• Source: Jirajaran languages

The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spoken in western Venezuela in the regions of Falcón and Lara. All of the Jirajaran languages appear to have become extinct in the early 20th century.




Languages


Based on adequate documentation, three languages are definitively classified as belonging to the Jirajaran family:

Jirajara, spoken in the state of Falcón
Ayomán, spoken in the village of Siquisique in the state of Lara
Gayón, spoken at the sources of the Tocuyo River in the state of Lara
Loukotka includes four additional languages, for which no linguistic documentation exists:

Coyone, spoken at the sources of the Portuguesa River in the state of Portuguesa
Cuiba, spoken near the city of Aricagua
Atatura, spoken between the Rocono and Tucupido rivers
Aticari, spoken along the Tocuyo River
Mason (1950) lists:

Gayón (Cayon)
Ayomán
Xagua
Cuiba (?)
Jirajara




Classification


The Jirajaran languages are generally regarded as isolates. Adelaar and Muysken note certain lexical similarities with the Timotean languages and typological similarity to the Chibchan languages, but state that the data is too limited to make a definitive classification. Jahn, among others, has suggested a relation between the Jirajaran language and the Betoi languages, mostly on the basis of similar ethnonyms. Greenberg and Ruhlen classify Jirajaran as belonging to the Paezan language family, along with the Betoi languages, the Páez language, the Barbacoan languages and others.




Language contact


Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Sape, Timote-Kuika, and Puinave-Kak language families due to contact.




Typology


Based on the little documentation that exists, a number of typological characteristics are reconstructable:

1. VO word order in transitive clauses

2. Subjects precede verbs

3. Possessors which precede the possessed

4. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify

5. Numerals precede the nouns they quantify

6. Use of postpositions, rather than prepositions




Vocabulary comparison


Jahn (1927) lists the following basic vocabulary items.

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.




Further reading


Oramas, L. (1916). Materiales para el estudio de los dialectos Ayamán, Gayón, Jirajara, Ajagua. Caracas: Litografía del Comercio.
Querales, R. (2008). El Ayamán. Ensayo de reconstrucción de un idioma indígena venezolano. Barquisimeto: Concejo Municipal de Iribarren.




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Jirajaran languages
• Paezan languages
• Timotean languages
• Jirajara language
• Gayon language
• List of language families
• Ayoman language
• Languages of Venezuela
• Classification of the Indigenous languages of the Americas
• Macro-Chibchan languages