Tucanoan languages

Tukánoan
Geographic distribution	Amazon
Linguistic classification	One of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions	Eastern Western Cubeo Miriti
Glottolog	tuca1253
East Tukano (nuclear green), Central Tukano (turquoise green) and West Tukano (dark green). Dots indicate current locations of the various languages. Shaded areas indicate their extents before the 20th century.

Tucanoan (also Tukanoan, Tukánoan) is a language family of Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

Language contact[]

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Arutani, Paez, Sape, Taruma, Witoto-Okaina, Saliba-Hodi, Tikuna-Yuri, Pano, Barbakoa, Bora-Muinane, and Choko language families due to contact.^[1]

Classification[]

Chacon (2014)[]

There are two dozen Tucanoan languages.^[2] There is a clear binary split between Eastern Tucanoan and Western Tucanoan.^[3]

Western Tucanoan

• ?Cueretú (Kueretú) †
• Napo
  • Orejón (also known as M'áíhɨ̃ki, Maijiki, Coto, Koto, Payoguaje, Payaguá, Payowahe, Payawá)
  • Correguaje–Secoya
    • Correguaje (Koreguaje, Korewahe, also known as Caquetá)
    • Siona–Secoya (Upper Napo, Baicoca–Siecoca)
      • ?Macaguaje (AKA Kakawahe, Piohé) †
      • Siona (Bai Coca, Sioni, Pioje, Pioche-Sioni, Tetete)
      • Secoya (Sieko Coca, Airo Pai, Piohé)
      • ?Tama †

Eastern Tucanoan

• South
  • Tanimuca (also known as Retuarã)
  • ?Yauna (Jaúna, Yahuna, Yaúna) †
• West
  • Barasana–Macuna
    • Macuna (also known as Buhagana, Wahana, Makuna-Erulia, Makuna)
    • Barasana (Southern Barasano, also known as Paneroa, Eduria, Edulia, Comematsa, Janera, Taibano, Taiwaeno, Taiwano)
  • Cubeo–Desano
    • Cubeo (Cuveo, Kobeua, Kubewa)
    • Yupua–Desano
      • ?Yupuá †
      • Desano–Siriano (AKA Desano)
• East
  • Central
    • Tucano (Tukana, also known as Dasea)
    • Waimaha–Tatuyo
      • Waimajã (AKA (also known as Bara, Northern Barasano)
      • Tatuyo
  • North
    • Kotiria–Piratapuyo
      • Guanano (Wanana, Wanano, also known as Kotedia, Kotiria, Wanana-Pirá)
      • Piratapuyo (also known as Waikina, Uiquina)
    • Pisamira–Yuruti
      • Pisamira–Carapano (Carapana, Karapana)
      • Tuyuca–Yuruti
        • Tuyuka (Tejuca, Teyuka, Tuyuca, also known as Bara, Barasana)
        • Yurutí

Plus unclassified Miriti.†

Most languages are, or were, spoken in Colombia.

Jolkesky (2016)[]

Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):^[1]

(† = extinct)

Tukano

• Tukano, Western
  • Kueretu †
  • Tukano, Western, Nuclear
    • Mai Huna
    • Koreguaje-Pioje
      • Koreguaje-Tama
        • Koreguaje
        • Tama †
      • Pioje (Baicoca–Siecoca)
        • Makaguaje †
        • Sekoya
        • Siona
        • Tetete †
• Tukano, Eastern
  • Tanimuka; Retuarã; Yahuna
  • Tukano, Eastern, West
    • Kubeo-Desano
      • Kubeo
      • Desano-Yupua
        • Desano; Siriano
        • Yupua †
    • Makuna; Barasano; Eduria
  • Tukano, Eastern, East
    • Tukano-Tatuyo
      • Tukano
      • Tatuyo-Bara-Waimaha
        • Tatuyo
        • Bara; Waimaha
    • Tuyuka-Wanano
      • Wanano-Piratapuyu
        • Wanano
        • Piratapuyo
      • Tuyuka-Karapanã
        • Karapanã; Pisamira
        • Tuyuka; Yuruti

Varieties[]

Below is a full list of Tucanoan language varieties listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.^[4]

Western group

• Tama - spoken on the and Caguán River, Caquetá territory, Colombia, but now perhaps extinct.
• Coreguaje - spoken at the sources of the Caquetá River, department of Cauca, Colombia.
• Amaguaje / Encabellado / Rumo - extinct language once spoken on the Aguarico River, department of Loreto, Peru.
• Siona / Zeona / Ceño / Kokakañú - language spoken at the sources of the Putumayo River and Caquetá River, Putumayo territory, Colombia.
• Ificuene - spoken between the and Aguarico River, Loreto. (Unattested.)
• Eno - language spoken by a few individuals at the mouth of the San Miguel River, Caquetá territory, Colombia. (Unattested.)
• Secoya - language spoken on the Putumayo River, Oriente province, Ecuador. (Johnson and Peeke 1962.)
• Icaguate - extinct language once spoken on the and Putumayo River, Putumayo territory, Colombia.
• Macaguaje - spoken in the same territory on the Mecaya River and and around , by a few families.
• Tetete / Eteteguaje - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the , Loreto. (Unattested.)
• Pioje / Angotero / Ancutere - spoken on the Napo River, , and Aguarico River, Loreto.
• Cóto / Payoguaje - spoken at the mouth of the Napo River, Loreto, Peru.

Yahuna group

• Yahuna / Jaúna - spoken on the , territory of Amazonas, Colombia.
• Tanimuca / Opaina - spoken by a small tribe on the and , Amazonas, Colombia.
• Dätuana - spoken north of the preceding tribe on the .
• Menimehe - spoken by a very little known tribe at the mouth of the and Caquetá River. (Unattested.)

Yupua group

• Yupua / Hiupiá - spoken on the Coca River, a tributary of the , Colombia.
• Kushiita - once spoken at the mouth of the , state of Amazonas, Brazil. Now perhaps extinct. (Unattested.)
• Durina / Sokó - spoken on the , Amazonas territory, Colombia.

Coretu group

• Coretu / Kueretú - spoken on the , state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Cubeo group

• Cubeo / Kobéua / Kaniwa / Hahanana - spoken on the and , state of Amazonas, Brazil. Dialects are:
  • Dyuremáwa / Yiboia-tapuya - spoken on the , Amazonas.
  • Bahukíwa / Bahuna - spoken by a tribe that originally spoke a language of the Arawak stock, on the .
  • Hehénawa - spoken on the .
  • Hölöua - spoken on the , now perhaps extinct. (Unattested.)

Särä group

• Särä - spoken between the and , Vaupés territory, Colombia.
• Ömöa - spoken at the sources of the , Colombia.
• Buhágana / Karawatana - spoken on the , Colombia.
• Macuna - spoken at the mouth of the , Colombia.

Erulia group

• Erulia / Paboa / Eduria - spoken on the , Colombia.
• Tsaloa - spoken on the .
• Palänoa - spoken on the middle course of the .

Desána group

• Desána / Wína / Vina - spoken between the and , partly in Colombia and partly in Brazil.
• Chiránga / Siriána - spoken on the , Colombia.

Tucano group

• Tucano / Tocano / Dace / Dagseje / Dajseá / Tocana - language of a large tribe that lived on the Vaupés and ; state of Amazonas, Brazil.
• Uaíana - on the , Colombia.
• Tuyuca / Doxcapura - spoken on the and , partly in Brazil, partly in Colombia.
• Arapaso / Koréa - extinct language once spoken on the , Amazonas, Brazil. The last survivors now speak only Tucano. (Unattested.)
• Waikína / Uiquina / Uaíkana / Pira-tapuya - spoken on the , Colombia.
• Uantya / Puçá-tapuya - once spoken on the , Colombia.
• Bará / Pocanga - spoken at the sources of the , Colombia.
• Uasöna / Pisa-tapuya - spoken on the , Colombia.
• Tsölá / Teiuana - spoken on the and , Colombia.
• Urubú-tapuyo - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the , Colombia.
• Pamöá / Tatú-tapuyo - spoken at the sources of the and on the , Colombia.
• Patsoca / Iuruty-tapuyo - once spoken on the and , Colombia.
• Möxdöá / Carapana-tapuya - spoken between the and , Colombia.
• Uanána / Wanána / Kotédia - spoken on the near the , Brazil.

Vocabulary[]

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.^[4]

Proto-language[]

Proto-Tukanoan reconstructions by Chacon (2013):^[5]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
• Kaufman, Terrence. (1990). Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more. In D. L. Payne (Ed.), Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages (pp. 13–67). Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-70414-3.
• Kaufman, Terrence. (1994). The native languages of South America. In C. Mosley & R. E. Asher (Eds.), Atlas of the world's languages (pp. 46–76). London: Routledge.

External links[]

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Tukanoan reconstructions

• Proel: Familia Tucanoana