Awa Pit language

Awa or Awa pit, also known as Cuaiquer, is a Barbacoan language spoken by the Awa-Kwaiker people, who inhabit territory straddling northern Ecuador and southern Colombia (the language is sometimes also referred to as Coaiquer, Quaiquer, or Kwaiker in Colombia, and as Awapit in Ecuador).^[3] Awa pit is classified by UNESCO as a severely endangered language.^[4]

Speakers and characteristics

The Awa pit language has around 21 thousand speakers, mostly residing on the Colombian Pacific slopes of the Andes, with about a thousand in an adjacent area of Ecuador.^[3] While most men also speak Spanish, the women and children are predominantly monolingual.^[3] Literacy among Awa speakers is less than 1% in their native language and under 5% in the secondary Spanish language.^[3]

The Awa pit language has a subject–object–verb structure and has adopted the Latin script.^[3] Grammatically, Awa pit uses a characteristic conjunct/disjunct system of verb suffixes for person-marking which displays similarities with some Tibeto-Burman languages, such as the Newari language of Kathmandu.^[5][6][7]

Phonology

The Awa pit inventory is as follows:^[8]

References

1. 1 2 Cuaiquer at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
2. ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Awa-Cuaiquer". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. 
3. 1 2 3 4 5 Awa–Cuaiquer, per SIL, Ethnologue, 1986 and 1991. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
4. ↑ Haboud, Marleen; Adelaarurl, Willem (2008). "Awapit" . In: Moseley, Christopher, ed (2010). Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn, Paris. UNESCO Publishing (online version). Retrieved 23 April 2012.
5. ↑ Curnow, Timothy Jowan (1997). A Grammar of Awa Pit (Cuaiquer): An indigenous language of south-western Colombia. PhD Thesis, Australian National University, Canberra. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
6. ↑ Curnow, Timothy Jowan (2 May 2002). "Conjunct/disjunct marking in Awa Pit". Linguistics – An Interdisciplinary Journal of the Language Sciences 40(3):611-627.(subscription required)
7. ↑ Cysouw, Michael (2003). "The Paradigmatic Structure of Person Marking", p 43–44. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199554263
8. ↑ Curnow, Timothy Jowan; Liddicoat, Anthony J (1998). "The Barbacoan languages of Colombia and Ecuador". Anthropological Linguistics 40(3):384-408.(subscription required)

External links

• "Cuaiquer Indian Language (Awa Pit, Awa-Cuaiquer)" – Native-Languages.org
• "Gramática pedagógica del Awapit" (A learner's grammar of Awapit) –  direct download link to Microsoft Word document in Spanish, available from here (via Sasiku Project)

Languages of Colombia Official languages Spanish Indigenous languages Arawakan Achawa Cabiyari Piapoco Wayuu Yucuna Bora–Witoto Andoque Bora Coconucan Minica Huitoto Muinane Murui Huitoto Ocaina Chibchan Arhuaco Barí Chimila Kogi Kuna Uwa Wiwa Chocoan Baudo Catio Chami Eperara Northern Embera Guajiboan Guahibo Guayabero Macaguán Tucanoan Barasana-Eduria Carapana Cubeo Cuiba Desano Koreguaje Macaguaje Macuna Siona Siriano Tanimuca-Retuarã Tatuyo Tuyuca Waimajã Wajiara Wanano Yauna Other Awa Pit Carijona Cocama Cofán Inga Kichwa Kakwa Kichwa Nheengatu Nukak Páez Ticuna Yukpa Creoles/Other Llanero Palenquero San Andrés–Providencia Sign languages Colombian Sign Language Providence Island Sign Language

Languages of Ecuador Official languages Spanish Kichwa Shuar Indigenous languages Awa Pit Cha'palaachi Cofán Emberá Media Lengua Secoya Shiwiar Siona Tetete Tsafiki Waorani Záparo Spanish varieties Amazonic Andean Equatorial Sign languages Ecuadorian Sign Language