Login
Login

Timote language

{{Short description|Endangered language of Venezuela}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Timote

| altname = Cuica

| nativename = Migurí

| states = Venezuela

| speakers = perhaps 200

| date = 1977

| familycolor = American

| fam1 = Timotean

| dia1 = Timote

| dia2 = Cuica

| dia3 = ?Mutú (Loco)

| iso3 = none

| linglist = qpj

| lingname = Timote-Cuica

| linglist2 = qdu

| lingname2 = Maguri

| glotto = timo1237

| glottoname = Timote-Cuica

| iso3comment = ([MUF] retired in Ethnologue 15)

| region = Mutús

}}

Timote, also known as Cuica or Timote–Cuica, is the language of the Timote–Cuica state in the Venezuelan Andes, around the present city of Mérida and south of Lake Maracaibo.

The language is reported to have gone extinct in the early to mid 20th century. However, in 1977 it was reported that the indigenous village of Mutús, in the heart of the old Timote state, still spoke an indigenous language, which would presumably be Timote. The name is apparently Timote, as 'Timote' itself derives from ti-motɨ 'Mutú speakers', and mutú or mukú is a common toponym in the region. This lead had not been followed up as of Adelaar (2004).

Dialects

The Timote and Cuica peoples apparently spoke dialects of a single language; some of the last reports of Cuica claim it was nothing other than Timote. Data is limited, but the connection is clear in the numerals:

class="wikitable"
GlossTimoteCuica
align=center

| 1

colspan=2| karí
align=center

| 2

colspan=2| xem, xen
align=center

| 3

šut, sut,
hisxut		šuent
align=center

| 4

pitpití
align=center

| 5

kabó,
kabok		kamó
align=center

| 6

kasum, kaksúm,
kapsún		katseunt
align=center

| 7

mai-xem,
mai-xén		ma-en
align=center

| 8

mai-xut,
mai-sxut		mabi-šuent
align=center

| 9

mai-pitmabi-pita
align=center

| 10

colspan=2| tabís

Consonant clusters, somewhat unusual for the area, are found, especially in Cuica: kču 'bird', stots 'blood', Timote klef 'rainy season', hutn 'dog'.

=Mason (1950)=

Mason (1950) provides a lengthy internal classification of Cuica and Timote:{{cite book |last=Mason |first=John Alden |authorlink=John Alden Mason |date=1950 |chapter=The languages of South America |editor-first1=Julian |editor-last1=Steward |title=Handbook of South American Indians |volume=6 |pages=157–317 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143 |location=Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

;Timóte (Timoti)

  • 1. Timóte proper

{{tree list}}

  • Mukurujún
  • Mukusé
  • Mokoyupu
  • Mukuarsé
  • Ciribuy
  • Miyoy
  • Mukumbá
  • Kindorá
  • Tafallé
  • Mukumbají
  • Chino

{{tree list/end}}

  • 2. Mocochí (Mokochi)

{{tree list}}

  • Miyuse
  • Tukaní
  • Mokochi (Torondoy)

{{tree list/end}}

  • 3. Mukutu (Escaguey)

{{tree list}}

  • Eskaguey
  • Kanaguá
  • Kinó
  • Mokoino (Mokino)
  • Mombun
  • Yarikagua
  • Arikagua
  • Mukutuy
  • Mukupatí
  • Mukuchachi
  • Trikagua
  • Mokoto (Mukutu, Mukutí)
  • Guarake
  • Bailadores

{{tree list/end}}

  • 4. Tapano

{{tree list}}

  • Aviamo
  • Mokombó (Mokobo)
  • Tapano

{{tree list/end}}

{{col-break}}

  • 5. Chama (Miguri ?)

{{tree list}}

  • Mokunche (Mukunche, Mukuneche)
  • Mukurubá (Mokuruguá)
  • Tabay (Mukunutáne, Tabayon ?)
  • Mukurumagua
  • Guake (Guakí)
  • Mukumba
  • Chichuy
  • Mukuñoke (Mukuño, Migurí ?)
  • Mukurufuén
  • Muká
  • Mukumpí
  • Mukutirí
  • Mukusnandá
  • Mukaikuy
  • Mukusó, etc.
  • Mukurandá
  • Mukuhúun (Mukupine, Mokoion)
  • Chiguará
  • Insnumbí (Insumbi)
  • Estankes
  • Mukuchi (Makuchi, Mokochiz)
  • Misantá
  • Mokao
  • Mosnachó
  • Misikea, etc.
  • Eskagüey
  • Mukujún
  • Tatuy (Tatey ?)
  • Mukaria
  • Mukaketá
  • Mukusirí
  • Kaparú
  • Jají (Mukundú)
  • Mukubache (Mirripú, Mirripuy, Maripú ?)
  • Mukúun (Mukumpú, Lagunillas)
  • Kasés
  • Mukuinamo
  • Arikagua
  • Tibikuay
  • Makulare
  • Mukusumpú
  • Barbudos
  • Jamuén, etc.
  • Kinaró
  • Tiguiñó
  • Guaruní (Guarurí)

{{tree list/end}}

{{col-break}}

;Cuica (Kuika)

  • 1. Cuica proper
  • 2. Tostó

{{tree list}}

  • Tostó proper
  • Tiranjá
  • Tomoní

{{tree list/end}}

  • 3. Eskuke (Eskukey)

{{tree list}}

  • Eskuke proper
  • Bombá
  • Moka
  • Tirandá
  • Chobú
  • Chachike
  • Chachu
  • Tirandá proper
  • Estiguate (Estiguati)

{{tree list/end}}

  • 4. Jajó (Jakón, Jajón)

{{tree list}}

  • Jajó proper
  • Esnijaque
  • Kikoke (Kikoki)
  • Mapen (La Vega)
  • Duri
  • Mikimboy

{{tree list/end}}

;Unclassified tribes

  • Kirorá
  • Mijure
  • Montun
  • Iguino

{{col-break}}

{{col-end}}

References

{{reflist}}

  • Adelaar, Willem & Pieter Muysken (2004). The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge University Press. pp. 124–129

External links

  • Fabre: [http://www.ling.fi/Entradas%20diccionario/Dic=Mut%fas.pdf Mutús]

{{Languages of Venezuela}}

Category:Indigenous languages of the Americas

Category:Timotean languages

Category:Languages of Venezuela