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Piapoco language

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Piapoco
Cháse
Native toColombia, Venezuela
Native speakers
6,400 (2001–2007)[1]
Arawakan
Language codes
ISO 639-3pio – inclusive code
Individual code:
pod – Ponares?
Glottologpiap1246  Piapoco
pona1251  Ponares – undemonstrated
ELPPiapoco

Piapoco is an Arawakan language of Colombia and Venezuela.

A "Ponares" language is inferred from surnames, and may have been Piapoco or Achagua.

History

Piapoco is a branch of the Arawak language, which also includes Achagua and Tariana.[2] Piapoco is considered a Northern Arawak language.[3] There are only about 3,000 Piapoco speakers left today. These people live in the Meta, Vichada, and Guanviare rivers in Colombia[4] Piapoco speakers also reside in Venezuela.[5] It is an endangered language.[6]

Geography/Background

The Piapocos come from the larger tribe, the Piaroa, who are indigenous to the Amazon rain forest.[7] The Piapoco people originally lived in the midsection of Rio Guaviare, later moving in the 18th century to avoid settlers, missionaries, and others.[8]

Grammar

A Piapoco-Spanish dictionary containing 2,500 words was written by Deloris Klumpp, in which botanical identification of plants were captured, although not all.[9] The Piapoco language follows the following grammatical rules: plural suffix -nai used for animates only, derivational suffixes masculine -iri, feminine -tua, suffix -mi ‘late, defunct,’ nominalizing -si, declarative mood marker -ka.[10] Piapoco is unique in that it seems to be a nominative-accusative language.[11] The are eighteen segmental phonemes, fourteen consonant and four vowels in the Piapoco language.[12]

Bilingualism

The word Piapoco is a Spanish nickname in reference to the toucan.[13] Most Piapoco also speak Spanish.[14] Speakers who have had less contact with Spanish speakers more often pronounce the phoneme “s” as a voiceless interdental fricative.[15] Younger speakers of the Piapoco language tend to eliminate the “h” more than older speakers due to their contact with the Spanish language.[16]

When a large portion of people come in contact with another language and are competent in it, their language gradually becomes more like the other.[17] This allows for a gradual convergence, where grammar and semantics of one language begin to replicate the other.[18]

References

  1. ^ Piapoco at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Ponares? at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Seifart, F. (2012). Causative Marking in Resígaro (Arawakan): A Descriptive and Comparative Perspective. International Journal of American Linguistics, 78(3), 369-384. doi:10.1086/665917
  3. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (1998). International Journal of American Linguistics, 64(2), 168-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265983
  4. ^ Klumpp, J., & Burquest, D. (1983). Relative Clauses in Piapoco. International Journal of American Linguistics,49(4), 388-399. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265211
  5. ^ Did you know Piapoco is threatened? (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/2955
  6. ^ Did you know Piapoco is threatened? (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/2955
  7. ^ Piapoco Indians. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.indian-cultures.com/cultures/piapoco-indians/
  8. ^ Flowers, N. M. (n.d.). Piapoco. Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.everyculture.com/South-America/Piapoco.html
  9. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (1998). International Journal of American Linguistics, 64(2), 168-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265983
  10. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (1998). International Journal of American Linguistics, 64(2), 168-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265983
  11. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (1998). International Journal of American Linguistics, 64(2), 168-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265983
  12. ^ Klumpp, D. (1990). Piapoco Grammar. 1-136. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/18810.
  13. ^ Klumpp, J., & Burquest, D. (1983). Relative Clauses in Piapoco. International Journal of American Linguistics,49(4), 388-399. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/1265211
  14. ^ Flowers, N. M. (n.d.). Piapoco. Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.everyculture.com/South-America/Piapoco.html
  15. ^ Klumpp, D. (1990). Piapoco Grammar. 1-136. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/18810.
  16. ^ Klumpp, D. (1990). Piapoco Grammar. 1-136. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/18810.
  17. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (2003). Mechanisms of Change in Areal Diffusion: New Morphology and Language Contact. Journal of Linguistics, 39(1), 1-29. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/4176787
  18. ^ Aikhenvald, A. (2003). Mechanisms of Change in Areal Diffusion: New Morphology and Language Contact. Journal of Linguistics, 39(1), 1-29. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/stable/4176787


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