Jicaquean, also known as Tolan, is a small language family of Honduras. There are two attested Jicaquean languages, Tol (Eastern Jicaque) and Western Jicaque (Holt 1999), which Campbell (1997) reports were about as distant as English and Swedish. Only Tol survives.

Classification

Prior to an influential paper by Greenberg and Swadesh in 1953 Tol (a.k.a. Eastern Jicaque) was thought to be a language isolate, i.e., there existed no knowledge as to its possible genetic affinities. They argued that Tol should be added to the Hokan stock, a large language stock, phylum or family, which was proposed by R. B. Dixon and Alfred D. Kroeber in 1913. In 1977, David Oltrogge proposed to link Tol to the extinct Subtiaba language of Nicaragua, and also to Chontal of Oaxaca, also known as Tequistlateco. This indirectly amounted to a mere sub-classification, since all of the three languages in question were part of the proposed Hokan stock. A couple of years later, Campbell and Oltrogge published a reconstruction of Jicaquean phonemes, based on the available information on Western and Eastern Jicaque. In that same paper they expressed strong doubt in the Hokan affiliation of Tol and mild enthusiasm regarding the possible link to Chontal of Oaxaca, but stressed that much more information was needed to be able to say anything reasonable. More recently, Kaufman has expressed his continuing support of the Hokan affiliation of Tol.

Julian Granberry & Gary Vescelius (2004) propose that the extinct Ciguayo language of Hispaniola has its closest relatives in the Tolan languages.

Proto-language

Proto-Jicaque reconstructions by Campbell and Oltrogge (1980), along with daughter language data from Campbell (1999). Note minor differences in transcription.

Proto-Jicaque reconstructions by Campbell and Oltrogge (1980)
no.glossProto-JicaqueWestern JicaqueTol 2all*pʰɨ(t) 3always*han- 5arm, back, shoulder*pʰelpʰenpʰel 7arrow*ȼimea?harekhalek 8ashes*pʰɨpʰɨhpʰɨbɨhpʰɨpʰɨh 13to be*kʼos 16bed*kʰankankʰan 17belly*-kolkonkol 18big*pɨneh?pɨnépɨné 24black*te(kʰ)tete 27blood*kʼaskatʔas 28blue*ȼu(h)ču(h)tsu 30body*pʼɨ(y)pɨjpʼɨj 32bone*kʰelekerekʰele 34bow (of bow and arrow)*halek 37to burn*tV-pʷeto-bweto-pwe 38bush (forest)*hokʼ-la 40buzzard*mantɨ 45cloud*molmonmol 46coal(s)*ȼʰek 51cougar*pɨkʼa(-he) 59daughter*(ku)kus 62deer*pʼɨspɨtpʼɨs 63to die*pɨʔ? 65dog*ȼʰiyo(h)ʃijótsʰijó 66to drink*mɨʔ 67(to) dry*pʰa-pʰa-pʰa 69ear*pʰaȼʼpatpʰatsʼ 70earth, land*(a)ma(h)mama 71to eat*la? 72egg*pehey 75excrement*pɨ(y) 78far*kampakambakampa 79father*(pa)pa(y) 84fire*kʼawakaw-ʔaw-a 85firewood*wɨ(t) 86fish*kʰulkunkʰul 89flea*pel 91fly*noȼoȼnočotnotsots 93forehead*walawarawala 94to forget*-pɨʔ 95four*(y)ulupʰanaurubana(j)ulupʰana 97fruit*wolas 99to give*-tekʼate-gate-ʔa 101good*wɨ(k) 102grain (cf. maize)*huluphurukhulup 103grandmother, female*(mɨ)mɨy 104to grind*kʰol?to-gon-to-kʰol 106hair*ȼʼilčintsʼil 107hand*mas? 108he, that*huphukhup 109head*ha(y)pʰukabukajpʰuk 110to hear*pʰak 111heart*has-hoč(uruk)hos- 114horn*ȼʰemeʃemetsʰeme 115house*wawawa 117I*nap?naknap 119intestines*ȼʼul-čuntsʼul 123knee*tikʼ- 125to laugh*wiʔ 126leg*tektektek 128lip*lɨprɨklɨp 129liver*komkonkom 131long*kampakambakampa 132to look for*pal- 133louse*tɨtʼtɨttɨtʼ 135macaw*pʼɨsa(h)pɨčápʼɨsá 137male, grandfather*(ko)koy 138man*yom 140meat*pispitpis 143moon*mɨmɨy 144month*mɨy-pʰini(h) 148mouth*lala 149much*pɨlɨkpɨrɨkpɨlɨk 150my, mine*naȼaʔ 152navel*lulu 153nephew*kelew?kerékelé 155no*ma- 156nose*mikmikmik 157to nurse*ȼoʔčo?-tsoʔ 158oak*ȼʼololčorontsʼolol 159one*pʰani(h) 164parrot*kʰuyu(h)kujuhkʰujuh 168red*he(h)hehe 172round*mul-? 175salt*ȼolimčorintsolin 177sandal, shoe*ȼompit 178scorpion*ȼʰew?ʃe(w)tsʰew 179to see*nu(k) 186skinny*kʰele 187sky*alpa 188sleep*han- 190smoke*mus-mutmus 192to snore*-hol- 194to sow, plant*sin- 195to speak*wele 196spider*kolokkorokkolok 201stone*pe(h)pepe 202summer*ȼʰikinčikin-tsikin 203sun*loȼʼakločaklotsʼak 204tail*sokʼčoksokʼ 207there is/are not (Sp.: no hay)*kuwa 210thorn*ham? 212to tie*ȼupa-čubatsupa 215tongue*pelam 216tooth*wis 217tree*yo(h)jojo 220two*matʼɨmatamatʼa 221uncle*kokʰam? 224wasp*petʰelpetenpetʰel 225water*sɨ(tʰ)-čɨ-sɨ 226we*-kup-kuk-kup 228white*pʰe(kʰ)pʰepʰe 229wind*lɨpʰɨ(kʰ)lɨbɨ-lɨpʰɨ 230woman*kepkekkep 233word*wele 235worm, caterpillar*ȼʼihihčihtsʼih- 237yellow*lu(pʰ) 239you*hipikhip
no.glossProto-JicaqueWestern JicaqueTol
2all*pʰɨ(t)
3always*han-
5arm, back, shoulder*pʰelpʰenpʰel
7arrow*ȼimea?harekhalek
8ashes*pʰɨpʰɨhpʰɨbɨhpʰɨpʰɨh
13to be*kʼos
16bed*kʰankankʰan
17belly*-kolkonkol
18big*pɨneh?pɨnépɨné
24black*te(kʰ)tete
27blood*kʼaskatʔas
28blue*ȼu(h)ču(h)tsu
30body*pʼɨ(y)pɨjpʼɨj
32bone*kʰelekerekʰele
34bow (of bow and arrow)*halek
37to burn*tV-pʷeto-bweto-pwe
38bush (forest)*hokʼ-la
40buzzard*mantɨ
45cloud*molmonmol
46coal(s)*ȼʰek
51cougar*pɨkʼa(-he)
59daughter*(ku)kus
62deer*pʼɨspɨtpʼɨs
63to die*pɨʔ?
65dog*ȼʰiyo(h)ʃijótsʰijó
66to drink*mɨʔ
67(to) dry*pʰa-pʰa-pʰa
69ear*pʰaȼʼpatpʰatsʼ
70earth, land*(a)ma(h)mama
71to eat*la?
72egg*pehey
75excrement*pɨ(y)
78far*kampakambakampa
79father*(pa)pa(y)
84fire*kʼawakaw-ʔaw-a
85firewood*wɨ(t)
86fish*kʰulkunkʰul
89flea*pel
91fly*noȼoȼnočotnotsots
93forehead*walawarawala
94to forget*-pɨʔ
95four*(y)ulupʰanaurubana(j)ulupʰana
97fruit*wolas
99to give*-tekʼate-gate-ʔa
101good*wɨ(k)
102grain (cf. maize)*huluphurukhulup
103grandmother, female*(mɨ)mɨy
104to grind*kʰol?to-gon-to-kʰol
106hair*ȼʼilčintsʼil
107hand*mas?
108he, that*huphukhup
109head*ha(y)pʰukabukajpʰuk
110to hear*pʰak
111heart*has-hoč(uruk)hos-
114horn*ȼʰemeʃemetsʰeme
115house*wawawa
117I*nap?naknap
119intestines*ȼʼul-čuntsʼul
123knee*tikʼ-
125to laugh*wiʔ
126leg*tektektek
128lip*lɨprɨklɨp
129liver*komkonkom
131long*kampakambakampa
132to look for*pal-
133louse*tɨtʼtɨttɨtʼ
135macaw*pʼɨsa(h)pɨčápʼɨsá
137male, grandfather*(ko)koy
138man*yom
140meat*pispitpis
143moon*mɨmɨy
144month*mɨy-pʰini(h)
148mouth*lala
149much*pɨlɨkpɨrɨkpɨlɨk
150my, mine*naȼaʔ
152navel*lulu
153nephew*kelew?kerékelé
155no*ma-
156nose*mikmikmik
157to nurse*ȼoʔčo?-tsoʔ
158oak*ȼʼololčorontsʼolol
159one*pʰani(h)
164parrot*kʰuyu(h)kujuhkʰujuh
168red*he(h)hehe
172round*mul-?
175salt*ȼolimčorintsolin
177sandal, shoe*ȼompit
178scorpion*ȼʰew?ʃe(w)tsʰew
179to see*nu(k)
186skinny*kʰele
187sky*alpa
188sleep*han-
190smoke*mus-mutmus
192to snore*-hol-
194to sow, plant*sin-
195to speak*wele
196spider*kolokkorokkolok
201stone*pe(h)pepe
202summer*ȼʰikinčikin-tsikin
203sun*loȼʼakločaklotsʼak
204tail*sokʼčoksokʼ
207there is/are not (Sp.: no hay)*kuwa
210thorn*ham?
212to tie*ȼupa-čubatsupa
215tongue*pelam
216tooth*wis
217tree*yo(h)jojo
220two*matʼɨmatamatʼa
221uncle*kokʰam?
224wasp*petʰelpetenpetʰel
225water*sɨ(tʰ)-čɨ-sɨ
226we*-kup-kuk-kup
228white*pʰe(kʰ)pʰepʰe
229wind*lɨpʰɨ(kʰ)lɨbɨ-lɨpʰɨ
230woman*kepkekkep
233word*wele
235worm, caterpillar*ȼʼihihčihtsʼih-
237yellow*lu(pʰ)
239you*hipikhip
  • Campbell, Lyle. (1979). "Middle American languages." In L. Campbell & M. Mithun (Eds.), The languages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment (pp.902–1000). Austin: University of Texas Press.
  • Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian Languages, The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford UP.
  • Campbell, Lyle, and David Oltrogge (1980). "Proto-Tol (Jicaque)." International Journal of American Linguistics, 46:205-223.
  • Granberry, Julian, and Gary Vescelius (2004). Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles. Birmingham: University of Alabama Press.
  • Greenberg, Joseph H., and Morris Swadesh (1953). "Jicaque as a Hokan Language." International Journal of American Linguistics 19: 216–222.
  • Holt, Dennis. (1999). Tol (Jicaque). Languages of the World/Materials 170. Munich: LincomEuropa.

External links