Upper Amazon Arawakan languages explained

Upper Amazonian Arawakan
Also Known As:	Inland Northern Maipuran
Region:	Northern Amazon
Familycolor:	American
Fam2:	Northern
Child1:	Western Nawiki
Child2:	Eastern Nawiki
Child3:	Central (Orinoco)
Child4:	Manao
Glotto:	inla1264
Glottorefname:	Inland Northern Maipuran

The Upper Amazon Maipurean languages, a.k.a. North Amazonian or Inland Northern Maipuran, are Arawakan languages of the northern Amazon in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil.

Upper Amazon Arawakan has been surveyed comprehensively by Henri Ramirez (2001), which includes a historical reconstruction as well.

Languages

Kaufman (1994)

Kaufman (1994) gives the following breakdown (Aikhenvald's names of branches in parentheses):

• • Western Nawiki (Colombian)
    • Wainumá group
      • • • • • • • • • • • • Wainumá Mariaté Anauyá Piapoko group
      • Achagua (Achawa)
      • Piapoco
        • • • • Amarizana Caviyari (Cabiyarí) ?
    • Warekena group
      • Guarequena (Warekena)
      • Mandahuaca (Mandawaka)
    • Río Negro group
      • Jumana (Yumana)
        • • • • • • • Pasé Cawishana Yucuna group
      • Yucuna (Jukuna)
        • • Guarú Eastern Nawiki (Upper Rio Negro)
    • Tariana
    • Karu group
      • Kurripako (Ipeka-Tapuia-Curripako)
      • Baniwa (of Içana) (Carútana-Baniwa)
      • Katapolítani-Moriwene-Mapanai (Kadaupuritana)
  • Resígaro ?)
  • Central Upper Amazon (Orinoco)
    • Baré group
      • • • • • Marawá Baré
            • Guinao Yavitero group
              • Yavitero Baniwa (Abane)
          • Maipure Manao (Middle Rio Negro)
          • Manao Kariaí (Cariyai)

He leaves the following Upper Amazon languages unclassified:

Aikhenvald (1999)

In 1999 Aikhenvald^[1] classified a couple languages Kaufman left out (Shiriana, Yabaâna), but leaves several of the Western Nawiki languages and branches unclassified. Several languages — Maipure, Resígaro, Cawishana, Mandahuaca, and Guarequena — are moved. She treats the Yucuna, Karu (Baniwa), and Bare groups as single languages.

• • Western Nawiki (Colombian)
    • • • • Maipure Resígaro ?
    • Achagua (Achawa)
    • Piapoco
    • Caviyari (Cabiyarí) ?
    • Yucuna (Jukuna) (dialect: Guarú)
  • Eastern Nawiki (Upper Rio Negro)
    • Tariana
    • Baniwa (Carútana-Baniwa) (dialects: Curripako, Catapolítani)
    • Guarequena (Warekena)
  • Central Upper Amazon (Orinoco)
    • Mandahuaca (Mandawaka)
      • • • Yabaâna Baré (dialect: Guinao)
            • • Yavitero Baniwa of Guainia Manao (Middle Rio Negro)
          • Manao Shiriana (Xiriâna)
    • Cawishana (Kaiʃana)

Unclassified : Wainumá, Mariaté, Anauyá, Amarizana, Jumana (Yumana), Pasé, Kariaí (Cariyai), Waraikú (Araikú), Wiriná. Cabre (Cavare) was found in the area of the Western Nawiki languages, but only a few words are known. The "Ponares language" listed in Ethnologue may have been Piapoco or Achagua.

References

• Ramirez, Henri. 2001. Línguas Arawak da Amazônia Setentrional. Manaus: EDUA. 745pp.

Notes and References

1. Book: Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. . 1999 . The Arawak language family . Dixon, Robert Malcolm Ward . Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. . The Amazonian languages . Cambridge, England . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-57021-3.