Chaná language
{{Short description|Endangered language of South America}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=es|otherarticle=Idioma chaná|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Chaná
| nativename = {{lang|sai-AR|Lanték Yañá}}
| speakers = 1 rememberer
| revived = 2005; several students in both Uruguay and Argentina
| date = 2024
| speakers2 =
| familycolor = American
| fam1 = Mataco–Guaicuru?
| fam2 = Charruan
| fam3 =
| fam4 =
| fam5 =
| region = Around Uruguay River and Paraná River and Río de la Plata
| ethnicity = Chaná people
| iso3 = none
| linglist = qsi
| lingua = 85-DCA-d(a)
| glotto = chan1296
| glottorefname = Chaná
| dia1 = Yañá-yañá
| dia2 = Yañá-ntimpúc
| dia3 = Nbeuá (probably, unattested) {{extinct}}
| map2 = Lang Status 20-CR.svg
| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Chaná is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger}}}}
| map = File:Mapa_indígena.png
| mapcaption = {{legend|#98fe5e|Chaná}}
}}
The Chaná language ({{langx|sai|Lanték|label=Chaná}} 'speak' or 'language'; from {{lang|sai|lan}}, "tongue" and {{lang|sai|tek}} a communicative suffix){{cite book|last1=JAIME|first1=Blas Wilfredo Omar|title=La lengua chaná, patrimonio cultural de Entre Ríos|url=https://www.conicet.gov.ar/new_scp/detalle.php?keywords=&id=19859&libros=yes&detalles=yes&lib_id=3008143|year=2013|publisher=Dirección Editorial de Entre Ríos|isbn=978-950-686-039-4|location=Paraná|page=145|version=(in Spanish and Chaná)|last2=VIEGAS BARROS|first2=José Pedro}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.etnolinguistica.org/lingua:chana|title=Chaná - Biblioteca Digital Curt Nimuendajú|website=www.etnolinguistica.org|access-date=2018-12-06}} is one of the Charruan languages, spoken by the Chaná people in what is now Argentina and Uruguay along the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers on the margins of the Río de la Plata.{{Cite news |last=Alcoba |first=Natalie |title=This Language Was Long Believed Extinct. Then One Man Spoke Up. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/13/world/americas/indigenous-language-chana-blas-jaime.html |date=2024-01-13 |newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/classificationof0007louk|url-access=registration|title=Classification of South American Indian Languages|last=Loukotka|first=Čestmír|author-link=Čestmír Loukotka|date=1968|journal=UCLA Latin American Center|location=Los Ángeles}} It was spoken by the Chaná from pre-Columbian times in the vast region that today is between Entre Ríos Province, Argentina and Uruguay, and the Uruguay and Paraná Guazú Rivers. According to recent oral memory narratives,{{cite news|last=JAIME|first=Blas Wilfredo Omar|title=Conservar la cultura, Blas Jaime|url=https://murmullocomunicacion.wixsite.com/inicio/blas-jaime|date=4 August 2017|accessdate=23 September 2018|work=inicio|language=es}} in ancient times, they inhabited territories around the current Brazilian margin of the Uruguay River. They later migrated from this location along the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers from the outfall of the Iguazú River and from the Paraguay River to the current location of Asunción.{{cite news|title=Blas el chaná|url=https://chancharrua.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/blas-el-chana/|date=30 January 2013|accessdate=23 September 2018|work=Nación Charrua Artiguista y Originaria|language=es-ES}} Today, there is only one person who can speak Chaná, Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime, and prior to his discovery of the fact that he was the last speaker, he had not used Chaná for many decades, eroding his memory of the language. UNESCO recognizes it as a living language but also as "extremely endangered" because it has only one native speaker.{{Cite web|url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000189453|title=UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger|website=www.unesco.org|access-date=2024-10-02}} The Chamber of Deputies of the Entre Ríos Province recently recognized the necessity for the government to recognize and protect the language.[http://www.hcder.gov.ar/archivosDownload/diarios/D10-03072018o139.pdf Diario de Sesiones de la Cámara de Diputados de la Provincia de Entre Ríos], sesión del 03 de julio de 2018.
Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime
File:Blas Jaime en Salsipuedes Monumento.jpg
Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime ({{lang|mis|Agó Acoé Inó}}, "dog without owner" in the Chaná language, Nogoyá, Entre Rios, {{Birth date|1934|2|2}}), an Argentine, is the only native speaker of Chaná. He is now referred to as Tató Oyendén, or custodian of the ancestral memory.
The language, which Blas learned from his female ancestors, considered unique by academics, was considered extinct before he was interviewed by the linguist José Pedro Viegas Barros.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/64865-la-mision-del-ultimo-hablante-chana|title=La misión del último hablante chaná {{!}} Cómo se recuperó una lengua originaria de América gracias al encuentro entre un jubilado y un lingüista|website=PAGINA12.com.ar|language=es|access-date=2019-01-02}}{{Cite web |date=2012-11-18 |title=Un chaná que habla su idioma - 26.03.2005 - lanacion.com |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/689936-un-chana-que-habla-su-idioma |access-date=2024-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118063515/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/689936-un-chana-que-habla-su-idioma |archive-date=2012-11-18 }}{{Cite web |date=2017-07-15 |title=El último chaná busca recuperar su historia |url=https://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/el-ultimo-chana-busca-recuperar-su-historia |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=EL PAIS |language=en}}{{Cite journal|date=2013|title=Historiografía lingüística del Río de la Plata: las lenguas indígenas de la Banda Oriental|journal=Boletín de filología|language=es|volume=48|issue=2|pages=131–171|doi=10.4067/S0718-93032013000200007|issn=0718-9303|doi-access=free|last1=Da Rosa|first1=Juan Justino}} The two men together authored the book La Lengua Chaná. Patrimonio Cultural de Entre Ríos published by the official communications department of the provincial government of Entre Ríos.{{Cite book |last=Jaime |first=Blas W. Omar |url=https://etnolinguistica.wdfiles.com/local--files/biblio%3Ajaime-viegas-2013-lengua/Jaime%26ViegasBarros_2013_LaLenguaChana.pdf |title=La lengua chaná: patrimonio cultural de Entre Ríos |last2=Viegas Barros |first2=José Pedro |date=2013 |publisher=Ministerio de Cultura y Comunicación, Gobierno de Entre Ríos |isbn=978-950-686-039-4 |edition=1st |location=Entre Ríos, Paraná, ER, República Argentina}} The department published the book in recognition of "Lanték" (the Chaná language) to support the cultural heritage of the province.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lavoz901.com.ar/despachos.asp?cod_des=194646|title=El diccionario de chaná ya es patrimonio de los entrerrianos|website=Radio La Voz}}
Phonology
The following are the phonemes of the Chaná language:{{Cite book|title=Una posible diferenciación de hablas feminina y masculina en chaná|last=Barros|first=J. Pedro Viegas|year=2015}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Consonant phonemes | Palatal | Velar !!Glottal |
| Nasal
| {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA link|ɲ}} || || | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stop
| {{IPA link|p}} {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|t}} {{IPA link|d}} || {{IPA link|tʃ}}|| {{IPA link|k}} {{IPA link|g}} || {{IPA link|ʔ}} | ||
| Fricative
| || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{IPA link|ʒ}} || ({{IPA link|x}}) || {{IPA link|h}} | ||
| Glide
| {{IPA link|w}} || || {{IPA link|j}} || || | ||
| Lateral
| || {{IPA link|l}} || || || | ||
| Trill
| || {{IPA link|r}} || || || | ||
| Flap
| || {{IPA link|ɾ}} || || || |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Monophthong vowel phonemes |
| align=center
! |
| Close
| {{IPA link|i}} || || {{IPA link|u}} |
|---|
| Mid
| {{IPA link|e}} || || {{IPA link|o}} |
| Open
| || {{IPA link|a}} || |
Dictionary
{{lang|sai|Lanték}} has been recognized as a part of the "Cultural Heritage of the Entre Ríos Province." The first dictionary of the language was published by the Provincial Publishing House of Entre Ríos.{{Cite web |title=Museo Antonio Serrano |url=https://museoserrano.blogspot.com/2014/11/#3707626015028941749 |access-date=2018-12-06 |website=museoserrano.blogspot.com |language=es}} The publication contained a dictionary compiled via Don Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime and an encyclopedic study of Chaná culture. There were also several chapters on the linguistics of Chaná by Viegas Barros.{{Cite web |title=J. Pedro Viegas Barros {{!}} Universidad de Buenos Aires - Academia.edu |url=https://uba.academia.edu/PedroViegasBarros |access-date=2018-12-06 |website=uba.academia.edu}}
The Chaná cultural study encompassed the fourth and last section of the book. A great deal of Chaná ethnoliterature was obtained during elicitation sessions with Viegas Barros during the seven years prior to the publication of the volume. It also has an audio CD which includes recordings of Don Blas speaking his Lanték.
References
Bibliography
{{sister project |project=wiktionary |text=Wiktionary has a word list at Appendix:Chaná word list}}
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last1=Jaime|first1=Blas Wilfredo Omar|last2=Viegas Barros|first2=José Pedro|title=La lengua chaná, patrimonio cultural de Entre Ríos|publisher=Editorial de Entre Ríos|location=Paraná|year=2013|isbn=978-950-686-039-4|version=(in Spanish and Chaná)|ref=ChanaPatrimonio}}
{{refend}}
External links
- [https://radioambulante.org/audio/la-guarda-memoria La guarda memoria] (in Spanish), [https://radioambulante.org/en/translation/the-memory-keeper-translation The Memory Keeper] (English translation of audio transcript): an episode on the Chaná language featured on the podcast Radio Ambulante.
{{Mataco-Guaicuru languages}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chana Language}}