Atsawaka language explained

Atsawaka
Nativename:Atsahuaca-Yamiaca
States:Peru
Region:Carama River
Extinct:?
Ref:e15
Familycolor:American
Fam1:Panoan
Fam2:Mainline Panoan
Fam3:Nawa
Fam4:Madre de Dios
Dia1:Atsawaka
Dia2:Yamiaka
Iso3:atc
Glotto:atsa1242
Glottorefname:Atsahuaca
Linglist:atc

Atswawaka, also called Atsahuaca, or Atsawaka-Yamiaka, is an extinct Panoan language of Peru. Atsahuaca is the name that the tribe calls themselves, meaning "children of the manioc" in their own language. Alternate spellings of the name of the Atswakaka language include: Atsawaka, Atsawaca, Astahuaca, Yamiaca, Yamiaka, Atsawaka-Yamiaka, and Atsahuaca-Yamiaca.

There were 20 speakers in 1904.

Alphabet

The Atswawaka alphabet uses 24 letters commonly, and has 8 characters used for vowels.[1]

Common character(s)Alternate versionIPA symbol
aa
ei, ï, yi
ii
uoʊ ~ o
anãã
en
inĩĩ
unõõ
ck, quk
drd
chč
fɸ ~ β
hjh
mm
nn
pp
quk
rɾ
ss
xsh, šʃ ~ ʂ
tt
tsts
whuw
yj

Vocabulary

Man - t'harki

Woman - tcinani

Yes - ei

No - tcama

Tea - ita

Tree - isthehowa

[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Atsahuaca Pronunciation and Spelling Guide. 2015. www.native-languages.org/. Native Languages of the Americas website. December 2, 2016.
  2. Book: Farabee, William Curtis. Indian Tribes of Eastern Peru. The Museum. 1922. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 162.