Mapoyo-Yabarana language

Mapoyo, or Mapoyo–Yavarana, is a Carib language spoken along the Suapure and Parguaza Rivers, Venezuela. The ethnic population of Mapoyo proper is about 365. Yabarana dialect is perhaps extinct; 20 speakers were known in 1977.[1] An additional dialect, Pémono,[2] was discovered in 1998. It was spoken by an 80-year-old woman and has since gone extinct.

Mapoyo
Mapoyo–Yavarana
Native toVenezuela
RegionSuapure River
Ethnicity520 Mapoyo & Yabarana (2007)[1]
ExtinctLast speaker of Pemono after 1998. A few semi-speakers of Mapoyo proper (2007), 20 Yabarana (1977)[1]
Carib
  • Venezuelan Carib
    • Mapoyo–Tamanaku
      • Mapoyo
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
mcg – Mapoyo
yar – Yabarana
pev – Pémono
Glottologmapo1245
ELP

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop p t k ʔ
Nasal m n ɲ
Fricative β s h
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant w j
  • /h/ can be heard as a palatal [ç] when preceding a voiceless plosive.
  • /n/ can be heard as a velar [ŋ] when preceding a velar /k/.
  • /β/ can be heard as a voiced stop [b], when after a voiceless plosive or glottal /ʔ/.
  • /s/ can be heard with an allophone of [ts] when word-initially, or after a glottal /ʔ/.
  • /j/ can be heard as a voiced fricative [ʝ], when before a back vowel.

Vowels
Front Central Back
High i ɨ u
Mid e ɘ o
Low a
  • Sounds /i, u/ are reduced to [ɪ, ʊ] in syllable-final position.
  • /ɘ/ is heard as a lower [ə] sound when preceding /h/, or following /β/.
  • /a/ is heard as [ɑ] when occurring after an initial bilabial sound.[3]

References
  1. Mapoyo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Yabarana at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Pémono at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Not the same as Pemon
  3. Medina, Francia (1997). Introducción a la Fonética y a la Fonología Mapoyo (Caribe). Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela.


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