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| Kamëntšá | |
|---|---|
| Coche | |
| Native to | Colombia |
| Region | Putumayo Department |
| Ethnicity | Kamëntšá people |
| Native speakers | 4,000 (2008) |
| Language family | Language isolate |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kbh |
| Glottolog | cams1241 |
| ELP | Camsá |
 Location of the Kamëntšá language speakers. | |
Kamëntšá is a language isolate and native language of the Kamëntšá people who primarily inhabit the Sibundoy Valley of the Putumayo Department in the south of Colombia.
Classification
Kamëntšá appears to be a language isolate. Researchers have tried connecting it to the Chibchan languages without success. Fabre reports that the Kamëntšá are descended, at least in part, from the Quillasinga, whose language is unattested.
Language contact
Jolkesky notes that there are lexical similarities with the Choco languages due to contact.
Varieties
Mason lists the following names as Coche (Mocoa) varieties.
- Sebondoy
- Quillacinga
- Patoco
Phonology
Consonants
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2019) |
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | k | ||
| voiced | b | d | g | |||
| prenasal | ⁿd | ᵑg | ||||
| Affricate | voiceless | t͡s | ʈ͡ʂ | t͡ʃ | ||
| prenasal | ⁿdʒ | |||||
| Fricative | voiceless | ɸ | s | ʂ | ʃ | x |
| voiced | ʒ | |||||
| Trill | r | |||||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | |||
| Lateral | l | ʎ | ||||
| Approximant | j | w | ||||
Howard and O'Brien call the retroflex phonemes in the above table retroflex, while Huber & Reed use the alveolo-palatal symbols. More specifically, Howard uses ⟨tṣ⟩ and ⟨ṣ⟩, O'Brien uses ⟨tʂ⟩ and ⟨ʂ⟩, and Huber & Reed use ⟨tɕ⟩ and ⟨ɕ⟩.
Vowels
Huber & Reed, Howard, and O'Brien all analyze six vowel phonemes in Kamëntšá: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, and /ɨ/. O'Brien notes that /ɨ/ has a limited distribution and is rarely found at the beginnings of words, and that [i] in many cases may be an allophone of /e/ before palatal consonants. Howard found that /i/ and /e/ fluctuate in some morphemes, as do /u/ and /o/.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | ɨ | u |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
Grammar
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2019) |
Kamëntšá is a polysynthetic language with prefixes and suffixes. It also has dual number, which is unusual for languages around it.
Vocabulary
Huber & Reed's book provides a comparison between 68 indigenous languages of Colombia. The following table provides the order of words in the book, along with glosses in English and Spanish. The Kamëntšá words follow their orthography, i.e., using ⟨tɕ⟩ and ⟨ɕ⟩ instead of ⟨ʈʂ⟩ and ⟨ʂ⟩.
no. English gloss Spanish gloss Camsá notes 001 tongue lengua bitʃtá-xa 002 mouth boca wajá-ɕa 003 lip labio wajatsebiá-ɕa 004 tooth diente xuatsá-ɕe 005 nose nariz tsxá-ɕe 006 eye ojo bɕnɨ-bé 007 ear oreja matskuá-ɕe 008 head cabeza bestɕá-ɕe, betɕá-ɕe 009 forehead frente xuentsɨɕá-ɕe 010 hair cabello stxɨnɨ́-xa 011 chin mentón kumbambɨ́-ɕa 012 beard barba wangɨtsboboʃɨ́-xua 013 neck cuello tamoɕá-xa 014 chest pecho kotʃá-xa 015 woman’s breast teta, seno, pechos tʃótʃo 016 abdomen vientre, abdomen wabsbiá 017 back espalda stɨtɕá-xa 018 shoulder hombro tantɕá-xa 019 arm brazo buakuá-tɕe 021 elbow codo ʃɨmia-bé 022 hand mano kukuá-tɕe 023 finger dedo de la mano ntɕabuá-bxa 024 fingernail una ngétsebia-ɕe 025 leg pierna mɨntxá-xa 027 knee rodilla ntsamiá-ɕe 028 shin espinilla ɕɨbxá-xa 029 foot pie ʃekuá-tɕe 030 toe dedo del pie xɨntɕá-bxa 031 skin piel bobátʃe 032 bone hueso betá-ɕe, betá-bxa 033 blood sangre buíɲe 034 heart corazón ainána 035 lungs pulmones béxnatse 036 penis pene lótɕe 037 vulva vulva salápo 038 man hombre entɕá (jentɕá) 039 male varón bojabása 040 woman mujer ʃembása 041 people gente entɕánga 042 husband marido, esposo bojá 043 wife marida, esposa ʃéma 044 father padre taitá, bébta 045 mother madre mamá, bebmá, máma 046 baby, infant criatura ɕeɕóna, (ɕoɕóna) 047 old man viejo bɨtsanań 048 water agua bújeʃe, béxa-je 049 river río béxa-ke, bʃáxa-je 051 lake lago wabxaxóna-je 052 swamp pantano xatɨʃáɲe 053 spring of water fuente, ojo de agua obaxtʃkaníɲe 054 waterfall caída de agua buatʃkɨkxaníɲe 055 rapids catarata, raudal bʃawenaníɲe 056 flame, fire candela, fuego íɲe, níɲe 057 ash ceniza xatinjá 058 charcoal carbón enaxomá-ɕe 059 smoke humo ngóna 060 firewood leña niɲá 061 sky cíelo sel-óka Spanish loanword 062 rain lluvia wabténa 063 wind viento bínjia 064 sun sol ʃínje 065 moon luna xuaʃkóna 066 star estrella estrelja-téma Spanish loanword 067 day día bɨnɨ-té, té 068 night noche ibéta 069 thunder trueno waxuesajá 070 lightning relámpago tkuínje 071 rainbow arco iris tsɨbkuákuatxo 072 earth, soil tierra bʃántse 073 stone piedra ndɨtɕ-bé 074 sand arena kaskáxo Spanish loanword 075 house casa jébna 076 roof techo thɨxnaɲe, bonxanána 077 door puerta bɨɕá-ɕe 078 seat, stool banco tɕenɨ́-ɕe 079 mat estera txuá-ʃe 080 hammock hamaca uxonjanɨ́-ʃa 081 bed catre, cama de barbacoa xutsnɨ́-ʃa 082 cooking pot olla matbá-xa 083 cultivated clearing roza, sementera xaxáɲe 084 village caserío pueblo-téma Spanish loanword 085 path, trail camino, sendero, trocha benátʃe 086 fish net red ataʒajɨ́-ʃa Spanish loanword 087 fish hook anzuelo ansuelɨ-bxuá Spanish loanword 088 axe hacha tatɕnía Spanish loanword 089 knife cuchillo kutʃiljɨ-bxa Spanish loanword 090 canoe canoa kanoú-ɕe 091 paddle remo ʒem-bé Spanish loanword 092 club porra, macana ngarot-bé Spanish loanword 093 spear lanza lantsɨ́-ʃa Spanish loanword 094 bow arco de cazar arkú-bxa Spanish loanword 095 arrow flecha pletʃɨ-bxuá Spanish loanword 096 blowgun cerbatana . xuesanɨ-ɕa 097 tapir danta bɨtsijá 098 jaguar tigre tígre Spanish loanword 099 puma león, puma león Spanish loanword 100 armadillo armadillo armadiljo-bé 101 dog perro kéɕe 102 deer venado biángana, móngoxo 103 bat murciélago tʃimbiláko 104 otter nutria salado-bé 105 cebus monkey (Cebus capucinus) capuchin, machín komendéro Spanish loanword 110 spotted cavy paca, guagua mɨmaɕe 113 tortoise tortuga tortúga-ɕe Spanish loanword 115 collared peccary saíno saín kótɕe Spanish loanword 117 agouti agutí entsóje-ɕe 118 rat rata ʒáta-tɕe Spanish loanword 119 cat gato meséto 120 mouse ratón ʃiéna 121 tail cola waskuatɕi-xuá 122 snake serpiente, culebra mɨtɕkuáje 123 anaconda, water boa mapana amarón 126 toad sapo sápo Spanish loanword 127 bird pájaro ʃlóbtɕe 128 hummingbird picaflor, colibrí ngɨntsiána 130 toucan tucán pikúdo 131 parrot loro ʃatúo, ʃatú 133 buzzard gallinazo ngaljináso Spanish loanword 134 curassow pavo tʃúmbo 135 owl lechuza, buho koskúngo 136 guan pava de monte kukuána 137 hen gallina tuámba 138 fish pescado beóna 140 bee abeja txowána 141 fly mosca ʃatsɨbiána 142 flea pulga nzantsána 143 louse piojo mɨtsána 144 mosquito zancudo ʃɨngna-bxa 146 ant hormiga xuána 147 spider arana báxna, batʃná-ɕe 148 jigger flea nigua, pigue tsɨtxóna 149 bush, jungle monte txá-ɲe 150 open grassland pajonal, sabana xatʃáɲe 151 hill cerro, loma batsxáɲe 152 tree árbol betíje, betijé-ʃe 153 leaf hoja tsbuaná-tʃe 154 tree leaf hoja de árbol tsbuaná-tʃe 155 flower flor wantɕebxú-ʃa 156 fruit fruta ʃaxuan-bé 158 root raíz tbɨtɨ́-xa 159 seed semilla xénaje 160 stick palo niɲɨ́-ɕe 161 grass hierba ʃákuana 162 corn, maize maíz mátse 163 manioc yuca bʃendɨ́-ɕe 165 tobacco tabaco tbáko Spanish loanword 166 cotton algodón tongéntse-ʃe 167 gourd calabazo poro taus-bé 168 yam ñame tʃaná 169 sweet potato camote mijá 170 achiote achiote, bija mandorɨ́-ʃa 171 chili pepper ají tsɨtɕá 173 Banisterium, hallucinogenic vine ayahuasca, jajé biaxíje 174 plantain plátano blandɨ́-tɕa Spanish loanword 178 cane caña brava ɕɨ́-ɕe 179 salt sal tamó 180 chicha chicha, masato bóko-ye 181 one uno kánje 182 two dos úta 183 three tres únga 184 four cuatro kánta 185 five cinco ʃátʃna 190 ten diez bnɨ́tsan 191 first primero natsána 192 last último ústonoje 193 rattle sonajero, maraca marakɨ́-ʃe Spanish loanword 194 drum tambor ɕɨnxana-bé 195 cushma cushma ʃabuanguanɨ-xuá 196 ear ornament orejera, arete wamatsaxonjanɨ́-ʃa 197 mask máscara xobɨ́tsanɨ-ɕe 198 healer, shaman curandero tatɕmbuá, jobá 199 chief cacique, curaca, capitán utabná, mandádo Spanish loanword 200 I, me, my yo, mí usted átɕe 201 you (singular) usted áka 202 he él tʃá 203 she ella tʃá 204 we inclusive nosotros inclusivo bɨ́nga 206 you plural ustedes tɕingabtánga 207 they ellos tʃɨ́nga 208 my hand mi mano átɕ-be kukuá-tɕe 209 your (sg.) hand tu mano ák-be kukuá-tɕe 210 his hand su mano tʃá-be kukuá-tɕe 211 our hands nuestras manos bɨng-be kukuá-tɕe 213 their hands sus manos (de ellos) tʃɨ́ng-be kukuátɕe 214 my bow mi arco átɕ-be arkú-bxa Spanish loanword 215 your bow tu arco ák-be arkú-bxa 216 his bow su arco (de él) tsá-be arkú-bxa 217 our bow nuestro arco bɨ́ng-be arkú-bxa 219 their bow su arco (de ellos) tʃɨ́ng-be arkú-bxa 220 big grande bɨ́ts 221 small, little pequeño báse, bíntʃe 222 cold frío ʃék-bana 223 hot caliente ntɕníɲe 224 good bueno tɕábe, tɕabá 225 bad malo baká, bákna sóje 226 white blanco bxántse 227 black negro btsénga 228 go! vaya, ve! m-ó-tsa 229 come! ven! m-á-bo 230 eat! come! m-ó-se 231 drink! bebe! m-o-bɕé 232 sleep! duerme! m-o-tsámana 233 crown of head corona tʃinʃ-óka 234 front teeth, incisors dientes delanteros incisivos btɨɕá-ɕe 236 long hair pelo largo bɨ́n stxɨná-ʃe 237 the neck region garganta y cuello bexɨ́ngua-xa 238 Adam’s apple nuez de la garganta tamoɕtxon-bé 239 upper back espalda, parte superior stɨtɕá-xa 241 wrist muñeca ʃɨmia-bé 242 lower leg pierna inferior ɕɨbxá-tɕe 243 body hair el pelo del cuerpo bobo-ʃɨ́-xa 244 stomach estómago wabsbiá 245 intestines intestinos tʃuntʃuljɨ-xua-ngá 246 old woman viejita wela-xéma 247 clouds at rest nubes quietas xantɕetɨ́-ʃe 249 cultivated clearing roza, sementera de maíz taɕxá-ɲe 250 stream quebrada báse béxa-je 251 pebbles piedrecillas ndɨtɕmé-ʃe 252 huge rocks rocas grandes peɲí-ɕe Spanish loanword 253 path, trail camino, sendero, trocha axʃatʃnɨxní-ɲe 255 shelter rancho tambo-téma 256 this este kém 257 that eso, ese, aquel tʃɨ́ 258 who quién ndá, ndmuá 259 what que ndajá 260 not no ndóɲe 261 all todos njćtska 262 many muchos bɨtská, bá, bá-nga 263 long largo bɨ́n 264 bark corteza xubobá-ʃe 265 flesh carne mɨntɕéna 267 grease, animal fat grasa minjiká Spanish loanword 268 egg huevo ʃɨmnɨ-bé 269 horn cuerno tsɨtxoní-ɕe 270 feather pluma plumɨ-bxuá Spanish loanword 271 elaw, nail uña, garra ngétsebia-ɕe 272 belly barriga wabsbiá 273 liver hígado bekotʃká 274 drink beber xatmuána, xobɕiána 275 eat comer xasána 276 bite morder xaxantsána 277 see ver xinjána 278 hear oir xowenána 279 know saber xtsetatɕmbuána 280 sleep dormir xómanana 281 die morir xóbanana 282 kill matar xóbana 283 swim (not bathe) nadar xatʃbabána 284 fly volar xongébxuana 285 walk andar xtsanána 286 come venir xabána 287 lie down acostarse xtsexáxonana 288 sit down sentarse xotbemána 289 stand ponerse en pie, de pie xotsajána 290 give dar xatɕetajána 291 say decir xajanána 292 burn quemar, arder xtsejiɲána 293 mountain montaña xáɲe 294 red rojo buángana 295 green verde ngɨ́bʃna 296 yellow amarillo tsɨɕijána 297 full lleno xútxena 298 new nuevo tsɨ́m 299 round redondo -bé 300 dry seco boxóxo, buaʃána 301 name nombre wabáina 302 how cómo ntɕámo 303 when cuándo ntséko, ntséko ora 304 where donde ndm-óka, ndaj-éntɕe 305 here aquí mu-éntɕe 306 there allí tʃ-éntɕe 307 other otro ínje, injá 308 few poco batɕá, básebta 309 fog neblina xantɕetɨ́-ʃe 310 flow fluir xtsobuána 311 sea mar már béxa-je 312 wet mojado btʃékuana 313 wash lavar xáxabiana 314 worm gusano tsɨkɨmiána 315 wing ala xuatɨngmiá-ʃa 316 fur piel peluda bobo-ʃá, bobó-ʃe 317 navel ombligo wamɨʃtɨtɨ́-ɕa 318 saliva saliva jebuá-je 319 milk leche létɕi-je Spanish loanword 320 with con -ka, -btaka 321 in en -óka, -íɲe, -éntɕe 322 at en, lugar definido -óka 323 if si -se, -sna 324 ice hielo jélo Spanish loanword 326 freeze helarse xtseʃekbána 327 child niño báse-tema 328 dark oscuro ibéta 329 cut cortar kutʃú-j 330 wide ancho tɨntɕá 331 narrow estrecho, angosto báse tɨntɕá 332 far lejos bɨn-óka 333 near cerca béko-ɲe 334 thick grueso xoʃá 335 thin delgado báse xoʃá 336 short corto béko 337 heavy pesado teʃut-, úta 338 dull embotado ndɨ-ngmɨtʃɨ́-bxa 339 sharp afilado bɕá-xa, ngmitʃɨ́-bxa 340 dirty sucio tsénga, tsengá 341 rotten podrido xanguána 342 smooth liso bɨngɨnjána 343 straight recto nderítʃe 344 correct correcto tɕabá 345 left izquierdo waɲikuaj-ói-ka 346 right derecho katʃbi-ói-ka 347 old viejo tángua 348 rub frotar xanɨtxuána 349 pull jalar, arrastrar xuasxanána 350 push empujar xatsɨntɕána 351 throw botar, tirar xutɕenána 352 hit golpear xuénanana 353 split hender xaʃtɨtɕána 354 pierce punzar, chuzar xangɨsɨtxuána 355 dig cavar xaxutxuána 356 tie atar xabátsikana 357 sew coser xuaxonajána 358 fall caer xotsatɕána 359 swell hinchar xabʃatʃána 360 think pensar xenóxuabojana 361 sing cantar xabérsiana Spanish loanword 362 smell oler xongɨtsetɕiána 363 vomit vomitar xáʃkonana 364 suck chupar xobkuakuajána 365 blow soplar xangowána 366 fear temer xtsawatxána 367 tighten, squeeze apretar, exprimir xatɨbána 368 hold sostener xotbajána 369 down abajo tsɨtx-óka 370 up arriba tsbanán-oka 371 ripe maduro bótʃena 372 dust polvo polbɨ́-ʃe Spanish loanword 373 alive vivo ainá 374 rope cuerda biá-xa 375 year año wáta
Notes
- Kamëntšá at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- Fabre 2020, p. 676.
- Jolkesky 2016.
- Mason 1950, p. 187.
- ^ Howard 1972, p. 78.
- O'Brien 2018, p. 41.
- ^ Huber & Reed 1992, p. xx.
- Howard 1972, p. 79.
- ^ O'Brien 2018, p. 34.
- O'Brien 2018, pp. 38–39.
- O'Brien 2018, pp. 36–38.
- Howard 1972, p. 84.
- ^ O'Brien 2018, p. 27.
- Mason 1950.
- Huber & Reed 1992, p. viii.
Bibliography
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
- Fabre, Alain (2001). Kamsá, a poorly documented isolated language spoken in south-western Colombia (PDF). Linguistic Perspectives on Endangered Languages. Helsinki. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-31.
- Fabre, Alain (2020-06-20) . "Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: KAMSÁ" (PDF). Electronic. OCLC 934761027. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- Howard, Linda (1972). "Fonología del camsá" (PDF). Sistemas fonológicos de idiomas colombianos (in Spanish). Vol. I. pp. 77–92. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-12-29.
- Huber, Randall Q.; Reed, Robert B. (1992). Vocabulario comparativo: Palabras selectas de lenguas indígenas de Colombia [Comparative vocabulary: Selected words in indigenous languages of Colombia] (PDF). Bogotá: Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN 958-21-0037-0. Archived from the original on 2023-10-14.
- Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho de Valhery (2016). Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas (Ph.D. dissertation) (2 ed.). Brasília: University of Brasília.
- Kaufman, Terrence (1990). "Language History in South America: What We Know and How to Know More". In Payne, D. L. (ed.). Amazonian Linguistics: Studies in Lowland South American Languages. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 13–67. ISBN 0-292-70414-3.
- 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.
- McDowell, John Holmes (1994). "So Wise Were Our Elders": Mythic Narratives of the Kamsá. Native American Studies. Vol. 6. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813160368. OL 1397564M. (Contains mythic and legendary in Camsá with interlinear morphemic glossing and English translations.)
- Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians. Vol. 6. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. pp. 157–317.
- O'Brien, Colleen Alena (2018). A grammatical description of Kamsá, a language isolate of Colombia (PDF) (phd thesis). University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. hdl:10125/62512.
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