Kariri languages explained

Karirí
Nativename:	Karirian
Familycolor:	American
Extinct:	ca. 1970
Iso3:	kzw
Glotto:	kari1254
Glottoname:	Kariri
Map:	Kariri languages.png

The Karirí languages, generally considered dialects of a single language, were a group of languages formerly spoken by the Kiriri people of Brazil. It was spoken until the middle of the 20th century; the 4,000 ethnic Kiriri are now monolingual Portuguese speakers, though a few know common phrases and names of medicinal plants.

History

After the Dutch were expelled from Northeast Brazil in the 17th century, Portuguese settlers rapidly colonized the region, forcing Kariri speakers to become widely dispersed due to forced migrations and resettlement. Hence, Kariri languages became scattered across Paraíba, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, and other states.

Languages

The four known Kariri languages are:

• Kipeá (Quipea, Kariri)
• Kamurú (Camuru)
• Dzubukuá (Dzubucua, Kiriri)
• Sabujá (Sapoyá, Pedra Branca)

There are short grammatical descriptions of Kipeá and Dzubukuá, and word lists for Kamurú and Sabujá. Ribeiro established through morphological analysis that Kariri is likely to be related to the Jê languages.

Mason (1950) lists:^[1]

• Kariri
  • Cariri
    • Kipea
    • Camurú
    • Dzubucua
    • Pedra Branca
  • Sapuya

Varieties

Below is a full list of Kiriri languages and dialects listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.^[2]

• Kariri / Quipea / Cariri - originally spoken in the Serra dos Velhos, Paraíba state, later at the old missions of Missão Velha, Missão Nova, Milagres, Crato, and others, in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco and Ceará. Now entirely extinct, and the survivors speak only Portuguese.
• Kiriri / Dzubucua / Quiriri - extinct language once spoken on the islands of the São Francisco River near Cabrobó, Pernambuco. Now extinct, and the last survivors spoke only Portuguese.
• Sapuyá / Sabuya - extinct language originally spoken in the Serra Chapada, later in Caranguejo, Bahia
• Kamurú - originally spoken on the Pardo River and in Pedra Branca; the last survivors on the Gongogi River spoke only Portuguese.

Unattested varieties

• Iñamum - once spoken on the Inhamum Island of the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
• Quesque - once spoken on the Pajeú River, state of Pernambuco. (Unattested)
• Abacatiara - once spoken on an island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
• Icozinho - once spoken around the confluence of the Salgado River and Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Icó - once spoken between the Salgado River, Piranhas River and Peixe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Calabaça - the Portuguese name of an extinct language of the Salgado River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Cariú - once spoken between the Cariús River and Bastiões River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Corema - formerly spoken on the Piancó River, state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
• Jucá - once spoken south of the sources of the Jaguaribe River and near Arneiroz, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Ichú / Ansus - once spoken on the sources of the Salgado River in the state of Ceará. (Unattested)
• Ariú / Peba - extinct language formerly spoken on the Piranhas River and Sabugi River in the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
• Bultrin - extinct language of the Serra da Borborema of the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
• Quixexeu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Quixelu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
• Aracapa - extinct language once spoken on Aracapa Island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)

Tumbalalá, now extinct, is an unattested and unclassified language, but words for Tumbalalá ritual objects used in their traditional toré religion appear to be of Kariri origin, namely pujá, kwaqui, and cataioba.^[3]

Other languages called Kariri

The names Kariri and Kiriri were applied to many peoples over a wide area in the east of Brazil, in the lower and middle São Francisco River area and further north. Most of their now-extinct languages are too poorly known to classify, but what is recorded does not suggest that they were all members of the Kariri family. Examples are:

• Katembri (Kiriri, Kariri, Kariri de Mirandela [near [[Banzaê]] and Quijingue in Bahia])
  • Kaufman (1990) classified it as Katembri–Taruma.
• Xukurú (Kirirí, Kirirí-Xokó [in the [[Serra do Urubá]] of Pesqueira, Pernambuco])
  • Loukotka (1968) says this forms a small family with Paratió.
• Xocó (Xokó, Chocó [in [[Sergipe]]], Kariri-Xocó, Kariri-Shoko, Cariri-Chocó [in [[Alagoas]]], Xukuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Cariri [in [[Alagoas]]])
  • Three populations. Not clear if this was one language or three. In the Porto Real do Colégio and Palmeira dos Índios areas of Alagoas.^[4]

Other nearby language isolates and language families:^[4]

• Natú (in the area of Porto Real do Colégio, Alagoas)
• Wakoná (Aconã) (in Penedo, Alagoas) (unattested)
• Wasu (in Joaquim Gomes, Alagoas) (unattested)
• Pankararú (in Brejo dos Padres, Tacaratu, Pernambuco)
• Tuxá (in Rodelas, Bahia)
• Truká (in Cabrobó, Pernambuco) (unattested)
• Kapinawá (in Buíque, Pernambuco) (unattested)
• Wamoé (Atikum) (in the Serra Negra of Pernambuco and surroundings)
• Kambiwá (in Barreira, Petrolândia, Pernambuco)
• Yaté (Fulniô) (in Águas Belas, Pernambuco)
• Baenan (near Itaju, Bahia)
• Kaimbé (in Caimbé, Euclides da Cunha, Bahia)
• Kamakã languages (in Bahia and Minas Gerais states)
  • Masakará (in Massacará, Euclides da Cunha, Bahia and Mirandela, Banzaê, Bahia)
• Tarairiú (in Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states)
• Tremembé (in Ceará and surroundings) (unattested)
• Gamela (in Viana, Maranhão)

The Maxakalían, Krenák (Botocudo, Aimoré), and Purían families, which are probable Macro-Jê languages, are spoken further to the south in Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states.

Language contact

Ramirez et al. (2015) notes that Kariri languages display some lexical similarities with Cariban languages. Similarities with Katembri (also known as Kariri of Mirandela or Kaimbé) may be due to either a Kariri superstratum or substratum in Katembri.^[5]

Syntax

Unlike most Macro-Jê languages which are SOV, Karirí languages are verb-initial and make use of prepositions.^[6]

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Kariri languages.^[2]

gloss				Kamurú
ear	beñe	beñé	penix	benyen
tooth	dza	dza	zá	zah
tongue	nunu	nunú	nunü	nunuh
hand	amísa	musang	musoé	musang
water	dzu	isú	dzú	dzu
stone	kro	kro		kro
sun	ukie	uxe	uché	uchih
moon	kayaku	kayakú	gayakú	gayakúh
star	bati	bathü	bathü	batthüh
tree	bewó	tsi	tsui
tobacco	badze	paewi	poyú
pot		ruñu

Kiriri word list recorded by Wilbur Pickering in 1961 from João Manoel Domingo of Mirandela, Banzaê, Bahia:^[4]

Portuguese gloss (original)	English gloss (translated)	Kiriri
água	water	soˈdε̨
barriga	belly	mudu
cabeça	head	kʌ̨sʌˈbu
cachorro	dog	poiˈo
carne de boi	beef	křaˈzɔ
casa	home	kɔkɔtataˈpʌ̨ιnˈtεu
cobra	snake	ˈuʌ̨ŋgiu
dentes	teeth	uiˈsa
fogo	fire	řuˈɔ infɔiŋkiřiři
fumo	smoke	boˈze
língua	tongue	ˈtʌ̨naˈdu
mandioca		tokyʌ̨
milho	corn	paiˈ hεkinikři
milho verde	green corn	niˈkři
mulher	woman	tʌ̨nʌˈzu
nariz	nose	lʌmbiˈzu
olhos	eyes	uˈipɔ
onça	jaguar	kosoˈbu inšiˈato
orelhas	ears	kombεˈñuy
papagaio	parrot	ɔřoɔ
perto	near	křaˈbo
pés	foot	bʌbεiˈu
sal	salt	ˈįñʌ̨ñį
sol	sun	buˈzofɔˈši
sujo	dirty	ikřε
velho	old	šiˈbɔ
abóbora	pumpkin	křuñaˈvɔ
(está) alegre	(be) happy	sιsιˈkři
andar no mato	go into the bush	dořoˈřo
ave (arapuá)	type of bird	kakiki
ave (inambu)		hoiˈpa
batata	potato	břuziˈřundada
bater (?)	hit (?)	dɔˈpɔ
branco	white	ˈkařai
cachimbo	smoking pipe	paˈu
camaleão	chameleon	bodoˈyo
carregado	loaded	pεdiˈpi
cavalo	horse	kabaˈřu
comida gostosa	delicious food	duˈhε
coxa	thigh	ˈkokulˈdu
criação	creation	buzuřu
cutia		foiˈpřu
dedos	fingers	poˈmɔdoˈi
deus	God	tuˈpo
dinheiro	money	kεiˈu
ema		buˈʌ̨
faca (arco?)	knife (bow?)	uˈza
feijão	bean	břuˈzohɔˈši
um tipo de fruta	a type of fruit	com
miolo	core	kɔˈpε
gato	cat	pʌñ̨ ɔ ̨
índio	Indian	ʌ̨ˈį
		samˈbo
jacu (ave)	jacu (Penelope bird)	kakika
joelho	knee	kɔkabεkε
maltrapilho	person wearing shabby clothes	hundiřɔ
manco	lame	uʌnˈtyɔ
melão	melon	přεˈzεnuda
mentira	lie (not truth)	zoˈpřε
muita gente	many people	dodoˈši
muito obrigado	Thank you very much.	buřεˈdu poio
mulher bonita	beautiful woman	kařabuˈšε
peba	drink	bεˈřɔ
peneirar	sift	koha
pessoa amarela	yellow person	křuaˈřʌ̨
pessoa vermelha	red person	bεřoˈhε
pestana	eyelash	pʌ̨nadu
preto	black	šεŋˈgε
quadril	hip	kaiuˈε
quati		ˈbizaui
quente	hot	daˈsả
raposa	fox	iaˈka
raso	shallow	ˈtařořo
sacola	bag	doˈbε
sene	senile	bɔdɔkɔpři
surdo	deaf	ˈbεñamu
tamanduá		iaˈzu
tatu		ˈbuzuku
urubu	vulture	ˈkikɔ
veado	deer	buko
verdade	truth	fiˈzo
à vontade	make yourself at home	nεˈta
(está) zangado	(be) angry	pɔkεˈdε

Loanwords

Eastern Macro-Jê loanwords in Kariri languages:^[7]

gloss			other languages
beans	ghinhé	guenhie	giñá (Kotoxó)
hammock	pité	pitta	pita (Coroado)
Black person	gorá		engorá (Krenák)
swamp, marsh	pôhô		pohok (Maxakalí)
cow, cattle	cradzó	cradzo	krazo ‘tapir’ (Masakará)
tobacco	badzé	badze	bosé ‘tobacco pipe’ (Coroado)

Tupinambá loanwords in Kariri languages:^[7]

gloss				other Eastern Macro-Jê languages
needle	awí		abi	Maxakalí ãmix
banana	bacobá		pacova	Coroado bacóba
White person	caraí	carai	caraíba	Iatê klai, Krenák krai
box	cramemú		caramẽmuã
domestic pig	curé		curê	Krenák kurek
pumpkin	erumú		jurumũ, jeremũ	Purí šurumúm ‘potato’
bread	miapé		miapé
beads	myghý	muihi	mboýra
oil	nhendí	nianddi	nhandy
bench	pycá		apycába
chicken, hen	sabucá	dapuca	(güyra)ssapucáia
Black person	tapanhú	tapwinhiu	tapyyiúna	Coroado tabañiú, Makoni tapagnon, Malalí tapagnon
Black person			tapyýia	Iatê tupia
hoe	tasí		itassýra	Maxakalí taxunna
money	tayú	tayu	itajúba	Maxakalí tayũmak
God	tupã	tupam	tupã	Maxakalí topa, Krenák kupan, Coroado tupan
priest	waré	padzuare	abaré	Maxakalí ãmãnex, Macuni amattèih, Coroado uáre, Masakará ampari
mirror	waruá		guaruguá
sugarcane mill	wirapararã		ybyrapararánga
firearm			mbocaba	Coroado bokawa
manioc tortilla			mbeju	Coroado bišu ‘manioc’
cow, cattle			tapiira	Coroado tapira, Malalí tapiet
maize			abati	Krenák javati
demon			anhanga, anhangüera	Coroado nhawuera
dog			jaguara	Coroado džoàra

Portuguese loanwords in Kariri languages borrowed via Tupinambá and other intermediate sources:^[7]

gloss			Possible intermediate sources	Portuguese	other Macro-Jê languages
goat	cabará	cabara	cabará (Tupinambá)	cabra
horse	cabarú		cavarú (Tupinambá)	cavalo	Coroado kawarú, Cotoxó cavaró
cross	crusá	crudzá	curussá (Tupinambá)	cruz	Iatê klusa
devil	nhewó	niẽwo	niñavoo (Kapoxó)	diabo
paper			papera	papel	Iatê wapela, Coroado tapera

Further reading

• Rodrigues, A. D. (1942). O Artigo Definido e os Numerais na Língua Kiriri. Arquivos do Museu Paranaense, 2:179-212.

Notes

• Ribeiro, Eduardo. (2002) 'O marcador de posse alienavel em Kariri: um morfema macro-je revisitado'. Revista Liames, 2: 31-48.
• Fabre, Alain. 2005. Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: KARIRIhttp://www.ling.fi/Entradas%20diccionario/Dic=Kariri.pdf

Notes and References

1. 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.
2. Book: Loukotka, Čestmír . Čestmír Loukotka . Classification of South American Indian languages . registration . UCLA Latin American Center . 1968 . Los Angeles.
3. Web site: Tumbalalá . Povos Indígenas no Brasil . pt . 29 January 2020.
4. Book: Meader, Robert E. . Indios do Nordeste: Levantamento sobre os remanescentes tribais do nordeste brasileiro . 1978 . . Brasilia . pt.
5. Ramirez, H., Vegini, V., & França, M. C. V. de. (2015). Koropó, puri, kamakã e outras línguas do Leste Brasileiro. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas, 15(2), 223 - 277.
6. Ribeiro, Eduardo Rivail. On the inclusion of the Karirí family in the Macro-Jê stock: additional evidence. Paper presented at SSILA 2011 (Pittsburgh), January 7, 2011.
7. Ribeiro. Eduardo Rivail. Tapuya connections: language contact in eastern Brazil. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas. 9. 1. 2010. 61–76. 2177-7160. 10.20396/liames.v9i1.1463. free.