Tacana language explained

Tacana
States:Bolivia
Region:La Paz Department (Bolivia)
Ethnicity: (2012)
Date:2012
Ref:e25
Familycolor:American
Fam1:Tacanan
Fam2:Araona–Tacanan
Fam3:Cavinena–Tacana
Fam4:Tacana Proper
Iso3:tna
Glotto:taca1256
Glottorefname:Tacana

Tacana is a Western Tacanan language spoken by some 1,800 Tacana people in Bolivia out of an ethnic population of 5,000. They live in the forest along the Beni and Madre de Dios rivers in the north of La Paz Department. Numerous dialects, now extinct, have been attributed to Tacana: Ayaychuna, Babayana, Chiliuvo, Chivamona, Idiama (Ixiama), Pamaino, Pasaramona, Saparuna, Siliama, Tumupasa (Maracani, "Tupamasa"), Uchupiamona, Yabaypura, and Yubamona (Mason 1950).

Phonology

Consonants

LabialDental/
Alveolar
Post-
alveolar
VelarGlottal
Plosivevoicelesspronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
voicedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Affricatepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Fricativevoicelesspronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
voicedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Rhoticpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Semivowelpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/

Vowels

FrontCentralBack
Closepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Midpronounced as /link/
Openpronounced as /link/
[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lazarte, Manuel L.. Fonemas tacana y modelos de acentuación. Van Wynen. Donald & Mabel. Cochabamba: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano. 1962.