Duho languages

Duho is a proposed language family of South America, uniting two proposed genetic groupings, Hodi–Saliban^[1] and Ticuna–Yuri. This language family was proposed by Marcelo Jolkesky (2016), based on his previous but now disclaimed Macro-Daha family which had also included the Andoque–Urequena languages.^[2]

Duho
(proposed)
Geographic distribution	Northwestern Amazon
Linguistic classification	Proposed as one of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions	Hodi–Saliban Ticuna–Yuri
Language codes
Glottolog	None

Zamponi (2017) concludes that the similarities between Saliban and Hodɨ appear to be due to contact, but that a distant genealogical relationship between Betoi and Sáliban is plausible though not demonstrated. He does not address Ticuna–Yuri.^[3]

Prehistory

Jolkesky (2016) suggests that the homeland of Proto-Duho was in the Serranía de Chiribiquete.^[4]: 590

Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with Chibchan languages due to contact, which may point to the earlier presence of Chibchan speakers in the Orinoco basin.^[4]: 325

Classification

Internal classification of the Duho language family by Jolkesky (2016):^[4]

• Duho
  • Tikuna-Yuri
    • Karabayo
    • Tikuna
    • Yuri †
  • Saliba-Hodi
    • Hodi
    • Saliba-Betoi
      • Betoi †
      • Saliba-Piaroa
        • Saliba
        • Piaroa-Mako
          • Ature †
          • Mako
          • Piaroa

Pronouns

Jolkesky's Duho languages have shared forms in *ʧ for "I", *kʷ for "you" and *t for "we", which are found in all languages.

language	I	thou	he	she	we	they
Ticuna	ʧò-	ku-	dĩ-	ɡĩ- /i-	tò-	ta-́
Yuri	tshuu	wikú	di	-	too	-
Saliba	ʧ-	ũku, kʷ-	Ø-, i-, -di	x-, -x	t-	h-
Piaroa	ʧ(u)-	(u)ku, kʷ-	Ø-, -de	hʷ-, -h	t(u)-	tʰ(a)-
Wirö	ʧ(V)-	ɯkʷɯ, kʷ(V)-	Ø-	h(V)-, -h	d(V)-, -dɯtʰɯ	tʰ(V)-
Hodi	ʰtæ	ʰkæ	dæ	-	ʰtai	hai
Betoi	r(u)-	uhu, h(u)-	Ø-, -ri	Ø-	r-, -nuto	?

Lexicon

Several basic words in Duho languages appear to be related. The following examples are given, with further parallels in Sape:

language	tree	mouth	head	hair	path	eat	spirit	offspring	breast	who	what
Ticuna	dãi	àː	èrú	ʧi	bã̀	ɡõ̀ː	ã́ẽ̀	dẽ́	biĩ́	tèẽ́	tàː
Yuri	noi	i à	gerühó	ii	-mó	-	-	o nné	-	-	-
Saliba	-	aha	iʤu	-	maa(-na)	ikua	õãĩ	nẽ(-ẽ)	omixe	ã-diha	ã-daha
Piaroa	dawi	æ	u(-ju)	-ʦˀe	mæ(-næ)	ku	ãẽ	ĩtʰĩ	ami	di	dæhe
Wirö	towi	a	u; -ʤu	-ˀʤe	ma(-na)	ku(-õ)	-	ĩtʰĩ	omu	ti	tahi
Hodi	ʰtawɯ	a	ʰtu	-	ma(-na); -ma	ʰku-õ	ãwẽ(-no)	ĩni	me(e)	-	-
(Sape)	tapa	itu	koyanukú, moynaku	pa	mu	ko/ku	-	katona	wi	pante	pemente