Ofayé language
Language within the Macro-Jê stock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ofayé or Opaye language, also Ofaié-Xavante, Opaié-Shavante, is a Macro-Jê language spoken in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, forming an independent branch of the language family. It is spoken by only three of the Ofayé people, though language revitalization efforts are underway.
| Ofayé | |
|---|---|
| Opaye | |
| Ofayé | |
| Pronunciation | [əfajɛ] |
| Native to | Brazil |
| Region | Mato Grosso do Sul |
| Ethnicity | 61 Ofayé people (2012)[1] |
Native speakers | 3 (2025)[2] |
| Revival | effort underway[1] |
Macro-Jê
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | opy |
| Glottolog | ofay1240 |
| ELP | Ofayé |
Map of Ofayé among the Macro-Jê languages | |
 Ofayé is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
Documentation
Grammatical descriptions have been made by the Pankararú linguist Maria das Dores de Oliveira (Pankararu),[3] as well as by Sarah C. Gudschinsky[4] and Jennifer E. da Silva, from the Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul.
Geographical distribution
It was spoken on the Ivinhema River, Pardo River, and Nhandú River in Mato Grosso do Sul. Guachi, spoken on the Vacaria River in Mato Grosso do Sul, is a dialect.[5]
Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Macro-Mataguayo-Guaykuru languages due to contact.[6]
