Kwaza language

Kwaza
Koaiá
Spoken in Brazil
Region Rondônia
Native speakers 25 (as of 2005)  (date missing)
Language family
Language codes
ISO 639-3 xwa

Kwaza (also written Kwazá or Koaiá) is an endangered, unclassified language spoken by the Kwaza people of Brazil. As of 1998 there were only 25 known speakers living in close proximity with neighbouring speakers of the Aikanã and Nambikwaran languages, though over half of these were children.

Contents

Phonology

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i /i/ y /ɨ/ u /u/
Mid e /e/
Open-Mid ɛ /ɛ/
œ /œ/
o /ɔ/
Open a /a/

Consonants

    Labial Lamino-alveolar Apico-alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive Voiceless p /p/ t /t/ c /c/ k /k/ ? /ʔ/
Implosive b /ɓ/ d /ɗ/
Affricate ts /t͡s/ tx /t͡ʃ/
Fricative s /s/ x /s̠~ʃ̠/ h /h/
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ñ /ɲ/
Tap r /ɾ/
Lateral l /l/
Approximant w /w/ j /j/

Further reading