Carib language

This article is about the language of South America. For the language of the Caribs in the Caribbean, see Island Carib language.

Carib or Kariʼnja is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 mostly in Brazil, The Guianas, and Venezuela. The language is currently classified as highly endangered, as it is only spoken by elders.

Names

The language is known by several names to both its speakers and outsiders. Traditionally it has been known as "Carib" or "Carib proper" in English, after its speakers, called the "Caribs" in English. It is known Caribe in Spanish, Galina in French, and Karaïeb in Dutch. However, the speakers call themselves Kalina or Karìna (variously spelled), and call their language Karìna auran [kaɽiɁnʲauɽaŋ]. Other variants include Kaliʼna, Kariʼnja, Cariña, Kariña, Kalihna, Kalinya; other native names include Maraworno and Marworno.

Classification

Kariʼnja is classified as a Cariban language, in the Guianan Carib branch.

Geographic distribution

Due to contact with Kariʼnja invaders, some languages have Kariʼnja words incorporated into them, despite being Arawakan languages linguistically. A Carib-based lengua generale was once used in the old missions of the Oyapock and surrounding regions, apparently surviving at least along the Uaçá tributary into the 20th century.

In Suriname, there is a village called Konomerume which is located near the Wajambo River. With about 349 people living there, a majority identify as ethnically Kariʼnja and as for who knows the language, the adults are reported to at least have a decent knowledge of it. Those above the age of 65 use the language as a primary language among the members of the community. Speakers between the ages of 45 and 65 tend to use the language only when speaking with older residents or elder members of their family, while for the most part using the official languages: Dutch and Sranan Tongo. Younger adults between the ages of 20 and 40 for the most part understand the language but do not speak it, and children learn bits about Kariʼnja in school.

Dialects

Carib dialects (with number of speakers indicated in parentheses):

  • Venezuelan Carib (1000)
  • Guyanese Carib (2000)
  • Western Surinamese Carib (500)
  • Eastern Surinamese and French Guianese Carib (3000)
    • Suriname has two dialects of Kariʼnja: Aretyry which is spoken in the west and central parts of the country, and Tyrewuju which is what the majority of Kariʼnja speakers in Suriname use.

Phonology

In the Kariʼnja language, there are four syllable patterns: V, CV, VC, CVC; C standing for consonants while V means a vowel. Regarding phonemes, consonants are divided into two groups: obstruents (voiceless stops—p, t, k) and resonants (voiced stops—b, d, g, s).

Kariʼnja has a typical 6 vowel system after *ô merged with *o, being a e i o u ï. Compared to past Kariʼnja, the modern day Kariʼnja has replaced the e in many words to o.

Allophones for /r w t/ include sounds as [ɽ β,v tʃ]. /s/ before /i/ may be pronounced as [ʃ]. /n/ before a consonant may be pronounced as [ŋ] and also [ɲ] elsewhere. Another sound, ranging [h~x], often occurs before a voiced or voiceless consonant, and succeeding a vowel, it can also be an allophone of /ʔ/.

Alphabet

The Carib alphabet consists of 15 letters:

a, e, i, j, k, `, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, w, y.

Grammar

There are 17 particles within Kariʼnja which include the ky- prefix and the -ng suffix.

Vocabulary

All four dialects of Kariʼnja have loan words from the primary language of the area (Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana). For example, the Kariʼnja spoken in Suriname borrows words from Dutch and Sranantongo.

Examples

Some of the words show instances in which the e has been replaced with o in present-day Kariʼnja. The two statements beneath the singular words show examples of two suffixes.

References

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Uses material from the Wikipedia article Carib language, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.