Guaicuruan
Waikurúan
EthnicityGuaycuru peoples
Geographic
distribution		northern Argentina, western Paraguay, southern Brazil
Linguistic classificationMataco–Guaicuru ?
  • Guaicuruan
Subdivisions
Glottologguai1249

Guaicuruan (Guaykuruan, Waikurúan, Guaycuruano, Guaikurú, Guaicuru, Guaycuruana) is a language family spoken in northern Argentina, western Paraguay, and Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul). The speakers of the languages are often collectively called the Guaycuru peoples. For the most part, the Guaycuruans lived in the Gran Chaco and were nomadic and warlike, until finally subdued by the various countries of the region in the 19th century.

Genetic relations

Jorge A. Suárez includes Guaicuruan with Charruan in a hypothetical Waikuru-Charrúa stock. Morris Swadesh includes Guaicuruan along with Matacoan, Charruan, and Mascoian within his Macro-Mapuche stock. Both proposals appear to be obsolete.

Family division

There is a clear binary split between Northern Guaicuruan (Kadiwéu) and Southern Guaicuruan according to Nikulin (2019).[1] Guaicuruan/Waikurúan languages are often classified as follows:

Abipón, Guachí, and Payaguá all are extinct.

Lyle Campbell (2012) classifies Guachi and Payagua each as language isolates.[2]

Harriet Klein argues against the assumption that Kadiweu is Guaicuruan. Most others accept the inclusion of Kadiweu into the family. The Guachi were absorbed by the Mbayá. The similarities with the Mbayá language may be due to borrowing rather than a familial relationship.[3]

Mason (1950)

Internal classification of the Guaicuruan languages by Mason (1950):[4]

Possible or doubtful Guaicuruan languages listed by Mason (1950):

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Guaicuruan languages.[5]

gloss Guaicuru Kaduveo Beakeo Toba-Guazú Toba-Michí Komlék Pilagá Mocoví Abipon Guachí Payaguá
one uniniteguí oniúde uniditik natedak molek niátakolék onolik iñiateda iñitãra tamak hesle
two itoada edoáda itio-átate kakainí divastoluka diákte iñabako iñoaká euexo tigaké
eye ni-güekogüe o-gekore i-gékure iya-iti kada-ité kade-ité kada-ité niko-té nato-ete ya-taya ya-tígui
ear na-pagate ona-paráte a-parate tela ke-telá kadke-tilá kalke-telá li-kela ketal irtan-meté ya-igua
tooth no-güe odo-a odoː-ué ka-duhe kada-uvé kado-daití kada-eté ové na-vue ya-va ya-serata
man uneleiːgua onelégio inelégioː yalé yalé yalé lxiguo yalé yoalé shakup akú
water nogodi niorodi níoroːdi etarat netath noröp itarat varayák enarp öak ueig
fire nuledi nolédi noːlédi nodék nodék dóle dolé norík nkátek hicháte
earth iyogodi iːgo íru aloa alugá l'ova aluá alobá alóa leek nagiku
fish nagoyegí norodzyei nrodzyég niyak niyak niːak nigiyak nayí noayi anei nahiguáte

References

  1. ^ a b Nikulin, Andrey V. 2019. The classification of the languages of the South American Lowlands: State-of-the-art and challenges / Классификация языков востока Южной Америки. Illič-Svityč (Nostratic) Seminar / Ностратический семинар, Higher School of Economics, October 17, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Campbell, Lyle (2012). "Classification of the indigenous languages of South America". In Grondona, Verónica; Campbell, Lyle (eds.). The Indigenous Languages of South America. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 2. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 59–166. ISBN 978-3-11-025513-3.
  3. ^ Steward, Julian H. (1946), Handbook of South American Indians, Volume 1, The Marginal Tribes, Washington: Smithsonian Institution, p. 214
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.

Bibliography

External links

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Guaicurú reconstructions
Mataco–Guaicuru languages
Primary language families
Indigenous language families and isolates of South America (based on Campbell 2012 classification)
Categories