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Gamela (Gamella, Acobu, Barbados) a.k.a. Curinsi or Acobu, is an unclassified and presumably extinct language of the Maranhão region of Northeastern Brazil. It was originally spoken along the Itapecuru River, Turiaçu River, and Pindaré River, with ethnic descendants reported to be living in Cabo and Vianna in Maranhão State.

Kaufman (1994) said that 'only Greenberg dares to classify this language', due to the lack of data on it.

This is presumably the Gamela language of Viana for which 19 words are recorded in Nimuendajú (1937:68).

Other varieties

Below are other extinct varieties, many of which have no data, that may have been related to Gamela.

• Arañí - once spoken between the Parnaíba River and Itapecuru River
• Puti (Poti) - once spoken at the mouth of the Poti River (unattested)
• Anapurú - once spoken on the right bank of the Parnaíba River (unattested)
• Uruati - extinct language from the mouth of the Munim River, Maranhão
• Cururi - extinct language of the neighbors of the Uruati tribe
• Guanare - once spoken between the Itapecuru River and Parnaíba River (unattested)
• Coroatá - once spoken on the Itapecuru River, Maranhão (unattested)
• Guaxina - once spoken at the mouth of the Itapecuru River (unattested)
• Curinsi - an extinct dialect of the Gamela once spoken near Vianna
• Tacarijú - once spoken on the Longá River in the state of Piauí (unattested)

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) gives three words in Gamela:

• kokeáto 'pot'
• kyoipé 'tree'
• anéno 'tobacco'

Gamella of Viana words recorded by Nimuendajú (1937:68) from his informant Maria Cafuza in Viana, Maranhão:

gloss	Gamella of Viana
fire	tatá (< Tupi)
penis	purú
vulva	sebú
Negro	katú-brohó
White? Indian?	katú-koyaká
brother-in-law	múisi
pot	kokeáto
gourd bowl	kutubé
club	tamarána (< Tupi)
knife	kasapó
jaguar	yopopó
monkey	kokói (< Timbira)
horse	pohoné
cattle	azutí
domestic fowl	kureːká
tree	kyoipé
tobacco	anéno
pepper	birizu
thick	tomabéto

References

1. ^ Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
2. Hammarström, Harald; Forke, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2020). "Gamela of Viana". Glottolog 4.3.
3. Nimuendajú, Curt. 1937. The Gamella Indians. Primitive Man 10. 58-71.

Bibliography

• Kaufman, Terrence (1994). "The native languages of South America". In Mosley, C.; Asher, R. E. (eds.). Atlas of the world's languages. London: Routledge. pp. 46–76.

• Indigenous languages of Northeastern Brazil
• Maranhão
• Extinct languages of South America
• Unclassified languages of South America