Zamucoan languages

Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz Department).

Zamucoan
Samúkoan
Geographic distribution	Paraguay and Bolivia
Linguistic classification	One of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions	Ayoreo Chamacoco
Language codes
Glottolog	zamu1243

The family has hardly been studied by linguists (as of Adelaar & Muysken 2004), although several studies have recently appeared (see: Bertinetto 2009, 2010, 2013; Ciucci 2007/08, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2013a, 2013b). Recent studies show that the Zamucoan languages are characterized by a rare syntactic configuration which is called para-hypotaxis, in which coordination and subordination are used simultaneously to connect clauses (Bertinetto & Ciucci 2012).

Extant languages

Zamucoan consists of two living languages:

• Ayoreo (also known as Zamuco, Ayoré, Moro, Ayoréo, Ayoweo, Samuko, Morotoco, Pyeta, Yovai) – 3,160 speakers
• Chamacoco (also known as Bahía Negra, Ebidoso, Tumarahá, Chamakoko, Ebitoso, Ishiro, Jeywo) – 2,000 speakers

Genetic relations

From the historical record of the Zamucoan peoples, the living Zamucoan languages appear to have had several relatives, now extinct. It is not clear if these were necessarily distinct languages, or even that they were Zamucoan, but Mason (1950)^[1] listed them as follows:^[2]

• Zamucoan
  • Northern
    • Zamuco (Ayoreo): Zamuco (Samuca); Satienyo (Zatieño, Ibiraya)
    • Morotoco (Coroino)
      • Cucarate (Kukutade)
      • Orebate (Ororebate); Carerá
      • Panono (Panana)
      • Tomoeno
    • Guarañoca [possibly a dialect of Ayoreo]: Tsiracua (Empelota); Mora (remnants of Morotoco and Guarañoca)
    • Ugaraño
    • Tapii (Tapio)
    • Poturero (Ninaquiguilá)
  • Southern
    • Chamacoco (Tumanahá, Timinihá): Ebidoso, Horio (Ishira), Tumerehã
    • Imono
    • Tunacho (Tunaca)
    • Caipotorade

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Zamucoan language varieties.^[3]

gloss	Zamuco	Ayoré	Guarañoca	Poturero	Morotoco	Siracua	Chamacoco	Ebidoso	Tumrahá
one	chomara	choxmára	chumana	chumana	sumara		somraha	tohok	tonhok
two	gar	gáre	gar	ogar	gapebe		osia	eshara	osia
three	gadiok	gadok	adiska	oagadioka	gaedopebe		aorliet	pelpe	ahriet-tohok
head	ya-toitak	ya-toi	ya-toita	ya-todo	ya-tod		hoté	hote	ho
eye	ye-doi	yeː-do	ye-dodia	ye-doy	ye-do	dlyóki-dodye	as-lo	erupi	ulu
ear	ya-gorone	yã-gorone	ya-noenia	ya-goroné	ya-gorod	dlyóki-goroni	parhi	áhre	ahri
tongue	ya-retia		ya-reta	ya-retia	ya-et		árhik	orahü	kéhrik
water	yod	yot	yodita	yod	yod		nio	niogo	niodat
fire	piok	piok	piok	piok	pioko	pió	erhü	erhúe	naúsere
stone	kukarat	kukarat	kukanane	kukaranay	kukarad	kukáni	kukret'	ostrp	kukáni
sun	giede	guéde	guede	hiédé	giede	géte	deit'y	dei	yite
maize	guehena	gueːxnai	guexa	guehena	gueda	géshna	taguri	takurü	taugre