Iñapari language

Iñapari is a critically endangered indigenous South American language spoken by just four people in Perú along the Las Piedras river near the mouth of the Sabaluyoq river. The language is already extinct in neighboring Bolivia. All four remaining speakers are bilingual in Spanish and none have any children, which will likely lead to its extinction once the speakers die. The Iñapari language currently has a published dictionary.[3][4]

Iñapari
Native toPeru
Native speakers
4 (1999)[1]
Arawakan
  • Southern
Official status
Official language in
Perú
Language codes
ISO 639-3inp
Glottologinap1242
ELPIñapari[2]

The Pacaguara (Pacahuara) dialect described by Mercier was at least ethnically distinct. (But see Pacaguara language.)

Phonology

According to Parker, Iñapari has eleven consonants and six vowels.[4]

Iñapari Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Glottal
Voiceless stops p t ʔ
Voiceless fricatives s h
Nasals m n
Lateral (l)
Flap r
Glides w y

The status of the lateral as a phoneme is considered dubious as [l] is found in few words and may be a phonetic variant of /r/.

Iñapari's six vowels are /i e a ï o u/, where /ï/ is a high back unrounded vowel.

Notes
  1. Iñapari at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Iñapari.
  3. Datos de la lengua Iñapari. Parker, Stephen G., compiler. 1995. Documento de Trabajo, 27. Yarinacocha: Ministerio de Educación and Instituto Lingüístico de Verano. 208 p.
  4. A sketch of Iñapari phonology Parker, Steve. 1999. International Journal of American Linguistics 65: 1-39.


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