Uwa language

The Uwa language, Uw Cuwa, commonly known as Tunebo, is a Chibchan language spoken by between 1,800 and 3,600 of the Uwa people of Colombia, out of a total population of about 7,000.^[1]

Varieties

There are half a dozen known varieties. Communication between modern varieties can be difficult, so they are considered distinct languages.

Adelaar (2004) lists the living

• central dialects Cobaría and Tegría on the northern slopes of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy,
• a western group near Agua Blanca in the departments of Santander and Norte de Santander,
• an eastern group at a place called Barro Negro in the lowlands of Arauca and Casanare,
• and the extinct dialect Sínsiga near Chita, Boyacá.

Umaña (2012) lists Cobaría, Tegría, Agua Blanca, Barro Negro.

Berich lists the dialects Cobaría; Agua Blanca (= Uncasía, Tamarana, Sta Marta); Rinconada, Tegría, Bócota, & Báchira

Cassani lists Sínsiga, Tegría, Unkasía (= Margua), Pedraza, Manare, Dobokubí (= Motilón)

Osborn (1989) lists

• Bethuwa (= Pedraza, extinct),
• Rikuwa (Dukarúa, = Agua Blanca),
• Tagrinuwa (Tegría),
• Kubaruwa (Cobaría),
• Kaibaká (= Bókota),
• Yithkaya (= San Miguel / Barro Negro),
• Bahiyakuwa (= Sínsiga),
• Biribirá,
• and Ruba,

the latter all extinct

Fabre (2005) lists:

• Bontoca (perhaps the same as the Bókota = Kaibaká cited in Osborn), of the mountains of Guican
• Cobaría, along the Cobaría River
• Pedraza or Bethuwa [= Angosturas?], along the Venezuelan border; extinct
• Sínsiga, in the Guican mountains, recorded from Chita, Boyaca in 1871
• Tegría or Tagrinuwa, along the Cobaría River
• Unkasia, along the Chitiga and Marga rivers (Telban 1988)

Additional names in Loukotka are Manare and Uncasica (presumably a spelling variant of Unkasía/Uncacía), as well as Morcote, of which nothing is known. Manare, at the source of the Casanare, is Eastern Tunebo.

Phonology

Vowel

Consonants

Notes

References

External links

• uwacolombia.org

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