Achuar dialect

The Achuar dialect, known as Achuar Chicham^[1] and Achual, is an indigenous language and dialect of Shiwiar spoken by the Achuar community. This ethnic group resides in the regions of the Pastaza, Bobonaza, Morona, Macusari, Tigre, Huasaga, and Corrientes rivers, located in Peru and Ecuador.^[2][3][4]

Achuar
Achual
Native to	Ecuador, Peru
Ethnicity	Achuar
Native speakers	20,000 (2011)
Language family	Chicham Achuar-Shiwiar Achuar
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Ecuador, Peru
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	achu1249

Approximately 50% of Achuar language speakers are literate. Only 1% of those who speak Achuar as a second language are literate, as the majority prefer to use Spanish.

Phonology

Consonant phonemes^[5]

	Bilabial	Alveolar	Postalveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n			ŋ
Stop	p	t			k	ʔ
Affricate		ts	tʃ
Fricative		s	ʃ		x
Approximant				j	w
Tap		ɾ

Vowel phonemes^[5]

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i ĩ iː		u ũ uː
Close-mid		ɘ ɘ̃ ɘː[6]
Open		a ã aː

• /i/ and /u/ have slightly lowered allophones [ɪ] and [ʊ], respectively.^{[7][in which environments?]}
• /a, ã, aː/ are phonetically central [a̠, ã̠, a̠ː].^[7]
  • /a, ã/ (but not the long /aː/) have the following allophones: open central unrounded [a̠, ã̠], open-mid front unrounded [ɛ, ɛ̃], close-mid front unrounded [e, ẽ] and close-mid back rounded [o, õ].^{[7][what is their distribution?]}

Orthography

In the Achuar language, there are four vowels: a, e, i, u. Only the "e" is pronounced differently.^[how?] The alphabet consists of 21 letters: a, aa, ch, e, ee, i, ii, j, k, m, n, p, r, s, sh, t, ts, u, uu, w, y.

Sample text

Aints ainauti mash metek nuwanmaya akiniauwitji. Turasha ankan penker pujusmi tusar akiniauwitji. Aintstikia mash ii nintijai paan nintimratnuitji, turasha penker aa nu nekaatnuitji. Aints pasé aa nusha nekaatnuitji. Turasha ii pataichiri ainaujai penker nintimtunisar pujuiniana nunisrik chikich aintsjaisha penker nintimtunisar pujustinuitji.

Translation: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." (First article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Bibliography

• Fast Mowitz, G. (1975), Sistema fonológico del idioma achual (in Spanish), Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano
• Lev, Michael; Stark, Tammy; Chang, Will (2012). "Phonological inventory of Achuar-Shiwiar". The South American Phonological Inventory Database (version 1.1.3 ed.). Berkeley: University of California: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages Digital Resource.