Huarpe_language

Huarpean languages

Huarpean languages

Language family of central Argentina

Huarpe (Warpe) was a small language family of central Argentina (historic Cuyo Province) that consisted of two closely related languages. They are traditionally considered dialects, and include Allentiac (Alyentiyak, Huarpe) and Millcayac (Milykayak). A third, Puntano of San Luis, was not documented before the languages became extinct.

Quick Facts Ethnicity, Geographic distribution ...

Kaufman (1994) tentatively linked Huarpe to the Mura-Matanawi languages in a family he called Macro-Warpean. However, he noted that "no systematic study" had been made, so that it is best to consider them independent families. Swadesh and Suárez both connected Huarpe to Macro-Jibaro, a possibility that has yet to be investigated.

Varieties

Loukotka (1968)

Varieties classified by Loukotka (1968) as part of the Huarpe language cluster (all unattested unless noted otherwise, i.e. for Chiquiyama and Comechingon):[1]

Mason (1950)

Varieties of the Huarpe-Comechingon linguistic group cited from Canals Frau (1944) by Mason (1950):[2]

  • Huarpe-Comechingon
    • Allentiac (Huarpe of San Juan)
    • Millcayac (Huarpe of Mendocino)
    • Puntano Huarpe
    • Puelche of Cuyo
    • Ancient Pehuenche
    • Southern Comechingón (Camiare)
    • Northern Comechingón (Henia)
    • Olongasta (Southern Rioja) ?

Pericot y Garcia (1936) lists Zoquillam, Tunuyam, Chiquillan, Morcoyam, Diamantino (Oyco), Mentuayn, Chom, Titiyam, Otoyam, Ultuyam, and Cucyam.[2]

  • Comechingón varieties[2]
    • Comechingón
      • Main
      • Tuya
      • Mundema
      • Cáma
      • Umba
    • Michilingwe
    • Indama

Phonology

The two languages had apparently similar sound systems, and were not dissimilar from Spanish, at least from the records we have. Barros (2007) reconstructs the consonants as follows:

More information Labial, Alveolar ...

Allentiac had at least six vowels, written a, e, i, o, u, ù. The ù is thought to represent the central vowel [ɨ].

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Huarpean languages.[1]

More information gloss, Allentiac ...

References

  1. [1]
    Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
  2. [2]
    Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians. Vol. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.
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