.
Joseph Greenberg
included Bora–Uitoto within his Macro-Carib phylum, but this has not been followed by linguists working on those families.
Witotoan languages
Bora–Witóto is a proposal to unite the Bora and Witotoan language families of northeastern Peru , southwestern Colombia , and western Brazil...
language families
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...
of northeastern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
(Loreto Region
Loreto Region
Loreto is Peru's northernmost region. Covering almost one-third of Peru's territory, Loreto is by far the nation's largest region and also one of the most sparsely populated ones, due to its remote location in the Amazon Rainforest...
), southwestern 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...
(Amazonas Department), and western 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...
(Amazonas State). Kaufman (1990) found the proposal plausible; by 1994 he had accepted it and added the Andoque language
Andoque language
The Andoque language is an aboriginal language spoken by a few hundred Andoque in Northern South America, and is in decline.In 2000, there were 610 speakers in the area of the Anduche River, downstream from Aracuara, Amazonas, Colombia; 50 were monolinguals. The language is no longer spoken in...
.
Family division
- Boran ( Bora–Muiname, Bóran, Miranyan, Miranya, Bórano)
- BoraBora languageBora is an indigenous American language spoken in western South America. Bora proper has 94% mutual comprehensibility with the Miraña dialect. The majority of its speakers reside in Perú where 2,328 Bora-speakers live in the Northeast Yaguasyacu, Putumayo, and Ampiyacu river areas. Peruvian...
( Bora–Miranya, Boro, Meamuyna) - MuinaneMuinane language-Classification:Muinane belongs to the Witotoan language family. Along with Bora, it comprises the Boran sub-grouping.-Geographic distribution:Muinane is spoken by 150 people in Colombia along the Upper Cahuinarí river in the Department of Amazonas...
( Bora Muinane, Muinane Bora, Muinani, Muename)
- Bora
- Witotoan ( Huitoto–Ocaina, Huitotoan, Huitotoano, Witóto, Huitoto, Uitoto, Huitótoano)
- Ocaina ( Okaina)
- Witoto Proper
- Nïpode ( Nüpode, Nipode Huitoto, Nipode Witoto, Witoto Muinane, Muinane Huitoto, Muiname)
- Mïnïca–Murai
- MïnïcaMinica HuitotoMinica Huitoto is one of three indigenous American Huitoto languages of the Witotoan family spoken by a few thousand speakers in western South America....
( Witoto Meneca, Meneca, Meneka, Noaiko-Muína, Southern Witoto, Minica Huitoto, Minica) - MuruiMurui HuitotoMurui Huitoto - or simply Murui is an indigenous American Huitoto language of the Witotoan family spoken by 2,900 of indigenous people in western South America alongside the Ampiyacu, Putumayo, and Napo rivers....
( Witoto Murui, Murai, Búe, Murai Huitoto, Bue, Huitoto, Central Witoto proper, Komïne)
- Mïnïca
The classification above is based on Campbell (1997) who follows Richard Aschmann's 1993 classification and reconstruction
Proto-language
A proto-language in the tree model of historical linguistics is the common ancestor of the languages that form a language family. Occasionally, the German term Ursprache is used instead.Often the proto-language is not known directly...
of proto-Witotoan.
Kaufman (1994) lists Bóran and Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) as separate families (they are grouped together with Andoque
Andoque language
The Andoque language is an aboriginal language spoken by a few hundred Andoque in Northern South America, and is in decline.In 2000, there were 610 speakers in the area of the Anduche River, downstream from Aracuara, Amazonas, Colombia; 50 were monolinguals. The language is no longer spoken in...
as Bora–Witótoan; by 2007 he moved Andoque to Witotoan). He does not show internal branching. Nipode and Mïnïca are listed as dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s of a single Meneka language (whereas Aschmann and Campbell treat these as separate languages at different branch nodes). Kaufman also includes within his Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) the following languages (followed by their Lingist List codes):
- Andoquero ( Andokero, Miranya-Karapana-Tapuyo, Miraña, Carapana) Amazonas, Colombia (†)
- Coeruna ( Koeruna) Amazonas, Brazil (†)
- Nonuya ( Nyonuhu, Nonuña, Achote, Achiote) Loreto, Peru []
- Koihoma ( Coto, Koto, Orejón, Coixoma) Loreto, Peru (†)
Andoquero, Coeruna, and Koihoma are all 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...
. Nonuya may be extinct as well.
Synonymy note:
- The name Muiname has been used to refer to the Muinane language (Bora Muinane) of the Boran sub-group and also to the Nipode language (Witoto Muinane) of the Huitoto–Ocaina sub-group.
- The names Koto, Coto, and Orejón have been used to refer to the Koihoma language (Coixoma) and also to the unrelated Orejón language (also known as Koto or Coto) of the Tucanoan language family.
Genetic relations
Kaufman's (1994) Bora–Witótoan stock includes the Bóran and Witótoan (Huitoto-Ocaina) sub-families and also the endangeredEndangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
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...
Andoque
Andoque
Andoque are an indigenous people of Colombia. They live along the Aduche tributary of the Japurá River.- Language and culture :The Andoque language is an language isolate and is extinct in Peru...
(Andoke). By 2007 he had moved Andoque to within the Witotoan branch, and included Bora–Witoto in his Macro-Andean
Macro-Andean
Macro-Andean is a speculative proposal by Kaufman linking languages of the northern Andes.Kaufman found lexical support for proposals linking the Jivaro–Cahuapanan families as suggested by Swadesh and others. By 2007 he had tentatively added Saparo–Yawan, which is itself provisional, and...
proposal. Richard Aschmann (1993) considered Andoque an isolate.
Joseph 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 :...
included Bora–Uitoto within his Macro-Carib phylum, but this has not been followed by linguists working on those families.
External links
- Ethnologue:
- Proel: