| Bora–Witóto | |
|---|---|
| Witotoan | |
| (controversial) | |
| Geographic distribution | northwestern Amazon |
| Linguistic classification | Proposed language family |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | None |
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Bora–Witóto (also Bora–Huitoto, Bora–Uitoto, or, ambiguously, Witotoan) is a proposal to unite the Boran and Witotoan language families of southwestern Colombia (Amazonas Department) and neighboring regions of Peru and Brazil. Kaufman (1994) added the Andoque language.
Kaufman (1994) lists Bóran and Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) as separate families (they are grouped together with Andoque as Bora–Witótoan; by 2007 he moved Andoque to Witotoan).
Aschmann (1993) proposed Bora–Witoto as a connection between the Boran and Witotoan language families. Echeverri & Seifart (2016) refute the connection.
Kaufman (2007) includes Bora-Witoto in his Macro-Andean proposal, and added the Andoque language to the Witotoan family. (Aschmann had considered Andoque a language isolate.) These proposals have not been accepted by other linguists. Gildea and Payne (2007) checked Bora-Witoto with Andoque, Proto-Cariban and Yagua, and found Bora-Witoto to be not related to any of the others.
Mason (1950: 236–238) groups Bora–Witoto, Tupian, and Zaparoan together as part of a proposed Macro-Tupí-Guaranían family.
Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Proto-Bora-Muinane (i.e., Proto-Boran), Bora, Proto-Witotoan, Witoto, and Andoque.
| gloss | Proto-Bora-Muinane | Bora | Proto-Witotoan | Witoto | Andoque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | *niga-ɨ | nīːkʷàɯ̀ | ɨɸogɨ | -tai | |
| hair | *-hee- | níːkʷākō | ɨɸotɨraɨ | ka-tai ʌka-be | |
| eye | *aʤɨ-ɨ | ācɯ̄ː | uˑɨθɨ | -ʔákʌ | |
| ear | *nɨ()-meeʔu | nɯ́mɨ̄̇ō | ?**()po | heɸo | -bei |
| nose | *tɨhɨ-ʔu | Tɨ́hɨ̄̇ò | *topo-(ʔ) | doɸo | -pɤta |
| tooth | *iʔgai | íʔkʷāhɨ̀ | ?**iiʔ-gi-() | iθido | -kódi |
| tongue | *nehe | nɨ́ːhɨ̄̇ʔkʷā | ?**()pe | iɨɸe | -sodɤ̃ |
| mouth | *i-hɨ | īʔhʲɯ̀ | **(-)po(e) | ɸue | -ɸi |
| hand | *ʔutʦe | ōhtsɨ̄̇ | onoɟɨ | -dobi | |
| foot | *ttɨʔaai | mēhtíā | **(ï)ta() (lower leg) | eˑɨɟɨ | -dʌka |
| breast | *mɨppaino | **xebae-gaï | -ɲeé | ||
| meat | *ʔookuu, *duu | éːkó | ɟɨkɨθi | -ɤ̃ta | |
| blood | *tɨɨ | **tï-xë(ʔe) | dɨe | -duʔs | |
| bone | *bakkɨ | p̻āhkɯ̄ | iɟaikɨ | -tadɤ̃ | |
| person | *m()a-mɨnaa-ppi (sg.), *m()a-mɨnaa (pl.) | kʷàhp̻ì | ɨima | ʝóʔhʌ | |
| name | *momo | **maime | mamekɨ | -ti | |
| dog | *ʔuuʔi | ōíp̻ʲē | **xï̄ʔko | hɨko | ĩɲõ |
| fish | āmōmè | ɟɨkɨaɨ | bei | ||
| louse | *gaaini-ʔu | kʷāánī | ɨboma | táʔsi | |
| tree | *ɨmo-ʔo | ɯ̄mèè | ?**(aï)me() | amena | kɤ̃́ʔɤ̃dɤ |
| leaf | *-ʔaame | ɨ́nāʔámɨ̄̇ | rabe | -sedɤ̃ | |
| flower | θaɸia | ||||
| water | *nɨ-ppai()u | nēhp̻ākʲō | **nō-() | hɨnui | dúʔu |
| fire | *kɨɨhɨ-gai | kɯ́ːhɯ̄kʷā | irai | ʌʔpa | |
| stone | néékʷājī | **goti- | noɸɨkɨ | ɸisi | |
| earth | *hiinɨ-he | ìīɲɯ̀ | *xáénï̄ʔ-xë | enɨe | ɲṍʔĩ |
| salt | *ɨmo | **(ï)xaidzaï(ga) | ɨaiθaɨ | ||
| road | **(na)xï̄() | naˑɨθo | dubɤ, õbɤ | ||
| eat | *matʧu | **d(o)ʔ, **gōī(ne) | guite | -baʔi- | |
| die | *gihe-βo | baˑɨde | ĩ-hʌ́ʌ- | ||
| I | *uu | ōō | **(k)ōō-xe(ʔe) | kue | o-ʔɤ |
| you | *ɨɨ | **ō-xe(ʔe) | o | ha-ʔɤ |