Chicham languages

Chicham
Jivaroan
aent
Geographic
distribution		Peru
Linguistic classificationOne of the world's primary language families
(Macro-Jibaro ?)
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologjiva1245
Chicham (violet) and Cahuapanan (pink) languages. Spots are documented locations, shadowed areas probable extension in 16th century.

The Chicham languages, also known as Jivaroan (Hívaro, Jívaro, Jibaro), and natively as aent, is a small language family of northern Peru and eastern Ecuador, in Amazonas, Cajamarca, Loreto, and San Martin, Peru and the Oriente region of Ecuador.

Genetic relations

The extinct Palta language was classified as Chicham by Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño about 1940 and was followed by Čestmír Loukotka, but Kaufman (1994) states that there is "little resemblance". However, only 4 words are known.

The most promising external connections are with the Cahuapanan languages and perhaps a few other language isolates in proposals variously called Jívaro-Cahuapana (Hívaro-Kawapánan) (Jorge Suárez and others) or Macro-Jibaro or Macro-Andean (Morris Swadesh and others, with Cahuapanan, Urarina, Puelche, and maybe Huarpe).

The language isolate Candoshi has also been linked to Chicham, as David Payne (1981) provides reconstructions for Proto-Shuar as well as Proto-Shuar-Candoshi.

Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Quechuan, Kwaza, Taruma, Yanomami, Katukina-Katawixi, Kandoshi, Tupi, and Arawan language families due to contact. This suggests that Chicham had originated further downstream in the Central Amazon region.

Family division

Chicham consists of four languages:

1. Shuar
2. Achuar-Shiwiar
3. Awajun
4. Huambisa

Extinct Palta may have been Chicham as well. Based on the word for 'water', it is possible that Tabancale was also a Chicham language.: 426 

Mason (1950)

Internal classification of the Chicham languages by Mason (1950):

  • Chicham
    • Aguaruna
      • Alapico
      • Indanza
      • Iransa
      • Maranza
      • Santiago
      • Patocuma
      • Chiguasa
      • Yuganza
    • Wambisa
      • Uambisa
      • Cherembo
      • Chirapa
      • Chiwando
      • Candoa
      • Cangaime
      • Mangosisa
    • Achuale
      • Capawari
      • Copatasa
      • Machine
      • Pindu
      • Wampoya
    • Antipa
    • Maca
      • Walakisa
      • Zamora
      • Pintuc
      • Ayuli
      • Morona
      • Miazal
    • Upano
    • Bolona
    • Bracamoro (Pacamuru)

Jolkesky (2016)

Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):

(† = extinct)

Proto-language

Payne's (1981) Proto-Shuar reconstruction is based on data from Shuar, Achuar, Aguaruna, and Huambisa, while his Proto-Shuar-Candoshi reconstruction also integrates data from Candoshi and Shapra.

For reconstructions of Proto-Shuar and Proto-Shuar-Candoshi by Payne (1981), see the corresponding Spanish article.

References

  1. ↑ Haboud Bumachar, Marleen; Toapanta, Jesús L., eds. (2014). Voces e imágenes: lenguas indígenas del Ecuador. Quito: Centro de Publicaciones, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. ISBN 978-9978-77-211-9.
  2. 1 2 Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília.
  3. ↑ Urban, Matthias (2024-12-31), "Small and extinct languages of Northern Peru", in Urban, Matthias (ed.), The Oxford Guide to the Languages of the Central Andes (1 ed.), Oxford University PressOxford, pp. 419–437, doi:10.1093/oso/9780198849926.003.0014, ISBN 978-0-19-884992-6, retrieved 2026-07-01
  4. ↑ Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians. Vol. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.

Bibliography