Nambikwaran languages
Language family of Brazil
title: "Nambikwaran languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nambikwaran-languages", "language-families", "mamoré–guaporé-linguistic-area"] description: "Language family of Brazil" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nambikwaran_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Language family of Brazil ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox language family"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Nambikwaran |
| region | Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Pará, in Brazil |
| familycolor | American |
| family | One of the world's primary language families |
| child1 | Mamaindê |
| child2 | Nambikwara |
| child3 | Sabanê |
| glotto | namb1299 |
| glottorefname | Nambiquaran |
| map | Nambikwaran languages.png |
| :: |
| name = Nambikwaran | region = Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Pará, in Brazil | familycolor = American | family = One of the world's primary language families | child1 = Mamaindê | child2 = Nambikwara | child3 = Sabanê | glotto = namb1299 | glottorefname = Nambiquaran | map = Nambikwaran languages.png | mapcaption =
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
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 .
- Central dialects
- Kokozú / Uaindze / Ualíxere - spoken on the left bank of the .
- 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)
- Eastern dialects
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
- Northeastern
Sabane is listed by Mason (1950) as "Pseudo-Nambicuara" (Northern).
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for various Nambikwaran languages.
::data[format=table]
| gloss | Tauité | Sabané | Anunze | Elotasu | Kokozú | Tagnaní | Tamaindé | Nene | Tarundé | one | two | head | tongue | hand | woman | water | sun | maize | parrot | bow | white |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| améro | knakná | kenáge | etegenõ | ganagidzyare | banuré | kanákero | |||||||||||||||
| baléne | haːro | searu | dehaunõ | bandyere | lauré | baʔãdo | |||||||||||||||
| ua-negetü | dwa-haniːkin | toa-nekisú | ga-nakitú | nuhi-naite | nu-naite | ||||||||||||||||
| tayú-hendü | uai-lehrú | año-heru | toái-herú | uai-hendé | noio-hidnde | nuiú-endé | nui-edende | ||||||||||||||
| toái-kizeː | depibá | uai-kizé | dwa-hikisu | toái-ikisú | ua-hité | nuhiː-hĩte | nuna-noré | ||||||||||||||
| akiːnaʔñazé | dusé | dosú | temoreː | ndenore | tenoré | denõ | |||||||||||||||
| ari | uarazé | iñausu | unsazú | narutundú | nahirinde | narundé | náru | ||||||||||||||
| utianezeː | yóta | ikidazé | udiʔenikisu | uterikisú | chondí | nahnde | naneré | ||||||||||||||
| guyakizeː | kayátsu | kayátsu | giaté | kaiate | kiakinindé | kiáteninde | |||||||||||||||
| anʔanzí | kakaitezé | ãhru | áhlu | aundaré | aúndere | ||||||||||||||||
| arankizeː | ukizé | úkisu | hukisú | huté | hute | aindé | |||||||||||||||
| eːseːnanzeː | pãte | kuidisú | han | ahéndesu | déʔende | hanidzare | haniʔna | ||||||||||||||
| :: |
Proto-language==
| name = Proto-Nambikwaran | altname = Proto-Nambiquara | familycolor = American | ancestor = | target = Nambikwaran languages Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978):
::data[format=table]
| 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.
- 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.
References
References
- Campbell, Lyle. (1997). "American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America". [[Oxford University Press]].
- [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=445-16 Nambiquaran languages]. Ethnologue. Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- Kroeker, 2001 p. 1
- [[Ethnologue:sae. Ethnologue]]. Ethnologue. Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- Price, David P. 1978. The Nambiquara linguistic family. ''Anthropological Linguistics'' 20 (1): 14–37.
- Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. ''[http://www.etnolinguistica.org/tese:jolkesky-2016-arqueoecolinguistica Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas]''. Ph.D. dissertation, [[University of Brasília]].
- Loukotka, Čestmír. (1968). "Classification of South American Indian languages". UCLA Latin American Center.
- Mason, John Alden. (1950). "Handbook of South American Indians". [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Bureau of American Ethnology]] Bulletin 143.
- Price, D. (1978). The Nambiquara Linguistic Family. In Anthropological Linguistics, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 14-37. Published by: Trustees of Indiana University. Accessed from [https://diacl.ht.lu.se/Source/Details/3099 DiACL], 9 February 2020.
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