Nambikwaran languages
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The Nambikwaran languages are a language family of half a dozen languages, all spoken in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. They have traditionally been considered dialects of a single language, but at least three of them are mutually unintelligible.
- Mamaindê (250-340)
- Nambikwara (720)
- Sabanê (3)
The varieties of Mamaindê are often seen as dialects of a single language but are treated as separate Northern Nambikwaran languages by Ethnologue. Sabanê is a single speech community and thus has no dialects, while the Nambikwara language has been described as having eleven.
The total number of speakers is estimated to be about 1,000, with Nambikwara proper being 80% of that number. Most Nambikwara are monolingual but some young men speak Portuguese. Especially the men of the Sabanê group are trilingual, speaking both Portuguese and Mamainde.
Genetic relations
Price (1978) proposes a relationship with Kanoê (Kapixaná), but this connection is not widely accepted.
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Aikanã, Irantxe, Itonama, Kanoe, Kwaza, Peba-Yagua, Arawak, Bororo, and Karib language families due to contact.
Varieties
Jolkesky (2016)
Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):
(† = extinct)
- Nambikwaran Sabane Nambikwara, Northern Guaporé: Mamainde; Negarote; Tawende Roosevelt: Lakonde; Latunde; Tawande Nambikwara, Southern Alantesu: Alantesu; Hahãintesu; Waikisu; Wasusu Halotesu: Halotesu; Kithãulhu; Wakalitesu; Sawentesu Manduka: Hukuntesu; Niyahlosu; Siwaisu Sarare
Loukotka (1968)
Below is a full list of Nambikwaran language varieties listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.
- Nambikwaran Eastern dialects Tagnaní - spoken on the Castanho River (Roosevelt River), Mato Grosso. Tamaindé - spoken on the Papagaio River and Marquez de Sousa River, state of Mato Grosso. Neneː - spoken at the confluence of the Juína River and Juruena River, Mato Grosso. Tarunde - spoken in the same region on the 12 de Outubro River[sv]. Central dialects Kokozú / Uaindze / Ualíxere - spoken on the left bank of the 12 de Outubro River[sv]. Anunze / Soálesu - spoken between the Papagaio River and Camararé River, Mato Grosso. Kongoreː - spoken on the Buriti River, Mato Grosso. Navaite - spoken on the Dúvida River, Mato Grosso. (Unattested) Taduté - spoken by the neighbors of the Navaite tribe on the Dúvida River. Western dialects Tauité / Tawite - spoken on the Camararé River, state of Mato Grosso. Uaintasú / Waintazú - spoken in Mato Grosso on the right bank of the Pimenta Bueno River. (Unattested) Mamaindé - spoken on the Cabixi River, state of Mato Grosso. (Unattested) Uamandiri - spoken between the Cabixi River and Corumbiara River. (Unattested) Tauandé - spoken on the São Francisco Bueno River, Mato Grosso. (Unattested) Malondeː - spoken in the same region but exact location unknown. (Unattested) Unetundeː - spoken on the upper course of the Dúvida River. (Unattested) Tapóya - language of the same region, exact location unknown. (Unattested) Northern dialects Sabané - spoken on the Ananáz River (now the Tenente Marques River) and Juína-Mirim River, state of Mato Grosso. Jaiá - spoken on the Ananáz River (now the Tenente Marques River). (Unattested) Lacondeː - spoken on the right bank of the Castanho River (Roosevelt River). (Unattested)
Mason (1950) lists the following varieties under "Nambicuara proper":
Mason (1950)
- Nambikwaran Northeastern Eastern: Cocozu Northeastern: Anunzé Southwestern Western: Tamaindé Central and Southern Uaintazu Kabishi Tagnani Tauité Taruté Tashuité
Sabane is listed by Mason (1950) as "Pseudo-Nambicuara" (Northern).
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for various Nambikwaran languages.
| gloss | Tauité | Sabané | Anunze | Elotasu | Kokozú | Tagnaní | Tamaindé | Nene | Tarundé |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| one | améro | knakná | kenáge | etegenõ | ganagidzyare | banuré | kanákero | ||
| two | baléne | haːro | searu | dehaunõ | bandyere | lauré | baʔãdo | ||
| head | ua-negetü | dwa-haniːkin | toa-nekisú | ga-nakitú | nuhi-naite | nu-naite | |||
| tongue | tayú-hendü | uai-lehrú | año-heru | toái-herú | uai-hendé | noio-hidnde | nuiú-endé | nui-edende | |
| hand | toái-kizeː | depibá | uai-kizé | dwa-hikisu | toái-ikisú | ua-hité | nuhiː-hĩte | nuna-noré | |
| woman | akiːnaʔñazé | dusé | dosú | temoreː | ndenore | tenoré | denõ | ||
| water | ari | uarazé | iñausu | unsazú | narutundú | nahirinde | narundé | náru | |
| sun | utianezeː | yóta | ikidazé | udiʔenikisu | uterikisú | chondí | nahnde | naneré | |
| maize | guyakizeː | kayátsu | kayátsu | giaté | kaiate | kiakinindé | kiáteninde | ||
| parrot | anʔanzí | kakaitezé | ãhru | áhlu | aundaré | aúndere | |||
| bow | arankizeː | ukizé | úkisu | hukisú | huté | hute | aindé | ||
| white | eːseːnanzeː | pãte | kuidisú | han | ahéndesu | déʔende | hanidzare | haniʔna |
Proto-language
Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978):
| Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978) | |
|---|---|
| gloss Proto-Nambikwaran ‘maize, corn’ *ka³yat³ ‘tapir’ *hv³¹ũː¹m ‘moon’ *h'e³¹v³ ‘water (n)’ *na1pə̃³¹ ‘now’ *hi¹n ‘water’ *yaut³ ‘to tie’ *t'ait¹ ‘to walk’ *h'ai² ‘that’ *tei²l ‘here’ *tiː¹ ‘bow’ *pok'³ ‘wing’ *n'əi³C ‘to hit’ *su³l ‘to drink’ *naː² ‘animal’ *ha³no³la³ ‘mouth’ *youː² ‘good’ *məu³li⁴ ‘white’ *pãn³ ‘to play’ *ləuː²n ‘head’ *naik³ ‘hair’ *ĩć³ ‘dog’ *waiː³yvl³ ‘to fall’ *hi² ‘road’ *ha³tẽp³ ‘savannah’ *mãl³ ‘to sing’ *pain³ ‘grass’ *sit³ ‘meat’ *sĩn³ ‘house’ *s'ip³ ‘bark, shell’ *kv³ləu³ ‘to dig’ *'uh³ ‘sky’ *h'əu³p(an⁴) ‘to smell’ *nh'õn³ ‘horn’ *na³ ‘rain’ *ha³mə̃i³ ‘ashes’ *Cv³nõn³ ‘snake’ *t'ep³ ‘to scratch’ *kɨn² ‘to eat’ *yain³ ‘long’ *ləː² ‘heart’ *yv³lã¹k ‘string’ *ẽp³ ‘string’ *nu² ‘to run’ *hip³ ‘to chop’ *tau³ ‘child’ *mə̃ić³ ‘to give’ *õː¹ ‘to lie (down)’ *ć'aː¹ ‘tooth’ *wiː³ ‘day’ *lãn²ti³ ‘two’ *p'aː¹l(in¹) ‘to sleep’ *ha³mũ³n'i² ‘he’ *pai³ ‘his’ *na² ‘to rub’ *lɨ¹nɨ³ ‘to listen’ *ain³ ‘I’ *t'ai²l ‘my’ *t'a² ‘knife’ *yu³l ‘to speak’ *sɨ¹ ‘beans’ *ka³mat³ ‘liver’ *p'i⁴l ‘arrow’ *hauːt'¹ ‘flower’ *yãuć³ ‘fire’ *yat² ‘leaf’ *ha⁴ćeih³ ‘leaf’ *n'ãn'⁴ ‘cold’ *liː² ‘fog’ *wi³Ca² ‘tobacco’ *h'əić³ ‘fat’ *pa³nẽit¹ ‘man’ *en³t' ‘to swell’ *wa⁴kaː³n ‘knee’ *kat'³ ‘to throw’ *ta⁴naː¹m ‘there’ *ti⁴paː³t ‘firewood’ *(ha³)ne¹ ‘to clean’ *pəuː¹t ‘to clean’ *han³ ‘tongue’ *pəi³l ‘smooth’ *wa³suː³ ‘worm’ *yõ³yõ³C ‘far’ *uː²l ‘monkey’ *huć³ ‘mother’ *na²C ‘hand’ *pik'² ‘left hand’ *wãt³ ‘husband’ *wei³ćãi¹ ‘to kill’ *hãːn³ ‘forest’ *ća³w'əin³ ‘to bite’ *ĩː³m ‘woman’ *(ha³)t'eh³ ‘to swim’ *həup² ‘nose’ *a⁴miː³ć ‘night’ *ka³na³C ‘to see’ *ẽː²p ‘eye’ *ei³ka³ ‘jaguar’ *ya³na¹l ‘where’ *pai¹ ‘ear’ *n'a⁴ ‘bone’ *soh³ ‘egg’ *nau³ ‘father’ *wãi¹ ‘father’ *mĩː³n ‘bird’ *ai³k' ‘tree, stick’ *ha³piː³ć ‘foot’ *yu³k' ‘stone’ *t'a³pa³l ‘to hold’ *hi³ ‘breast’ *nũn⁴k ‘fish’ *h'ain³ ‘feather’ *w'əit¹ ‘little’ *ći³qi⁴hn ‘leg’ *nəi²k ‘heavy’ *sa³t'ei¹ ‘louse’ *ka³nãip¹ni³ ‘black’ *(ta³)ton³ ‘pull’ *sĩn³ćouː¹ ‘when’ *na³ ‘what’ *Ca¹tei² ‘to burn’ *thəp⁴ ‘hot’ *mãn² ‘round’ *ma³tũ³ma³tũn³ ‘straight’ *wain³ ‘to laugh’ *kãm³li¹ ‘spit’ *ka²sip¹ ‘dry season’ *ka³məi³kəu³n ‘dry’ *lon¹ ‘seed’ *kɨ⁴ ‘to sit’ *yauː² ‘dirty’ *n'aː¹ć'iː³ ‘fear’ *sup³l ‘earth’ *k'ĩp³ ‘earth’ *nu³ ‘crooked’ *ta³ko³ta³kon³ ‘guts’ *ka³nai¹ ‘one’ *ka³naː³ka⁴(nat³) ‘fingernail, claw’ *kai³l ‘achiote’ *top³ ‘old’ *tĩn³ ‘wind’ *'it³ ‘green’ *sa³t'əiː³sa³i'əin³ ‘red’ *həi³n ‘to come’ *mãː² ‘to live’ *ka³t'en³ ‘to fly’ *h'in³ ‘you’ *w'ai²n ‘your’ *mã⁴ ‘to return’ *wam²l ‘to vomit’ *lop³ | |
| gloss | Proto-Nambikwaran |
| ‘maize, corn’ | *ka³yat³ |
| ‘tapir’ | *hv³¹ũː¹m |
| ‘moon’ | *h'e³¹v³ |
| ‘water (n)’ | *na1pə̃³¹ |
| ‘now’ | *hi¹n |
| ‘water’ | *yaut³ |
| ‘to tie’ | *t'ait¹ |
| ‘to walk’ | *h'ai² |
| ‘that’ | *tei²l |
| ‘here’ | *tiː¹ |
| ‘bow’ | *pok'³ |
| ‘wing’ | *n'əi³C |
| ‘to hit’ | *su³l |
| ‘to drink’ | *naː² |
| ‘animal’ | *ha³no³la³ |
| ‘mouth’ | *youː² |
| ‘good’ | *məu³li⁴ |
| ‘white’ | *pãn³ |
| ‘to play’ | *ləuː²n |
| ‘head’ | *naik³ |
| ‘hair’ | *ĩć³ |
| ‘dog’ | *waiː³yvl³ |
| ‘to fall’ | *hi² |
| ‘road’ | *ha³tẽp³ |
| ‘savannah’ | *mãl³ |
| ‘to sing’ | *pain³ |
| ‘grass’ | *sit³ |
| ‘meat’ | *sĩn³ |
| ‘house’ | *s'ip³ |
| ‘bark, shell’ | *kv³ləu³ |
| ‘to dig’ | *'uh³ |
| ‘sky’ | *h'əu³p(an⁴) |
| ‘to smell’ | *nh'õn³ |
| ‘horn’ | *na³ |
| ‘rain’ | *ha³mə̃i³ |
| ‘ashes’ | *Cv³nõn³ |
| ‘snake’ | *t'ep³ |
| ‘to scratch’ | *kɨn² |
| ‘to eat’ | *yain³ |
| ‘long’ | *ləː² |
| ‘heart’ | *yv³lã¹k |
| ‘string’ | *ẽp³ |
| ‘string’ | *nu² |
| ‘to run’ | *hip³ |
| ‘to chop’ | *tau³ |
| ‘child’ | *mə̃ić³ |
| ‘to give’ | *õː¹ |
| ‘to lie (down)’ | *ć'aː¹ |
| ‘tooth’ | *wiː³ |
| ‘day’ | *lãn²ti³ |
| ‘two’ | *p'aː¹l(in¹) |
| ‘to sleep’ | *ha³mũ³n'i² |
| ‘he’ | *pai³ |
| ‘his’ | *na² |
| ‘to rub’ | *lɨ¹nɨ³ |
| ‘to listen’ | *ain³ |
| ‘I’ | *t'ai²l |
| ‘my’ | *t'a² |
| ‘knife’ | *yu³l |
| ‘to speak’ | *sɨ¹ |
| ‘beans’ | *ka³mat³ |
| ‘liver’ | *p'i⁴l |
| ‘arrow’ | *hauːt'¹ |
| ‘flower’ | *yãuć³ |
| ‘fire’ | *yat² |
| ‘leaf’ | *ha⁴ćeih³ |
| ‘leaf’ | *n'ãn'⁴ |
| ‘cold’ | *liː² |
| ‘fog’ | *wi³Ca² |
| ‘tobacco’ | *h'əić³ |
| ‘fat’ | *pa³nẽit¹ |
| ‘man’ | *en³t' |
| ‘to swell’ | *wa⁴kaː³n |
| ‘knee’ | *kat'³ |
| ‘to throw’ | *ta⁴naː¹m |
| ‘there’ | *ti⁴paː³t |
| ‘firewood’ | *(ha³)ne¹ |
| ‘to clean’ | *pəuː¹t |
| ‘to clean’ | *han³ |
| ‘tongue’ | *pəi³l |
| ‘smooth’ | *wa³suː³ |
| ‘worm’ | *yõ³yõ³C |
| ‘far’ | *uː²l |
| ‘monkey’ | *huć³ |
| ‘mother’ | *na²C |
| ‘hand’ | *pik'² |
| ‘left hand’ | *wãt³ |
| ‘husband’ | *wei³ćãi¹ |
| ‘to kill’ | *hãːn³ |
| ‘forest’ | *ća³w'əin³ |
| ‘to bite’ | *ĩː³m |
| ‘woman’ | *(ha³)t'eh³ |
| ‘to swim’ | *həup² |
| ‘nose’ | *a⁴miː³ć |
| ‘night’ | *ka³na³C |
| ‘to see’ | *ẽː²p |
| ‘eye’ | *ei³ka³ |
| ‘jaguar’ | *ya³na¹l |
| ‘where’ | *pai¹ |
| ‘ear’ | *n'a⁴ |
| ‘bone’ | *soh³ |
| ‘egg’ | *nau³ |
| ‘father’ | *wãi¹ |
| ‘father’ | *mĩː³n |
| ‘bird’ | *ai³k' |
| ‘tree, stick’ | *ha³piː³ć |
| ‘foot’ | *yu³k' |
| ‘stone’ | *t'a³pa³l |
| ‘to hold’ | *hi³ |
| ‘breast’ | *nũn⁴k |
| ‘fish’ | *h'ain³ |
| ‘feather’ | *w'əit¹ |
| ‘little’ | *ći³qi⁴hn |
| ‘leg’ | *nəi²k |
| ‘heavy’ | *sa³t'ei¹ |
| ‘louse’ | *ka³nãip¹ni³ |
| ‘black’ | *(ta³)ton³ |
| ‘pull’ | *sĩn³ćouː¹ |
| ‘when’ | *na³ |
| ‘what’ | *Ca¹tei² |
| ‘to burn’ | *thəp⁴ |
| ‘hot’ | *mãn² |
| ‘round’ | *ma³tũ³ma³tũn³ |
| ‘straight’ | *wain³ |
| ‘to laugh’ | *kãm³li¹ |
| ‘spit’ | *ka²sip¹ |
| ‘dry season’ | *ka³məi³kəu³n |
| ‘dry’ | *lon¹ |
| ‘seed’ | *kɨ⁴ |
| ‘to sit’ | *yauː² |
| ‘dirty’ | *n'aː¹ć'iː³ |
| ‘fear’ | *sup³l |
| ‘earth’ | *k'ĩp³ |
| ‘earth’ | *nu³ |
| ‘crooked’ | *ta³ko³ta³kon³ |
| ‘guts’ | *ka³nai¹ |
| ‘one’ | *ka³naː³ka⁴(nat³) |
| ‘fingernail, claw’ | *kai³l |
| ‘achiote’ | *top³ |
| ‘old’ | *tĩn³ |
| ‘wind’ | *'it³ |
| ‘green’ | *sa³t'əiː³sa³i'əin³ |
| ‘red’ | *həi³n |
| ‘to come’ | *mãː² |
| ‘to live’ | *ka³t'en³ |
| ‘to fly’ | *h'in³ |
| ‘you’ | *w'ai²n |
| ‘your’ | *mã⁴ |
| ‘to return’ | *wam²l |
| ‘to vomit’ | *lop³ |
Bibliography
- Costa, Januacele Francisca da; W. Leo M. Wetzels. 2008. Proto-Nambikwara Sound Structure. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
- Araujo, G. A. (2004). A Grammar of Sabanê: A Nambikwaran Language. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 94. Utrecht: LOT.
- Gomes, M. A. C. F. (1991). Dicionário Mamaindé-Português/Português-Mamaindé. Cuiabá: SIL.
- Eberhard, David M. (2009). Mamaindê Grammar: a Northern Nambikwara language and its cultural context. LOT publications. ISBN 978-94-6093-012-6.
- Kroeker, M. H. (1996). Dicionário escolar bilingüe Nambikuara-Português, Português-Nambikuara. Porto Velho: SIL.
- Price, D. P. (1978). The Nambiquara Linguistic Family. Anthropological Linguistics 20:14-37.