Araucanian languages
The Araucanian languages /ˌærɔːˈkeɪniən/[1] are a small language family of indigenous languages of the Americas spoken in central Chile and neighboring areas of Argentina. The living representatives of this family are Mapudungun (ISO 639-3: arn) and Huilliche (ISO 639-3: huh), spoken respectively by the Mapuche and Huilliche people. These are usually considered divergent dialects of a single language isolate.
Araucanian | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | Andes of Chile, Argentina |
Linguistic classification | One of the world's primary language families |
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | arau1255 |
Demographics
It is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 Mapudungu speakers in Chile and 40,000 speakers in Argentina. Huilliche is the native language of a few thousand Chileans.
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Kunza, Mochika, Uru-Chipaya, Arawak, Pano, Cholon-Hibito, and Kechua language families due to contact.[2]
Internal classification
Jolkesky (2016)
Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):[2]
(† = extinct)
- Mapudungun
- Mapudungun, Nuclear
- Mapudungun
- Pewenche
- Rankelche
- Mapudungun, Southern: Williche
- Mapudungun, Northern
- Pikunche †
- Chango †
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Mapuche (Araucanian) language varieties.[4]
gloss | Mapuche | Picunche | Pehuenche | Huiliche | Chilote | Ranquelche |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
one | kiñe | kiñe | kiñe | kiñe | kenge | kiñe |
two | epu | epue | epu | epu | epo | epú |
three | küla | kela | kela | kila | köla | kʔla |
head | longko | lonko | rlonko | lonkó | ||
hand | kũ | kúü | kuü | ghechu | keñeu | |
water | ko | ko | ko | ko | ku | go |
sun | antu | antü | ante | ante | ánte | ant'ü |
moon | kuyen | küyén | küyen | kiyen | kién | kiyet |
maize | voe | wa | wa | waká | wa | |
bird | gunún | üñem | küñüm | giñum | trarú | |
dog | thehua | thewa | thewa | trehua | cheuá | |
jaguar | nahuel | nahuel | nawel | nahuel | naue |
Further reading
- Augusta, F. J. (1966). Diccionario araucano-español y español-araucano: tomo primero: araucano - español. Padre Las Casas: Impr. y Editorial "San Francisco".
- Cañas Pinochet, A. (1911). Estudios de la lengua veliche. In: C. E. Porter (ed.), Trabajos de la III Sección “Ciencias Naturales, Antropo-lógicas y Etnológicas” (Tomo I), 143-330. Santiago de Chile: Imprenta Barcelona.
- Erize, E. (1960). Diccionario comentado Mapuche-Español, Araucano, Pehuenche, Pampa, Picunche, Rancülche, Huilliches. Bahía Blanca: Cuadernos del Sur.
- Flury, L. (1944). Guiliches: tradiciones, leyendas, apuntes gramaticales y vocabulario de la zona pampa-araucana. (Publicaciones del Instituto de Arqueología, Lingüistica y Folklore Dr. Pablo Cabrera, 8). Córdoba: Universidad de Córdoba
- Hernández Sallés, A.; Luna, C. C. (1997). Diccionario ilustrado Mapudungun- Español-Inglés. Santiago de Chile: Pehuén.
References
- "Araucanian". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília.
- Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians. Vol. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.
- Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195094271.