Jirajaran languages explained
| Jirajaran |
| Also Known As: | Hiraháran |
| Region: | Western Venezuela |
| Familycolor: | American |
| Family: | One of the world's primary language families |
| Child1: | Jirajara |
| Child2: | Ayomán |
| Child3: | Gayón |
| Glotto: | jira1235 |
| Glottorefname: | Jirajaran |
| Map: | Jirajara.png |
| Mapcaption: | Pre-contact distribution of the Jirajaran languages |
The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spoken in western Venezuela in the regions of Falcón and Lara. All of the Jirajaran languages appear to have become extinct in the early 20th century.[1]
Languages
Based on adequate documentation, three languages are definitively classified as belonging to the Jirajaran family:[1]
- Jirajara, spoken in the state of Falcón
- Ayomán, spoken in the village of Siquisique in the state of Lara
- Gayón, spoken at the sources of the Tocuyo River in the state of Lara
Loukotka includes four additional languages, for which no linguistic documentation exists:[2]
Mason (1950) lists:[3]
- Gayón (Cayon)
- Ayomán
- Xagua
- Jirajara
Classification
The Jirajaran languages are generally regarded as isolates. Adelaar and Muysken note certain lexical similarities with the Timotean languages and typological similarity to the Chibchan languages, but state that the data is too limited to make a definitive classification.[1] Jahn, among others, has suggested a relation between the Jirajaran language and the Betoi languages, mostly on the basis of similar ethnonyms.[4] Greenberg and Ruhlen classify Jirajaran as belonging to the Paezan language family, along with the Betoi languages, the Páez language, the Barbacoan languages and others.[5]
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Sape, Timote-Kuika, and Puinave-Kak language families due to contact.[6]
Typology
Based on the little documentation that exists, a number of typological characteristics are reconstructable:[7]
- 1. VO word order in transitive clauses
- 2. Subjects precede verbs
- 3. Possessors which precede the possessed
- 4. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify
- 5. Numerals precede the nouns they quantify
- 6. Use of postpositions, rather than prepositions
Vocabulary comparison
Jahn (1927) lists the following basic vocabulary items.[4]
Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Jahn (1927)| English | Ayomán | Gayón | Jirajara |
|---|
| fire | dug | dut, idú | dueg |
| foot | a-sengán | segué | angán |
| hen | degaró | digaró | degaró |
| house | gagap | hiyás | gagap |
| snake | huhí, jují | jují | túb |
| sun | iñ | yivat | yuaú | |
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.[2]
Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Loukotka (1968)! gloss !! Jirajara !! Ayomán !! Gayón| one | | bógha | |
| two | | auyí | |
| three | | mongañá | |
| head | a-ktegi | a-tógh | is-tóz |
| ear | a-uñán | a-kivóugh | himigui |
| tooth | | a-king | |
| man | iyít | yúsh | yus |
| water | ing | ing | guayí |
| fire | dueg | dug | dut |
| sun | yuaú | iñ | yivat |
| maize | dos | dosh | dosivot |
| bird | | chiskua | chiskua |
| house | gagap | gagap | hiyás | |
Further reading
- Oramas, L. (1916). Materiales para el estudio de los dialectos Ayamán, Gayón, Jirajara, Ajagua. Caracas: Litografía del Comercio.
- Querales, R. (2008). El Ayamán. Ensayo de reconstrucción de un idioma indígena venezolano. Barquisimeto: Concejo Municipal de Iribarren.
References
Notes and References
- Book: Adelaar
, Willem F. H.
. Pieter C. Muysken. The Languages of the Andes. limited. 2004. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 0-521-36275-X. 129–30.
- Book: Loukotka
, Čestmír
. Čestmír Loukotka . Classification of South American Indian Languages . registration . UCLA Latin American Center . 1968 . Los Angeles . 254–5.
- 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.
- Book: Jahn
, Alfredo
. Los Aborígenes del Occidente de Venezuela. 1927. 1973. Monte Avila Editores, C.A.. Caracas. es.
- Web site: Greenberg. Joseph. Joseph Greenberg. Ruhlen. Merritt. Merritt Ruhlen. An Amerind Etymological Dictionary. 2008-06-27. 12. 2007-09-04. Dept. of Anthropological Sciences Stanford University. Stanford. https://web.archive.org/web/20101225141018/http://www.merrittruhlen.com/files/AED5.pdf. 2010-12-25. dead.
- Jolkesky . Marcelo Pinho de Valhery . 2016 . Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas . Ph.D. dissertation . Brasília . University of Brasília . 2.
- Book: Costenla Umaña
, Adolfo
. Las Lenguas del Área Intermedia: Introducción a su Estudio Areal. May 1991. Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. San José. es. 9977-67-158-3. 56–8.
