Witotoan languages explained

Witotoan
Also Known As:	Huitotoan
Region:	northwestern Amazon
Familycolor:	American
Glotto:	huit1251
Glottorefname:	Huitotoan

Witotoan (also Huitotoan or Uitotoan, occasionally known as Huitoto–Ocaina to distinguish it from Bora–Witoto) is a small language family of southeastern Colombia (Amazonas Department) and the neighbouring region of Peru.

Genetic relations

Aschmann (1993) proposed that the Boran and Witotoan language families were related, in a Bora–Witoto stock. Echeverri & Seifart (2016) refute the connection.

Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Pijao, Yaruro, Arawak, Bora-Muinane, Choko, and Tukano language families due to contact. Some of this contact had occurred due to the expansion of Witotoan speakers down the Putumayo River.^[1]

Family division

• Witotoan
  • Ocaina (also rendered Okaina)
  • Witoto Proper
    • Nïpode (also known as Nüpode, Nipode Huitoto, Nipode Witoto, Witoto Muinane, Muinane Huitoto, Muiname)
    • Mïnïca–Murai
      • Mïnïca (also known as Witoto Meneca, Meneca, Meneka, Noaiko-Muína, Southern Witoto, Minica Huitoto, Minica)
      • Murui (also known as Witoto Murui, Murai, Búe, Murai Huitoto, Bue, Huitoto, Central Witoto proper, Komïne)
  • Nonuya (also known as Nyonuhu, Nonuña, Achote, Achiote) Loreto, Peru

The classification above is based on Campbell (1997), who follows Richard Aschmann's 1993 classification and reconstruction of proto-Witotoan.

Nonuya is nearly extinct, but attempts are being made at revival.

The following extinct languages are unclassified within Witotoan:

• Andoquero (also known as Andokero, Miranya-Karapana-Tapuyo, Miraña, Carapana) Amazonas, Colombia (†)
• Coeruna (also known as Koeruna) Amazonas, Brazil (†)
• Koihoma (also known as Coto, Koto, Orejón, Coixoma) Loreto, Peru (†)
• Hairúya (†)^[2]

Kaufman (2007) adds Andoque.

Synonymy note:

• The name Muiname has been used to refer to the Muinane language (Bora Muinane) of the Boran family and also to the Nipode language (Witoto Muinane) of the Huitotoan family.
• The names Koto, Coto, and Orejón have been used to refer to the Koihoma language (Coixoma) and also to the unrelated Orejón language (also known as Koto or Coto) of the Tucanoan language family.

Mason (1950)

Internal classification of the Witotoan languages by Mason (1950):^[3]

• Witotoan
  • Witoto
    • Kaime (Caimo)
    • Xúra
    • Séueni
    • Jayruya
    • Mekka: Yaboyano
    • Menekka
    • Búe
    • Ifikuene-Caimito (?)
  • Miranyan, Boran
    • Miranya-Carapana-Tapuyo
    • Nonuya (Achiote)
    • Ocaina-Muenane
    • Ocaina (Ducaiya); Fitita (?)
    • Muenane
  • Southeastern
    • Orejón
    • Coeruna (?)
  • Andoke (?)
    • North: Araracuara
    • South
  • Resigero (?)

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Witotoan language varieties.^[4]

gloss	Northern Uitoto			Caimito							Muinane
one	dane	daxe	dákede	dáhe			tiamaːma	daːʔamü	tsätsaːma
two	mena	nemaxe	ménade	ménahe			mamatiáma	münaːʔamhüy	inaːma
three	daxéámani	maní	daheámani	dáheámani			taüuefuóro		tsahiːnwá
head	i-fogo	i-foke	ö-foge	ex-fóge		huha	opórin	o-phühõehe	gö-hókö	ko-pia
eye	uizi	uise	óise	uise		oi	oxuöd	o-wtsʔá	ge-usö	koya-asá
tooth	i-sido	i-sidoʔo	i-sído	ix-síde	a-tídyo		atítyo	o-tihido	ge-sühi	ku-irí	ítie
man	nokae	ima	öima	komuinä	yiza	komä	oːe		thimáe	üaimé
water	hainoy	xinuy	hainoé	hánenoi		änoe	ñióxi	nohowi	nóhwi	nüho
fire	boʔodöno	raike	raike	réke		räkö	táro		thítseho	äitha
maize	becha	pechato	pedzyato	pechato	kobé		kobéto
jaguar	kiko	xiko	hökö	hirásitä	hituidé	hüko	hoʔoko		ökó	öighó
house	xofoe	fofo	hofo	hofo	hofo	huaho	póho	woːhoː	hó	náisa	hopo

Bibliography

• Aschmann, Richard P. (1993). Proto Witotoan. Publications in linguistics (No. 114). Arlington, TX: SIL & the University of Texas at Arlington.
• Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. .
• Echeverri, Juan Alvaro & Frank Seifart. (2016). Proto-Witotoan: A re-evaluation of the distant genealogical relationship between the Boran and Witotoan linguistic families.
• Kaufman, Terrence. (1990). Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more. In D. L. Payne (Ed.), Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages (pp. 13–67). Austin: University of Texas Press. .
• Kaufman, Terrence. (1994). The native languages of South America. In C. Mosley & R. E. Asher (Eds.), Atlas of the world's languages (pp. 46–76). London: Routledge.

External links

• Proel:
  • Sub-familia Witoto

Notes and References

1. Jolkesky . Marcelo Pinho de Valhery . 2016 . Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas . Ph.D. dissertation . Brasília . University of Brasília . 2.
2. Loukotka, Čestmír. 1949. Sur Quelques Langues Inconnues de l'Amerique du Sud. Lingua Posnaniensis I: 53-82.
3. Book: Mason, John Alden . John Alden Mason . 1950 . The languages of South America . Julian . Steward . Handbook of South American Indians . 6 . 157–317 . Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143 . Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office.
4. Book: Loukotka, Čestmír . Čestmír Loukotka . Classification of South American Indian languages . registration . UCLA Latin American Center . 1968 . Los Angeles.