Timote language
Endangered language of Venezuela
title: "Timote language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indigenous-languages-of-the-americas", "timotean-languages", "languages-of-venezuela"] description: "Endangered language of Venezuela" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timote_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Endangered language of Venezuela ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Timote |
| altname | Cuica |
| nativename | Migurí |
| states | Venezuela |
| speakers | perhaps 200 |
| date | 1977 |
| familycolor | American |
| fam1 | Timotean |
| dia1 | Timote |
| dia2 | Cuica |
| dia3 | ?Mutú (Loco) |
| iso3 | none |
| linglist | qpj |
| lingname | Timote-Cuica |
| linglist2 | qdu |
| lingname2 | Maguri |
| linglist2 | qfn |
| glotto | timo1237 |
| glottoname | Timote-Cuica |
| iso3comment | ([MUF] retired in Ethnologue 15) |
| region | Mutús |
| :: |
| name = Timote | altname = Cuica | nativename = Migurí | states = Venezuela | speakers = perhaps 200 | date = 1977 | familycolor = American | fam1 = Timotean | dia1 = Timote | dia2 = Cuica | dia3 = ?Mutú (Loco) | iso3 = none | linglist = qpj | lingname = Timote-Cuica | linglist2 = qdu | lingname2 = Maguri |linglist2=qfn|lingname2=(Cuica) [retired]-- | glotto = timo1237 | glottoname = Timote-Cuica | iso3comment = ([MUF] retired in Ethnologue 15) | region = Mutús
Timote, also known as Cuica or Timote–Cuica, is the language of the Timote–Cuica state in the Venezuelan Andes, around the present city of Mérida and south of Lake Maracaibo.
The language is reported to have gone extinct in the early to mid 20th century. However, in 1977 it was reported that the indigenous village of Mutús, in the heart of the old Timote state, still spoke an indigenous language, which would presumably be Timote. The name is apparently Timote, as 'Timote' itself derives from ti-motɨ 'Mutú speakers', and mutú or mukú is a common toponym in the region. This lead had not been followed up as of Adelaar (2004).
Dialects
The Timote and Cuica peoples apparently spoke dialects of a single language; some of the last reports of Cuica claim it was nothing other than Timote. Data is limited, but the connection is clear in the numerals:
::data[format=table]
| Gloss | Timote | Cuica |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | karí | |
| 2 | xem, xen | |
| 3 | šut, sut, | |
| hisxut | šuent | |
| 4 | pit | pití |
| 5 | kabó, | |
| kabok | kamó | |
| 6 | kasum, kaksúm, | |
| kapsún | katseunt | |
| 7 | mai-xem, | |
| mai-xén | ma-en | |
| 8 | mai-xut, | |
| mai-sxut | mabi-šuent | |
| 9 | mai-pit | mabi-pita |
| 10 | tabís | |
| :: |
Consonant clusters, somewhat unusual for the area, are found, especially in Cuica: kču 'bird', stots 'blood', Timote klef 'rainy season', hutn 'dog'.
Mason (1950)
Mason (1950) provides a lengthy internal classification of Cuica and Timote:
;Timóte (Timoti)
-
- Timóte proper
- Mukurujún
- Mukusé
- Mokoyupu
- Mukuarsé
- Ciribuy
- Miyoy
- Mukumbá
- Kindorá
- Tafallé
- Mukumbají
- Chino
-
- Mocochí (Mokochi)
- Miyuse
- Tukaní
- Mokochi (Torondoy)
-
- Mukutu (Escaguey)
- Eskaguey
- Kanaguá
- Kinó
- Mokoino (Mokino)
- Mombun
- Yarikagua
- Arikagua
- Mukutuy
- Mukupatí
- Mukuchachi
- Trikagua
- Mokoto (Mukutu, Mukutí)
- Guarake
- Bailadores
-
- Tapano
- Aviamo
- Mokombó (Mokobo)
- Tapano
-
- Chama (Miguri ?)
- Mokunche (Mukunche, Mukuneche)
- Mukurubá (Mokuruguá)
- Tabay (Mukunutáne, Tabayon ?)
- Mukurumagua
- Guake (Guakí)
- Mukumba
- Chichuy
- Mukuñoke (Mukuño, Migurí ?)
- Mukurufuén
- Muká
- Mukumpí
- Mukutirí
- Mukusnandá
- Mukaikuy
- Mukusó, etc.
- Mukurandá
- Mukuhúun (Mukupine, Mokoion)
- Chiguará
- Insnumbí (Insumbi)
- Estankes
- Mukuchi (Makuchi, Mokochiz)
- Misantá
- Mokao
- Mosnachó
- Misikea, etc.
- Eskagüey
- Mukujún
- Tatuy (Tatey ?)
- Mukaria
- Mukaketá
- Mukusirí
- Kaparú
- Jají (Mukundú)
- Mukubache (Mirripú, Mirripuy, Maripú ?)
- Mukúun (Mukumpú, Lagunillas)
- Kasés
- Mukuinamo
- Arikagua
- Tibikuay
- Makulare
- Mukusumpú
- Barbudos
- Jamuén, etc.
- Kinaró
- Tiguiñó
- Guaruní (Guarurí) ;Cuica (Kuika)
-
- Cuica proper
-
- Tostó
- Tostó proper
- Tiranjá
- Tomoní
-
- Eskuke (Eskukey)
- Eskuke proper
- Bombá
- Moka
- Tirandá
- Chobú
- Chachike
- Chachu
- Tirandá proper
- Estiguate (Estiguati)
-
- Jajó (Jakón, Jajón)
- Jajó proper
- Esnijaque
- Kikoke (Kikoki)
- Mapen (La Vega)
- Duri
- Mikimboy
;Unclassified tribes
- Kirorá
- Mijure
- Montun
- Iguino
References
- Adelaar, Willem & Pieter Muysken (2004). The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge University Press. pp. 124–129
References
- Mason, John Alden. (1950). "Handbook of South American Indians". [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Bureau of American Ethnology]] Bulletin 143.
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