Boruca language
The Boruca language (also known as Bronka, Bronca or Brúnkajk.) is the native language of the Boruca people of Costa Rica. It is one of the Chibchan languages. It is nearly extinct; it was spoken fluently by only five women in 1986, while 30 to 35 others spoke it non-fluently. The rest of the tribe's 1,000 members speak Spanish. The language is taught as a second language at the local primary school Escuela Doris Z. Stone. One can hear Bronka words and phrases mixed into Spanish conversations but it is extremely rare to hear prolonged exchanges in Bronka.
| Boruca | |
|---|---|
| Bronca | |
| Native to | Costa Rica |
| Ethnicity | one thousand Boruca people (1991)[1] |
Native speakers | 3 (2007)[1] |
Chibchan
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | brn |
| Glottolog | boru1252 |
| ELP | Boruca[2] |
Greetings:
¿Ishójcre rában? = What's up?
Morén, morén. = Fine, well.[3]
The personal pronouns in Boruca (the ᵛ represents a glottal stop.)[4]
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | át | diᵛ / diᵛ rójc |
| 2nd | bá | biᵛ / biᵛ rójc |
| 3rd | i | i rójc / iᵛ rójc |
The numbers (the "n̈", "n" with the diaeresis "¨" on top may be unavailable in some fonts, it represents a slightly different sound from the normal n or ñ.)[5]
| Numbers | Bronka |
|---|---|
| 1 | éᵛxe, éᵛxi |
| 2 | búᵛc |
| 3 | man̈ |
| 4 | bájcan̈ |
| 5 | shishcán̈ |
| 6 | téshan |
| 7 | cúj, cújc |
| 8 | éjtan̈ |
| 9 | cújtan̈, éjcuj |
| 10 | téjcuj, cróshtan̈, búᵛc cúj |
See also
References
- Boruca at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- Endangered Languages Project data for Boruca.
- Maroto Rojas, Espíritu Santo (1999). "Palabras varias Saludos". Lengua o dialecto Boruca o Brunkajk. (in Spanish and Boruca). San José, Costa Rica: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. p. 49. ISBN 9977-67-554-6.
- Quesada Pacheco, Miguel Ángel (1995). Hablemos Boruca. (in Spanish and Boruca). San José, Costa Rica: Ministerio de Educación Pública. p. 33. ISBN 9977-60-114-3.
- Quesada Pacheco, Miguel Ángel (1995). Hablemos boruca. (in Spanish and Boruca). San José, Costa Rica: Ministerio de Educación Pública. p. 82. ISBN 9977-60-114-3.