Chayahuita language

Chayahuita
Cahuapana
Shawi
Native toPeru
Ethnicity21,400 (2011)
Native speakers
14,000 (2011)[1]
Cahuapanan
  • Chayahuita
Language codes
ISO 639-3cbt
Glottologchay1248
ELPChayahuita

Chayahuita is an endangered Amazonian language spoken by thousands of native Chayahuita people in the Amazon basin of north-central Peru. Spoken along the banks of the Paranapura, Cahuapanas, Sillay, and Shanusi rivers, it is also known as Chayawita, Shawi, Chawi, Tshaahui, Chayhuita, Chayabita, Shayabit, Balsapuertino, Paranapura, and Cahuapa. There is a 1–5% literacy rate, compared with 5–15% for Spanish, and a dictionary since 1978. It can not be understood by Jebero speakers although there is some overlap in vocabulary, especially some Quechua terms.

Phonology

[edit]
Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Open a
Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Stop p t t͡ʃ k ʔ
Fricative s ʃ h
Rhotic r
Approximant w j

Vocabulary

[edit]

Selected Shawi animal names from Rojas-Berscia (2019):[3]

Selected animal names
Common name Scientific name Shawi
possum Didelphis marsupialis anashi
lowland paca Cuniculus paca ipi'
red squirrel Sciurus spadiceus pu'shi
bicolor porcupine Coendou bicolor sese
common rat Rattus norvegicus shumi
agouti Dasyprocta punctata ite'
capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris tucusu'
pichico monkey Saguinus fuscicollis ishi'
Amazon condor Sarcoramphus papa tame
silver mylossoma Metynnis argenteus shite'
black prochilodus Prochilodus nigricans wanki
armored catfish Pseudorinelepis genibarbis warate'
wolf fish Hoplias malabaricus a'nanan
peccary Pecari tajacu kiraman
jaguar Panthera onca ni'ni'
tapir Tapirus terrestris pawara
giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis ini'
kinkajou Potos flavus kuwasha'
red howler Alouatta seniculus nu'nu'
yellow-tailed woolly monkey Oreonax flavicauda sura'
squirrel monkey Saimiri sciureus isen
bald uakari Cacajao calvus tekerenan
owl monkey Aotus miconax kuwi
spider monkey Ateles belzebuth tu'ya
pink dolphin Inia geoffrensis sapana'
shusupe Lachesis muta na'shi
common lancehead Bothrops atrox tayuwan
boa Boa constrictor kupiwan
wattled curassow Crax globulosa i'sa
bayuca caterpillar Lonomia obliqua tiwintata'

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Shawi". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  2. ^ a b Barraza, Yris (2005). El sistema verbal en la lengua shawi. Universidade Federal do Pernambuco.
  3. ^ Rojas-Berscia, Luis Miguel. 2019. From Kawapanan to Shawi: Topics in language variation and change. Doctoral dissertation, Radboud University Nijmegen.