Macro-Chibchan languages
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Macro-Chibchan is a proposed grouping of the languages of the Lencan, Misumalpan, and Chibchan families into a single large phylum (macrofamily).
History
The Lencan and Misumalpan languages were once included in the Chibchan family proper, but were excluded pending further evidence as that family became well established. Kaufman (1990) finds the Chibchan–Misumalpan connection convincing, if as yet unsubstantiated, though Campbell (1997) finds it doubtful. The Xincan family was once included in Macro-Chibchan, but this is now doubtful.
Constenla (2005) calls this proposed phylum Lenmichí (Lencan–Misumalpan–Chibchan) and provides 85 cognate sets which exhibit regular sound correspondences among the three families. He suggests that Chocoan may be related as well.
Greenberg proposed a broader conception of Macro-Chibchan, one dismissed by linguists working on the families in question. It included Yanomam, Purépecha, and Cuitlatec in addition to Chibchan–Misumalpan–Xinca–Lenca. Greenberg (1987) included Paezan languages in a Chibchan-Paezan stock with Barbacoan, Chibchan, Chocoan, Jirajaran, and the isolates Betoi, Kamsá (Sibundoy), Yaruro, Esmeraldeño, Mochica, Cunza, Itonama, Timucua and Yurumanguí.
An automated computational analysis (ASJP 4) by Müller et al. (2013) also found lexical similarities between Chibchan and Misumalpan. However, since the analysis was automatically generated, the grouping could be either due to mutual lexical borrowing or genetic inheritance.
Reconstruction
Constenla (2005) reconstructed five vowels and eleven consonants for Proto-Lenmichian, with the following reflexes:
Vowels
| Proto-Lenmichian | *a | *e | *i | *o | *u |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proto-Chibchan | *a | *e | *i | *o | *u |
| Proto-Lencan | *a *e | *e | *i | *o *u | *u |
| Proto-Misumalpan | *a | *i | *i | *u | *u |
There are also a series[clarification needed] of nasal vowels.
Consonants
| Proto-Lenmichian | *b | *d | *t | *k | *ʔ | *ts | *s | *h | *l | *ɾ | *w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proto-Chibchan | *b | *d | *t | *k | *ʔ | *ts | *s | *h | *ɾ | ∅ | |
| Proto-Lencan | *p *m | *l *n | *t | *k | ∅ | *ts' | ∅ | *l | *w | ||
| Proto-Misumalpan | *b *p *m | *d *n | *t | *k | ∅ | *s | ∅ | *l | *ɾ | *w |
Vocabulary
Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items.
gloss Xinca (Guazacapán) Lenca (Chilanga) Proto-Lencan Proto-Misumalpan Proto-Chibchan head húš̱i oso hair múti alah *asak *ʦa eye hurayí sap *uᵐba ear mánka tokoro *tupal nose narí nepkuru *nep *nam *ⁿdii(k) tooth rajáj (Chiquimulilla) neh *nek *ⁿduʔ tongue elahá Nepal *tu *kuʔ(-Ba) mouth š̱ahá iɴ-ts’ats’a *in *ta *kah-ka hand pu koʃaka *kuuʔ; *haⁿd- ~ *hat- foot wapilí waʃaka *kihʦa ~ *kihsa breast šéke ts’ukiɴ 'nipple' *kãʔ; *ʦuʔ meat uwí waʃa *ᵑgaʔⁿda ~ *ᵑgaʔta; *sih blood káma ala *a *hapi ~ *apiʔ bone hararí ʃila-ts’e *ts’ek *kãⁿd-, *ⁿdaⁿdi ~ *ⁿdaiⁿd- / *saⁿdi ~ *saiⁿd- person šurúmu, hurákɨ iʃko *ᵐbaⁿdi ~ *ᵐbaiⁿd name š̱a *haka ~ *akaʔ dog čúčo (Chiquimulilla) ʃuʃu *su *tau fish séma ʃok’ín *ᵑgwa ~ *uᵑg louse tɨmáƚi tem *tem *kũʔ tree hútu suɴ *ban *ˈkàr; *kaˈri (C) leaf píya aw *ka flower túƚu ʃila *sula water uy *was *li *ⁿdiʔ fire uráy ik’aɴ *juk’a *ᵑgi 'firewood' stone híš̱i ke *ke *walpa *hak ~ *kaʔ earth náru omoɴ *taB(a) salt tíʔla ts’epe *ⁿdaᵑg road táƚma k’iɴ *k’in *hi eat rúka rom- *kuⁿdi ~ *kuiⁿd die teró ʃil- I nin unani *unani *jam *ⁿdaH(ⁿd) you náka manani *amanani *man *ᵐbaʔ
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
- Constenla Umaña, Adolfo (2002). (PDF). Revista de Filología y Lingüística de la Universidad de Costa Rica. 28: 189–206. doi:.
- Constenla Umaña, Adolfo (2005). . Estudios de Lingüística Chibcha. 24: 7–85.[permanent dead link]
- Greenberg, Joseph H. (1987). Language in the Americas. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
- Kaufman, Terrence (1990). "Language History in South America: What we know and how to know more." In Doris L. Payne, ed. Amazonian Linguistics, pp. 13–74. Austin: University of Texas Press.