Akurio language
Cariban language of Suriname
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Akurio, also known as Akuriyó, is an endangered Cariban language. It was used by the Akurio people in Suriname until the late 20th century. The group then began using the Trío language. Akuriyo does not have a writing system.
| Akuriyó | |
|---|---|
| Akurio | |
| Native to | Suriname |
| Region | Sipaliwini District |
| Ethnicity | 40 Akurio people (2012)[1] |
| Extinct | 2002[2] 2 semi-speakers (2012) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ako |
| Glottolog | akur1238 |
| ELP | Akuriyo |
 Akuriyo is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
  Akuriyó | |
| Coordinates: 3°12′N 55°38′W | |
Status
The last native speakers died in 2002. During this period, only ten people were estimated to have Akuriyó as a second language. By 2012, only two semi-speakers remained.[1] There may still be speakers in uncontacted groups, while the language has been replaced by closely related Tiriyó among contacted groups.[3]
Sepi Akuriyó, one of the last surviving speakers of Akuriyó, went missing 2 December 2018, when a small plane carrying eight people disappeared during a flight over the Amazon rainforest. The search and rescue operation was called off after two weeks.[4]
Phonology
The following phonology is preliminary and derived from fieldwork with non-native speakers over a short period of time.[3]
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | k | (ʔ) | |
| Affricate | t̠ʃ | ||||
| Nasal | m | n | |||
| Tap or Flap | ɾ1 | ||||
| Approximant | j | w |
- The flap is slightly retroflex with some lateral release.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | ɨ | u |
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| Open | a |
Vowel length is apparently phonemic.
