Bora–Witoto languages

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.

Bora–Witóto
Witotoan
(controversial)
Geographic distribution	northwestern Amazon
Linguistic classification	Proposed language family
Subdivisions	? Andoque–Urequena Boran Witotoan
Language codes
Glottolog	None

Family division

• Boran
• Witotoan (or Witoto–Ocaina)

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). (Note that Andoque was later demonstrated to be part of the Andoque–Urequena family.)

Genetic relations

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.^[1] (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.^[2]

Vocabulary

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[3]	Bora[4]	Proto-Witotoan[5]	Witoto[4]	Andoque[4]
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