Kawésqar language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kawésqar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spoken in: | Chile | |
| Region: | Channel Region, western Patagonia, Wellington Island off south Chilean coast, 49° south, with centre in Puerto Edén. | |
| Total speakers: | 22 or fewer | |
| Language family: | language isolate Kawésqar |
|
| Language codes | ||
| ISO 639-1: | none | |
| ISO 639-2: | sai | |
| ISO/FDIS 639-3: | alc | |
| Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for an English-based pronunciation key. | ||
Kawésqar (also Qawasqar, Alacaluf, Halakwulup, Kaweskar, Alakaluf, Kawaskar, Kawesqar, Qawashqar, Halakwalip, Hekaine, Kaueskar, Aksanás) is a language isolate spoken in southern Chile by the Kawésqar people. Originally there were several distinct dialects, and one of these, Kakauhua, is sometimes listed as a separate language. The language family containing these two languages is known as Alacalufan. Only about 6 speakers remain, half of them on Wellington Island, off the southwestern coast of Chile.
Contents |
[edit] Phonology
[edit] Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | /i/ | /u/ | |
| Mid | /e/ | /o/ | |
| Open | /æ/ | /a/ |
[edit] Consonants
Consonants:
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |||
| Stop | p pʼ | t tʼ | tʃ tʃʼ' | k kʼ | q | ʔ |
| Fricative | f | s | h | |||
| Rhotic | r ɾ | |||||
| Approximant | w | l | j |
[edit] Writing System
The alphabet in use is as follows [1]: a, æ, c, c', e, f, h, i, j, k, k', l, m, n, o, p, p', q, r, rr, s, t, t', u, w, x. However, there are reported to be differences between dialects, and some sounds that are not represented here.
[edit] Morphology and syntax
Kawésqar has a complex system of grammatical tense, which includes a basic morphological contrast between future, present, immediate past, recent past, distant past, and mythological past events.
[edit] Pronoun
[edit] Noun
[edit] Verb
[edit] See also
[edit] Bibliography
- Aguilera Faúndez, Óscar (2001): Gramática de la lengua kawésqar. Temuco: Corporación de Desarrollo Indígena.
- Clairis, Christos (1987): El qawasqar. Lingüística fueguina. Teoría y descripción. Valdivia: Universidad Austral de Chile [Anejo de Estudios Filológicos 12].
