Guamo language

Guamo (a.k.a. Wamo or Guamotey) is an extinct language of Venezuela. Kaufman (1990) finds a connection with the Chapacuran languages convincing.

Varieties that may have been dialects or closely related languages:

• Guamo of San José - on the Santo Domingo River, Zamora
• Dazaro - once spoken in Zamora on the Guanare River
• Guamontey - once spoken from the mouth of the Zárate River to the Apure River (unattested)
• Tayaga - once spoken between the Arauca River and Apure River, in Apure State (unattested)
• Atapaima - once spoken at the mouth of the Guanaparo River, Guárico State, Venezuela (unattested)
• Guárico - extinct principal language Guárico State, once spoken on the Guárico River, Portuguesa River, and Apure River (unattested)
• Guire - once spoken on the middle course of the Tiznados River, Orituco River, and Guaritico River, Guarico State (unattested)
• Payme - once spoken at the mouth of the Guárico River (unattested)

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Santa Rosa and San José dialects of Guamo.

Guama is primarily attested in a word list from 1778. The list has been reproduced below, with the original Spanish orthography maintained for the Guama forms.

• Kaufman, Terrence (1990). "Language History in South America: What we know and how to know more". In David L. Payne (ed.). Amazonian Linguistics. Austin: University of Texas Press.