Esmeralda language
Extinct language of Ecuador
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Esmeralda, or Esmeraldeño (also called Takame or Atacame), is an extinct language isolate formerly spoken in the coastal region of Ecuador, specifically in the western part of Esmeraldas Province. The only existing data for Atacame was collected by J.M. Pallares in 1877.
Classification
It has been proposed that the language is connected to the still-spoken Pumé language of Venezuela. It also has some lexical similarities with the extinct Yurumanguí language,[1] as well with the southern Barbacoan language Tsafiki (especially plant and animal names).[1][2]: 457–458
Phonology
Vowels
Esmeralda may have had a 5-vowel or 3-vowel system.
Consonants
| Bilabial | Dental | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occlusive | p b | t d | k ɡ | ||
| Affricate | tʃ | ||||
| Fricative | f | s | ʃ | h | |
| Nasal | m | n | |||
| Vibrant | ɾ, r | ||||
| Approximant | w | l | j, ʎ |
Vocabulary
Further reading
- Seler, Eduard (1902). "Die Sprache der Indianer von Esmeraldas" [The language of the Indians of Esmeraldas]. Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur Amerikanischen Sprach- und Alterthumskunde [Collected treatises on American linguistics and archaeology] (in German). Vol. 1. Berlin: A. Asher & Company. pp. 49–64 – via Google Books.
