Timotean languages

The Timotean languages were spoken in the Venezuelan Andes around what is now Mérida. It is assumed that they are extinct. However, Timote may survive in the so-far unattested Mutú (Loco) language, as this occupies a mountain village (Mutús) within the old Timote state.[1][2]

Timótean
Geographic
distribution		Venezuela
Linguistic classificationTimotean
Subdivisions
Glottolog(not evaluated)
Timote and Cuica toponyms

Genetic relations

There is no apparent connection to the Chibchan, Arawakan, or Cariban families, apart from sporadic resemblances with Paez and some divergent Chibchan languages, so Timotean appears to be an independent family.

Jolkesky (2016) also notes that there are lexical similarities with the Jirajaran languages.[3]

Languages

There were two closely related languages, each a pair of dialects:

Traditionally, Mucuchí and Mirripú have been classified as dialects of Timote, with Cuica as a distinct language, but the data in Loukotka (1968)[4] indicates that Cuica is a dialect of Timote, and that Mucuchí–Mirripú are a separate language (Kaufman 2007; Campbell 1997, 2012).

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Timotean languages.[4]

glossTimoteCuicaMocochiMirripú
one kárikaríkaríkarí
two gemxemxemxem
three shuéntshuentshutsut
head ki-kushámki-kushankisham
ear ki-kumeuki-kumeuti-subú
tooth ki-kunñuchchi-runch
man kiukiaikiukiaikaʔakkage
water shömpúshombuchshimpuéshimpú
fire shirupshnopachurupchirup
sun nareúpanareupaumpú
maize chxáchxachixsakchipxak
bird kiukchúkchu
house kurakatakfokshimanakotsharakot

References
  1. Lyle Campbell, 2000. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America.
  2. Willem Adelaar with Pieter Muysken, The Languages of the Andes, CUP, 2004:124–125
  3. Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho de Valhery (2016). Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas (Ph.D. dissertation) (2 ed.). Brasília: University of Brasília.
  4. Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
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