Mapoyo-Yabarana_language

Mapoyo-Yabarana language

Mapoyo-Yabarana language

Extinct language of Venezuela

Mapoyo, or Mapoyo–Yavarana, is a Carib language spoken along the Suapure and Parguaza Rivers, Venezuela. The ethnic population of Mapoyo proper is about 365. Yabarana dialect is perhaps extinct; 20 speakers were known in 1977.[1] An additional dialect, Pémono,[2] was discovered in 1998. It was spoken by an 80-year-old woman and has since gone extinct.

Quick Facts Native to, Region ...

Phonology

Consonants

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
  • /h/ can be heard as a palatal [ç] when preceding a voiceless plosive.
  • /n/ can be heard as a velar [ŋ] when preceding a velar /k/.
  • /β/ can be heard as a voiced stop [b], when after a voiceless plosive or glottal /ʔ/.
  • /s/ can be heard with an allophone of [ts] when word-initially, or after a glottal /ʔ/.
  • /j/ can be heard as a voiced fricative [ʝ], when before a back vowel.

Vowels

More information Front, Central ...
  • Sounds /i, u/ are reduced to [ɪ, ʊ] in syllable-final position.
  • /ɘ/ is heard as a lower [ə] sound when preceding /h/, or following /β/.
  • /a/ is heard as [ɑ] when occurring after an initial bilabial sound.[3]

References

  1. [1]
    Mapoyo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Yabarana at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Pémono at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. [2]
    Not the same as Pemon
  3. [3]
    Medina, Francia (1997). Introducción a la Fonética y a la Fonología Mapoyo (Caribe). Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela.


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