Maxakalían languages
Language family of eastern Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Maxakalían languages (also Mashakalían) are a group of related indigenous languages of Brazil, named after Maxakalí, the one surviving language in the group. Linguists differ in the other, extinct, languages they identify as part of the group, many of which are poorly attested. The Maxakalían group is today usually considered part of the Macro-Jê language family.
| Maxakalían | |
|---|---|
| Mashakalian | |
| Geographic distribution | Brazil |
| Linguistic classification | Macro-Jê
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | maxa1246 |
Distribution of Maxakalian languages among the Macro-Jê family | |
 Map of the Maxakalian languages (excluding Koropo) | |
Maxakalían languages were first classified into the Jê languages. It was only in 1931 that Čestmír Loukotka separated them from the Jê family. Alfred Métraux and Curt Nimuendajú considered the Maxakalían family isolated from others. John Alden Mason suggests a connection with the Macro-Jê stock, confirmed by Aryon Rodrigues.
Languages
Mason (1950) noted resemblances with a few other extinct languages of the area: Pataxó, Malalí and Coropó. Previously, there was some debate as to whether or not they constituted members of the Maxakalían family. However, Coropó was formerly sometimes thought to be a Purian language.[2]
- Malalí †
- Nuclear Maxakalían
- Pataxó languages
- Pataxó (Patashó, Southern Pataxó) † (retain some words, revival movement)
- Pataxó-Hãhãhãe † (Northern Pataxó)
- Maxakalí (Mashacalí) (1,270 speakers)
- "Makoní complex"
- Koropó † (attested by two word lists)[3]
- Pataxó languages
Maxakalí is a sister of Krenák and possibly also Kamakã. Together, they form a Trans-São Francisco branch within the Macro-Jê language phylum in Nikulin's (2020) classification.[1]
Currently, Maxakali (excluding Old Machacari) is the only living language, while all other languages are extinct. The extinct Maxakalian varieties are mainly attested from 19th-century word lists:[3]
- Mashacari (Augustin Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 274;[4] Wied, 1989: 509–510[5]) [collected in 1816–1817]
- Kapoxó (Martius, 1863: 170–172[6]) [collected in 1818]
- Monoxó (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 181[4]) [collected in 1817]
- Makoni (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 212; Martius, 1863: 173–176; Wied, 1989: 512–513) [collected in 1816–1818]
- Malali (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 181; Martius, 1863: 207–208; Wied, 1989: 511–512) [collected in 1816–1818]
Pataxó as documented by Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (1989: 510–511) in 1816[5] is distinct from Pataxó-Hãhãhãe. Pataxó-Hãhãhãe was spoken into the 20th century and has been documented by Meader (1978: 45–50),[7] Loukotka (1963: 32–33),[8] and Silva & Rodrigues (1982).[9]
