Kankuamo language
Extinct Chibchan language of Colombia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kankuamo, also known as Kakatukua, Kampanake,[1] Atanques or Atanque, is an extinct Chibchan language of Colombia,[2] once spoken in the area of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
It was spoken on the southeastern slope of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in the communities of the Atánquez district. Although the language of the Kankuamo is nearly extinct and the Kankuamo communicate mainly in Spanish, tradition holds that speakers of the native language can still be found in the páramos, especially among some elders and mamos (spiritual leaders).
With the collaboration of members of the Kankuamo community, as well as other indigenous people of the Sierra with knowledge of this language, and with the support of experts, written materials are being developed to promote its dissemination among children and young people.[3]
Vocabulary
There is very little information about the language, in particular with regard to grammar. Before its speakers switched to Spanish, Celedón (1892) managed to compile a brief dictionary. The following table shows a sample of the lexicon.[4]
| gloss | Atanque |
|---|---|
| one | ijkua |
| two | moga |
| three | ména |
| head | chakúku |
| eye | úma |
| nose | michiuña |
| ear | kukkuá |
| tooth | köhka |
| man | ferúa |
| woman | amia |
| water | dita |
| fuego | guié |
| earth | nebinyàku |
| fish | uáka |
| tree | kandina |
| sun | koköbúnyo |
| moon | sakaméru |
Despite being so poorly attested, Kankuamo clearly belongs to the Arwako subgroup of Chibcha. In particular, it appears to be very close to Wiwa in terms of phonetic innovations.[5]
