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)
      • ?Macaguaje (AKA Kakawahe, Piohé) †
      • Siona (Siona, Sioni, Pioje, Pioche-Sioni, Tetete)
      • Secoya (Piohé, Secoya, Siona-Secoya)
      • ?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: Kueretu †
  • Tukano, Western, Nuclear
    • Mai Huna: Mai Huna
    • Koreguaje-Pioje
      • Koreguaje-Tama
        • Koreguaje: Koreguaje
        • Tama: Tama †
      • Pioje
        • Makaguaje: Makaguaje †
        • Sekoya: Sekoya
        • Siona: Siona
        • Tetete: Tetete †
• Tukano, Eastern
  • Tanimuka-Retuarã-Yahuna: Tanimuka; Retuarã; Yahuna
  • Tukano, Eastern, West
    • Kubeo-Desano
      • Kubeo: Kubeo
      • Desano-Yupua
        • Desano-Siriano: Desano; Siriano
        • Yupua: Yupua †
    • Makuna-Barasano-Eduria: Makuna; Barasano; Eduria
  • Tukano, Eastern, East
    • Tukano-Tatuyo
      • Tukano: Tukano
      • Tatuyo-Bara-Waimaha
        • Tatuyo: Tatuyo
        • Bara-Waimaha: Bara; Waimaha
    • Tuyuka-Wanano
      • Wanano-Piratapuyu
        • Wanano: Wanano
        • Piratapuyo: Piratapuyo
      • Tuyuka-Karapanã
        • Karapanã-Pisamira: Karapanã; Pisamira
        • Tuyuka-Yuruti: 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 Yarú River 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 Güepi River 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 Caucaya River and Putumayo River, Putumayo territory, Colombia.
• Macaguaje - spoken in the same territory on the Mecaya River and Caucaya River and around Puerto Restrepo, by a few families.
• Tetete / Eteteguaje - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the Güepi River, Loreto. (Unattested.)
• Pioje / Angotero / Ancutere - spoken on the Napo River, Tarapoto River, and Aguarico River, Loreto.
• Cóto / Payoguaje - spoken at the mouth of the Napo River, Loreto, Peru.

Yahuna group

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

Yupua group

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

Coretu group

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

Cubeo group

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

Särä group

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

Erulia group

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

Desána group

• Desána / Wína / Vina - spoken between the Tiquié River and Caiarí River, partly in Colombia and partly in Brazil.
• Chiránga / Siriána - spoken on the Paca-igarapé River, Colombia.

Tucano group

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

• Proel: Familia Tucanoana