Kariri languages

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Extinct dialect cluster of Brazil

title: "Kariri languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kariri-languages", "macro-jê-languages", "indigenous-languages-of-northeastern-brazil", "extinct-languages-of-south-america", "language-families"] description: "Extinct dialect cluster of Brazil" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kariri_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Extinct dialect cluster of Brazil ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]

Field	Value
name	Karirí
region	between Bahia and Maranhão
ethnicity	4,000 Kiriri people (2020)
familycolor	american
protoname	Proto-Kariri
extinct	ca. 1970
revived	1989 (Dzubukuá)
iso3	kzw
glotto	kari1254
glottoname	Kariri
map	Kariri languages.png
mapcaption	Distribution of Kariri and Macro-Jê languages
altname	Karirian, Kipeá-Dzubukuá
dia1	Kipeá
dia2	Kamurú
dia3	Dzubukuá
dia4	Sabujá
states	Brazil
iso3comment	(Dzubukuá only)
family	One of the world's primary language families
::

The Karirí languages, generally considered dialects of a single language, are a group of languages formerly spoken by the Kiriri people of Brazil. It was spoken until the middle of the 20th century; the 4,000 ethnic Kiriri are now monolingual Portuguese speakers, though a few know common phrases and names of medicinal plants. A revival of the Dzubukuá variety has been ongoing since 1989.

History

After the Dutch were expelled from Northeast Brazil in the 17th century, Portuguese settlers rapidly colonized the region, forcing Kariri speakers to become widely dispersed due to forced migrations and resettlement. Hence, Kariri languages became scattered across Paraíba, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, and other states.

Languages

The four known Kariri languages (or dialects) are:

Kipeá (Quipea, Kiriri)
Kamurú (Camuru, Pedra Branca)
Dzubukuá (Dzubucua, Kariri)
Sabujá (Sapoyá)

There are a short grammatical description and a catechism in Kipeá, a catechism in Dzubukuá, and word lists for Kamurú and Sabujá. Modern grammatical descriptions are available for Kipeá and Dzubukuá. Ribeiro established through morphological analysis that Kariri is likely to be related to the Jê languages. This is now disputed.

Mason (1950) lists:

Kariri
- Cariri
  - Kipea
  - Camurú
  - Dzubucua
  - Pedra Branca
- Sapuya

Loukotka (1968)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Cariri_atuais.jpg" caption="Map of modern Kariri groups"] ::

Below is a full list of Kiriri languages and dialects listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.

Kiriri / Quipea / Quiriri - originally spoken in the Serra dos Velhos, Paraíba state, later at the old missions of Missão Velha, Missão Nova, Milagres, Crato, and others, in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco and Ceará. Now entirely extinct, and the survivors speak only Portuguese.
Kariri / Dzubucua / Cariri - extinct language once spoken on the islands of the São Francisco River near Cabrobó, Pernambuco. Now extinct, and the last survivors spoke only Portuguese.
Sapuyá / Sabuya - extinct language originally spoken in the Serra Chapada, later in Caranguejo, Bahia
Kamurú - originally spoken on the Pardo River and in Pedra Branca; the last survivors on the Gongogi River spoke only Portuguese.

;Unattested varieties

Iñamum - once spoken on the Inhamum Island of the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
Quesque - once spoken on the Pajeú River, state of Pernambuco. (Unattested)
Abacatiara - once spoken on an island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
Icozinho - once spoken around the confluence of the Salgado River and Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Icó - once spoken between the Salgado River, Piranhas River and Peixe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Calabaça - the Portuguese name of an extinct language of the Salgado River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Cariú - once spoken between the Cariús River and Bastiões River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Corema - formerly spoken on the Piancó River, state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
Jucá - once spoken south of the sources of the Jaguaribe River and near Arneiroz, Ceará. (Unattested)
Ichú / Ansus - once spoken on the sources of the Salgado River in the state of Ceará. (Unattested)
Ariú / Peba - extinct language formerly spoken on the Piranhas River and Sabugi River in the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
Bultrin - extinct language of the Serra da Borborema of the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
Quixexeu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Quixelu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
Aracapa - extinct language once spoken on Aracapa Island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)

The original language of the , now extinct, is effectively unattested and unclassified, but words for Tumbalalá ritual objects used in their traditional toré religion appear to be of Kariri origin, namely pujá, kwaqui, and cataioba.

Other languages called ''Kariri''

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Indigenous_Peoples_in_Ceará_2008.png" caption="Indigenous peoples of [[Ceará]], 2008"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Alagoas.png" caption="Indigenous peoples of [[Alagoas]] and [[Sergipe"] ::

The names Kariri and Kiriri were applied to many peoples over a wide area in the east of Brazil, in the lower and middle São Francisco River area and further north. Most of their now-extinct languages are too poorly known to classify, but what is recorded does not suggest that they were all members of the Kariri family. Examples are:

Katembri (Kiriri, Kariri, Kariri de Mirandela [near Banzaê and Quijingue in Bahia])
- Kaufman (1990) classified it as Katembri–Taruma. It appears to be a Kariri language with some substratum from an unidentified language, generally assumed to be that of the Katembri.
Xocó (Xokó, Chocó [in Sergipe], Kariri-Xocó, Kariri-Shoko, Cariri-Chocó [in Alagoas], Xukuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Cariri [in Alagoas])
- Three populations. Not clear if this was one language or three. In the Porto Real do Colégio and Palmeira dos Índios areas of Alagoas.

Classification

Kariri has been included in the Macro-Jê family. However, the resemblances may be superficial, and the most recent classification of Macro-Jê excludes Kariri.

Language contact

Ramirez et al. (2015) notes that Kariri languages display some lexical similarities with Cariban languages. Similarities with Katembri (also known as Kariri of Mirandela) or possibly Kaimbé may be due to either a Kariri superstratum or substratum in Katembri.

Syntax

Unlike most Macro-Jê languages which are SOV, Karirí languages are verb-initial (VSO) and make use of prepositions.

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Kariri languages.

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Quipea !! Dzubucua !! Sapuya !! Kamurú |- ! ear | beñe || beñé || penix || benyen |- ! tooth | dza || dza || zá || zah |- ! tongue | nunu || nunú || nunü || nunuh |- ! hand | amísa || musang || musoé || musang |- ! water | dzu || isú || dzú || dzu |- ! stone | kro || kro || || kro |- ! sun | ukie || uxe || uché || uchih |- ! moon | kayaku || kayakú || gayakú || gayakúh |- ! star | bati || bathü || bathü || batthüh |- ! tree | bewó || tsi || tsui || |- ! tobacco | badze || paewi || poyú || |- ! pot | || ruñu || || |}

Loanwords

Eastern Macro-Jê loanwords in Kariri languages:

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Kipeá !! Dzubukuá !! other languages |- | beans || ghinhé || guenhie || giñá (Kotoxó) |- | hammock || pité || pitta || pita (Coroado) |- | Black person || gorá || || engorá (Krenák) |- | swamp, marsh || pôhô || || pohok (Maxakalí) |- | cow, cattle || cradzó || cradzo || krazo ‘tapir’ (Masakará) |}

Tupinambá loanwords in Kariri languages:

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Kipeá !! Dzubukuá !! Tupinambá !! other Eastern Macro-Jê languages |- | needle || awí || || abi || Maxakalí ãmix |- | banana || bacobá || || pacova || Coroado bacóba |- | White person || caraí || carai || caraíba || Iatê klai, Krenák krai |- | box || cramemú || || caramẽmuã || |- | domestic pig || curé || || curê || Krenák kurek |- | pumpkin || erumú || || jurumũ, jeremũ || Purí šurumúm ‘potato’ |- | bread || miapé || || miapé || |- | beads || myghý || muihi || mboýra || |- | oil || nhendí || nianddi || nhandy || |- | bench || pycá || || apycába || |- | chicken, hen || sabucá || dapuca || (güyra)ssapucáia || |- | Black person || tapanhú || tapwinhiu || tapyyiúna || Coroado tabañiú, Makoni tapagnon, Malalí tapagnon |- | Black person || || || tapyýia || Iatê tupia |- | hoe || tasí || || itassýra || Maxakalí taxunna |- | money || tayú || tayu || itajúba || Maxakalí tayũmak |- | God || tupã || tupam || tupã || Maxakalí topa, Krenák kupan, Coroado tupan |- | priest || waré || padzuare || abaré || Maxakalí ãmãnex, Macuni amattèih, Coroado uáre, Masakará ampari |- | mirror || waruá || || guaruguá || |- | sugarcane mill || wirapararã || || ybyrapararánga || |}

Portuguese loanwords in Kariri languages borrowed via Tupinambá and other intermediate sources:

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Kipeá !! Dzubukuá !! Possible intermediate sources !! Portuguese !! other Macro-Jê languages |- | goat || cabará || cabara || cabará (Tupinambá) || cabra || |- | horse || cabarú || || cavarú (Tupinambá) || cavalo || Coroado kawarú, Cotoxó cavaró |- | cross || crusá || crudzá || curussá (Tupinambá) || cruz || Iatê klusa |- | devil || nhewó || niẽwo || niñavoo (Kapoxó) || diabo || |- | paper || || || papera || papel || Iatê wapela, Coroado tapera |}

Notes

Fabre, Alain. 2005. Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: KARIRIhttp://www.ling.fi/Entradas%20diccionario/Dic=Kariri.pdf

References

Moraes, Vanessa Coelho. (2020-12-18). "O que devemos aprender com a ciência do índio e o fortalecimento linguístico Kiriri: análise da articulação entre cosmopolítica, ritual, educação e epistemologia".
(2020-12-29). "A retomada da língua Kariri-Xocó". Cadernos de Linguística.
Nikulin, Andrey. (2020). "Proto-Macro-Jê: um estudo reconstrutivo". Universidade de Brasília.
"Glottolog 5.2 - Kariri".
Queiroz, José Márcio Correia de. (2012). "Um estudo gramatical da língua Dzubukuá, família Karirí". [[Universidade Federal da Paraíba]].
Adam, Lucien. (1897). "Matériaux pour servir à l'établissement d'une grammaire comparée des dialectes de la famille Kariri". {{interlanguage link.
Mamiani, Luis Vincencio. (1699). "Arte de grammatica da lingua brasilica da naçam Kiriri". Miguel Deslandes.
Mamiani, Luis Vincencio. (1698). "Catecismo da doutrina christãa na lingua brasilica da naçam Kiriri". Miguel Deslandes.
de Nantes, Bernardo. (1709). "Katecismo Indico da lingua Kariris". Valentim da Costa.
Martius, Karl Friedrich Philipp von. (1863). "Glossaria linguarum brasiliensium. Glossarios de diversas lingoas e dialectos, que fallao os Indios no imperio do Brazil. Wörtersammlung brasilianischer sprachen". Erlangen, Druck von Junge & Sohn.
Azevedo, Gilda Maria Corrêa de. (1965). "Língua Kiriri: descrição do dialeto Kipeá". [[Universidade de Brasília]].
Campbell, Lyle. (2024-06-25). "Indigenous Languages of South America". Oxford University PressNew York.
Mason, John Alden. (1950). "Handbook of South American Indians". [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Bureau of American Ethnology]] Bulletin 143.
Loukotka, Čestmír. (1968). "Classification of South American Indian languages". UCLA Latin American Center.
"Tumbalalá".
Campbell, Lyle. (2024-06-25). "Unclassified and Spurious Languages". Oxford University PressNew York.
Zamponi, Raoul. (2026). "Volume 3 Smaller Language Families". De Gruyter Mouton.
Meader, Robert E.. (1978). "Indios do Nordeste: Levantamento sobre os remanescentes tribais do nordeste brasileiro". [[SIL International]].
[https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/nucl1710 Glottolog: Nuclear-Macro-Je]
Ramirez, Henri. (2015-09-26). "Koropó, puri, kamakã e outras línguas do Leste Brasileiro". LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas.
Ribeiro, Eduardo Rivail. ''On the inclusion of the Karirí family in the Macro-Jê stock: additional evidence''. Paper presented at SSILA 2011 (Pittsburgh), January 7, 2011.
(2010). "Tapuya connections: language contact in eastern Brazil". LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas.

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