Cacán (also Cacan, Kakán, Calchaquí, Chaka, Diaguita, and Kaka) is an
extinct language
An extinct language or dead language is a language with no living native speakers. A dormant language is a dead language that still serves as a symbol of ethnic identity to an ethnic group; these languages are often undergoing a process of r ...
that was spoken by the
Diaguita
The Diaguita people are a group of South American Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people native to the Chilean Norte Chico, Chile, Norte Chico and the Argentine Northwest. Western or Chilean Diaguitas lived mainly in the Transvers ...
and
Calchaquí
The Calchaquí or Kalchakí were a tribe of South American Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indians of the Diaguita group, now extinct, who formerly occupied northern Argentina. Stone and other remains prove them to have reached a high degree ...
tribes in northern
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
. It became extinct during the late 17th century or early 18th century. The language was documented by the Jesuit
Alonso de Bárcena, but the manuscript is lost. Genetic affiliation of the language remains unclear, and due to the extremely limited number of known words, it has not been possible to conclusively link it to any existing
language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term ''family'' is a metaphor borrowed from biology, with the tree model used in historical linguistics ...
.
Varieties
Loukotka (1968)
Varieties classified by Loukotka (1968) as part of the Diaguit language group:
*Diaguit - extinct language once spoken by many tribes in the Argentine
province of Catamarca
Catamarca () is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province had a population of 429,556 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km2. Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring pro ...
. All the survivors are now Quechuanized. Dialects, all extinct:
**Quilme - once spoken by the
Quilmes people, originally from neighboring
Tucumán Province
Tucumán () is the most densely populated, and the second-smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina.
Located in the northwest of the country, the province has the capital of San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighb ...
, later relocated to the city of
Quilmes
Quilmes () is a city on the coast of the Rio de la Plata, in the , on the southeast end of the Greater Buenos Aires, being some away from the urban centre area of Buenos Aires. The city was founded in 1666 and is the seat of the eponymous '' ...
,
Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
**Yocabil - once spoken in Catamarca in the Yocabil Valley.
**Andalgalá - once spoken around the city of
Andalgalá, Catamarca.
**Abaucan or Tinogasta - once spoken in the
Abaucán Valley, Catamarca.
**Pasipa - once spoken in the Vicioso Valley, Catamarca.
**Ancasti - once spoken in the Sierra de
Ancasti, Catamarca.
**Hualfin - once spoken in the
Hualfin Valley, Catamarca.
**Famatina - once spoken in the province of La Rioja in the
Famatina Valley.
**Caringasta - once spoken
Calingasta in the
Anguco Valley, San Juan province.
**Sanogasta - once spoken in the province of La Rioja in the
Sanogasta Valley.
**Calian or Mocalingasta - once spoken in La Rioja province in the valley of
Guadacol.
**Sanagasta - once spoken in the
Sierra de Velasco, La Rioja province.
**Musitian - once spoken in La Rioja province in the Sierra de los Llanos.
**Nolongasta - once spoken in the
Chilecito Valley, La Rioja province.
*Calehaqui or Cacan or Tocaque - extinct language once spoken in Salta province, in the
Quimivil and Santa María Valleys. Dialects are:
**Guachipa - once spoken in Salta Valley.
**Tolombon or Pacioca - once spoken in the province of Tucumán in the
Tolombon Valley.
**Amaicha - once spoken in the Sierra de
Aconquija, Tucumán province.
**Tucumán or Tukma - once spoken around the city of
Tucumán.
**Soleo - once spoken in Tucumán province north of the Tucumán tribe.
*Cupayana or Capayana - extinct language once spoken in San Juan and La Rioja provinces.
*Amaná - once spoken around the city of
Amaná, La Rioja province. (Unattested)
*Chicoana or Pulare - once spoken in
Salta Province
Salta () is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa Province, Formosa, Chaco Province, Chaco, Santiago del Estero Province, Santiago del Es ...
in the
Lerma Valley. (Unattested)
*Indama or Ambargasta - once spoken north of
Salinas Grandes, Santiago del Estero province. (Unattested)
*Copiapó - once spoken around the city of
Copiapó
Copiapó () is a List of cities in Chile, city and communes of Chile, commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal List of towns in Chile, town of Caldera, Chile, Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capi ...
in the province of Atacama, Chile. (Unattested)
Mason (1950)
Mason (1950)
lists the Diaguita subgroups of Abaucan, Amaycha, Anchapa, Andalgalá, Anguinahao, Calchaquí, Casminchango, Coipe, Colalao, Famatina, Hualfina, Paquilin, Quilme, Tafí, Tocpo, Tucumán, Upingascha, and Yocabil. Acalian, Catamarca, and Tamano are possibly also Diaguita subgroups according to Mason (1950).
Vocabulary
Cacán vocabulary possibly exists today in toponyms and local surnames, but the etymologies are often dubious.
Other known words include:
* , , — house
* — town
* (transcribed into Spanish: ) — name of a deity apparently of fertility
* (transcribed to the Castilian ) — lord and king
* — altar, place of sacrifice.
Calchaqui words listed in Loukotka (1968):
* — head
* — water
* — fire
* — sun
* — tree
* — maize.
References
Alain Fabre, 2005, ''Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: CALCHAQUÍ''
Diaguita
Indigenous languages of South America
Languages of Chile
Extinct languages of South America
Unclassified languages of South America
Languages extinct in the 18th century
Ataguitan languages
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