Pankararú language

Pankararú (Pancaré, Pankaré, Pancaru, Pankaruru, Pankarará, Pankaravu, Pankaroru, Pankarú, Brancararu) is an extinct language, probably a language isolate, of eastern Brazil. There are 6,000 ethnic Pankararú, but they all speak Portuguese. In 1961, only two elders could remember anything of the language. Today, they live in Brejo dos Padres and other villages of Tacaratu, Pernambuco State. The language was originally spoken between the Moxotó River and the Pajeú River.^[1]

Pankararú
Brancararu
Native to	Brazil
Region	Pernambuco, Alagoas
Ethnicity	Pankararú [pt], ?Pankararé
Extinct	after 1960s
Language family	Language isolate[1]
Dialects	Pankararú ?Pankararé
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: paz – Pankararú pax – Pankararé
Glottolog	pank1250  Pankararu pank1235  Pankarare
Map of Atikum and Pankará peoples and languages

In the 19th century the people split into two ethnic groups, the Pankararú and the Pankararé. One quarter of the Pankararé retain their traditional religion. Their language, however, is unattested,^[2] and can only be assumed to be a dialect of Pankararu.

Classification

Pankararú has no proven relatives and remains unclassified. There are similarities with Tukano and Tupian. Meader (1976) found that of 80 known lexical items, one third (26) are clearly cognate with Tupian languages. He speculates that the last speakers of Pankararú may therefore have been bilingual in Tupi. The identity of the rest of the vocabulary has not been identified, and Pankararú may be a language isolate.

The Atikum language was spoken nearby, but it is a language isolate and is not related to Pankararú.

Loukotka (1968) also lists these languages as being formerly spoken in Tacaratu, Pernambuco State. It is not known whether or not they were related to Pankararú:^[1]

• Jeriticó or Jiripancó – village of Pindaé near Brejo dos Padres in Tacaratu, Pernambuco. Survivors now speak only Portuguese.
• Macarú – village of Brejo dos Padres, Tacaratu. A few survivors now speak only Portuguese.

Koiupanká^[3] and Karuazu^[4] may have been related.

Kalankó (Cacalancó), with descendants now living in Água Branca, Alagoas, may have also been related to Pankararú.^[5]

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968)

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.^[1]

gloss	Pankarurú
man	porkiá
sun	panyé
earth	zyobazyí
tobacco	azyó

Pompeu (1958)

Language variety from Pompeu (1958), originally collected by Carlos Estêvam:^[6]

Portuguese gloss (original)	English gloss (translated)	"Brejo dos Padres"
fogo	fire	obaí
água	water	jinikací; jatateruá; jai, já
brejo	swamp	ibiji, arôto
lagoa	pond	joo
terra	earth	jobají
pedra	stone	tóitú; ipá
sal	salt	tuká
cachimbo	smoking pipe	kuna kuní
cachimbo cerimonial	ceremonial pipe	matrinadô; matrigó
maracá	maraca	káma, kabá eyá
pinheiro	pine	burúti
menino	boy	jorã, óibo
parente	relative	gôyáji
irmã e prima	sister and cousin	dakatái
onça preta	black jaguar	tupé
maracajá	margay	Gwariatã
porco	pig	tarací
mocó	rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris)	kewí
tatu-peba	six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus)	kuriépe
boi	ox	kanarí
vaca	cow	tú
ovelha	sheep	pusharé; sumui íra
passarinho	small bird	iushií
pena	feather	tik
ovo	egg	aji
papagaio	parrot	umaiatá
periquito	parakeet	glyglilin
peixe	fish	kamijo
abelha	bee	axxaó
madeira, pau	wood, tree	dáka
flor	flower	barkíra
milho	corn	ta, mõni
tabaco, fumo	tobacco, smoke	põi; ajó
bonito	beautiful	limin

Meader (1978)

Below is a 1961 word list of Pankarú (Pankararú) recorded in Brejo dos Padres by Wilbur Pickering from his informant João Moreno. The list is published in Meader (1978).^[7]

Portuguese gloss (original)	English gloss (translated)	Pankarú (Pankararú)
amarelo	yellow	ˈžúbʌ̀
pedra amarela	yellow stone	itapurʌŋga
boca	mouth	ūːřú kàˈtiŋ̄
minha boca	my mouth	sε̄ ūˈřú
bom	good	kátù
ele é bom	He is good.	ayε katu
o olho é bom	The eye is good.	sảːkàtú kyả̀
vocês são bons	You (plural) are good.	pε̄ñékātù / pε̃ñékátù
branco	white	ˈtíŋgʌ́
buraco	hole	kwàřà
cabeça	head	uukà
a cabeça é redonda	The head is round.	muukὶ(ː)
cabelo	hair	uŋkyò
o cabelo é preto	The hair is black.	uŋkyò àlóːkià
cachorro	dog	ítōˈlókyà
caminho	road	pε
carne	meat	sóːō
casa	house	ókhà
céu	sky	tšιakι / aʌ̨nsε
cobra	snake	fítš̭ˈàká / fítš̭iākà
coração	heart	(úpíˈá) ūpia kàtú asu
corda	rope	ˈmúsúřʌ̨̀nʌ̨̀
dedo grande	big finger	kų̀ʌ̨́ kàtέ gàsú
dente	tooth	(tʌ̨̄ˈíŋkàtī)
dia	day	ˈářà
ele / ela	he / she	àyέ
eles, elas	they	āìˈtá
este, esta	this	kwa
eu	I	šεʔ
faca	knife	kisε
fogo	fire	ˈpo
fumo (tabaco)	smoke (tobacco)	pɔi
pedra furada	pierced stone	ítákwàřà
ele furou a orelha	He pierced his ear.	oː màlί ásò
homem	man	aba
homem velho	old man	ábá ùmʌ̨̀
joelho	knee	àˈlų́
o joelho está mau	The knee is bad.	sātkālί ˈʔų́ː
língua	tongue	(mε̄āŋˈgā)
lua	moon	ˈžasì
lua cheia	full moon	kaiřε
lua nova	new moon	katiti
mãe	mother	sέʔžàʔ
mandioca	cassava	mʌ̨̀nˈdī
mão	hand	pɔ̄pitέkàí
mar	sea	pəřəˈnà
mau	bad	pùší
menina	girl	mítákų̄įˈʌ̨̀ / íādε̄doŋ̄kīˈà
menino	boy	íādε̄dùˈà
milho	maize	ávātì
moça	girl	kų̀įʌ̨̀ mùkú
moça velha	older girl	kų̀įʌ̨̀ fìlìwà
mulher	woman	kų̀įʌ̨̄
não	no	ų́hų̄
nariz	nose	tákwí
meu nariz	my nose	séˈtį̀
nossos narizes (meu e seu)	our noses (inclusive)	iānέʔtį̀
seu nariz (de você)	your nose	šέˈtį́
seu nariz (dele)	his nose	sέˈtį́ àyὲ
noite	night	pīˈtų̀
nós, nosso	we, our	ìànέʔ
olho (pavεořukya)	eye	(pavεořukya) / sả̀ː
onça	jaguar	žáˈgwà
orelha	ear	mōːkìhkyà
pai (meu pai)	father (my father)	sέʔpāià
pedra	stone	ítà
pedra branca	white stone	itatiŋga
pedra preta	black stone	ítáʔų̀na
perna	leg	kóškì
preto	black	ʔų́nʌ̨̄
redondo	round	púʌ̨̄
sol	sun	kwářásí
velho	old	ùmʌ̨̄
homem velho	old man	ábá úmʌ̨̀
moça velha	older girl	kų̀iʌ̨̀ fìlìwà
vós (vocês)	you	pὲˈñε̄
açúcar	sugar	dódəsākà
cabra	goat	kářkíá
camaleão	chameleon	fìˈkíˈá
canela	cinnamon	(kālε̄ˈʔί̨ʌ) kia
coxo	lame	kóš
dedo	finger	kų̄nˈkàtέ
farinha	flour	kítshià
feijão	bean	nátsākā
garganta	throat	gāε̄òˈŋkyà
grosso	thick	sábóó
lagarto	lizard	šōá
macaxeira	cassava	aipį́
moreno	dark-skinned	pìˈtùnà
queixo	chin	tʔíŋkwˈí
sim	yes	ʌ̨̅hʌ̨́
?	?	(pʌ̨̅ŋkārὲː)