Huarpean | |
---|---|
Warpean | |
Ethnicity | Huarpe people |
Geographic distribution | Cuyo Province, Argentina |
Linguistic classification |
Macro-Warpean ? Macro-Jibaro ?
|
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | huar1251 |
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Huarpe (Warpe) was a small language family of central Argentina (historic Cuyo Province) that consisted of two closely related languages. They are traditionally considered dialects, and include Allentiac (Alyentiyak, Huarpe) and Millcayac (Milykayak). A third, Puntano of San Luis, was not documented before the languages became extinct.
Kaufman (1994) tentatively linked Huarpe to the Mura-Matanawi languages in a family he called Macro-Warpean. However, he noted that "no systematic study" had been made, so that it is best to consider them independent families. Swadesh and Suárez both connected Huarpe to Macro-Jibaro, a possibility that has yet to be investigated.
Varieties classified by Loukotka (1968) as part of the Huarpe language cluster (all unattested unless noted otherwise, i.e. for Chiquiyama and Comechingon): [1]
Varieties of the Huarpe-Comechingon linguistic group cited from Canals Frau (1944) by Mason (1950): [2]
Pericot y Garcia (1936) lists Zoquillam, Tunuyam, Chiquillan, Morcoyam, Diamantino (Oyco), Mentuayn, Chom, Titiyam, Otoyam, Ultuyam, and Cucyam. [2]
The two languages had apparently similar sound systems, and were not dissimilar from Spanish, at least from the records we have. Barros (2007) reconstructs the consonants as follows:
Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
Plosive | p | t | k | ||
Affricate | ts | tʃ | |||
Fricative | s | ʃ | h | ||
Semivowel | w | j | ( ɰ) | ||
Lateral | l | ʎ | |||
Trill | r |
Allentiac had at least six vowels, written a, e, i, o, u, ù. The ù is thought to represent the central vowel [ ɨ].
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Huarpean languages. [1]
gloss | Allentiac | Millcayac | Henia |
---|---|---|---|
one | lka | negui | |
two | yemen | yemeni | |
three | pultun | pultuni | |
head | yoto | ||
tooth | tuxe | tex | |
water | kaha | aka | |
fire | kʔtek | ketek | |
sun | tekta | xumek | |
tree | zaʔat | eye | |
maize | telag | telam | |
bird | zurú | zuru | lemin |