Nambikwaran languages

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)

Nambikwaran
Geographic distribution	Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Pará, in Brazil
Linguistic classification	One of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions	Mamaindê Nambikwara Sabanê
Language codes
Glottolog	namb1299

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
  • Sabane
  • Nambikwara, Northern
    • Guaporé: Mamainde; Negarote; Tawende
    • Roosevelt: Lakonde; Latunde; Tawande
  • Nambikwara, Southern
    • Alantesu: Alantesu; Hahãintesu; Waikisu; Wasusu
    • Halotesu: Halotesu; Kithãulhu; Wakalitesu; Sawentesu
    • Manduka: Hukuntesu; Niyahlosu; Siwaisu
    • Sarare

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 12 de Outubro River.
  • Central dialects
    • Kokozú / Uaindze / Ualíxere - spoken on the left bank of the 12 de Outubro River.
    • 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)

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

Sabane is listed by Mason (1950) as "Pseudo-Nambicuara" (Northern).

Vocabulary

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

gloss	Tauité	Sabané	Anunze	Elotasu	Kokozú	Tagnaní	Tamaindé	Nene	Tarundé
one		améro		knakná	kenáge	etegenõ	ganagidzyare	banuré	kanákero
two		baléne		haːro	searu	dehaunõ	bandyere	lauré	baʔãdo
head			ua-negetü	dwa-haniːkin	toa-nekisú	ga-nakitú	nuhi-naite	nu-naite
tongue	tayú-hendü		uai-lehrú	año-heru	toái-herú	uai-hendé	noio-hidnde	nuiú-endé	nui-edende
hand	toái-kizeː	depibá	uai-kizé	dwa-hikisu	toái-ikisú	ua-hité	nuhiː-hĩte	nuna-noré
woman	akiːnaʔñazé		dusé		dosú	temoreː	ndenore	tenoré	denõ
water	ari		uarazé	iñausu	unsazú	narutundú	nahirinde	narundé	náru
sun	utianezeː	yóta	ikidazé	udiʔenikisu	uterikisú	chondí	nahnde	naneré
maize	guyakizeː			kayátsu	kayátsu	giaté	kaiate	kiakinindé	kiáteninde
parrot	anʔanzí		kakaitezé	ãhru	áhlu			aundaré	aúndere
bow	arankizeː		ukizé	úkisu	hukisú	huté	hute	aindé
white	eːseːnanzeː	pãte	kuidisú	han	ahéndesu	déʔende	hanidzare		haniʔna

Proto-language

Proto-Nambikwaran
Proto-Nambiquara
Reconstruction of	Nambikwaran languages

Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978):

Proto-Nambiquara reconstructions by Price (1978)

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.