Chamicuro is a dormant (documented but not used by any native speakers)
South American language
The languages of South America can be divided into three broad groups:
* the languages of the (in most cases, former) colonial powers;
* many indigenous languages, some of which are co-official alongside the colonial languages;
* and various p ...
formerly spoken in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
The language was used by the Chamicuro people who were around one hundred people. The Chamicuros live on a tributary of the
Huallaga river
The Huallaga River is a tributary of the Marañón River, part of the Amazon Basin. Old names for this river include ''Guallaga'' and ''Rio de los Motilones''. The Huallaga is born on the slopes of the Andes in central Peru and joins the Marañón ...
, in Peru, in an area called
Pampa Hermosa, meaning beautiful plains.
As with all native languages in Peru, Chamicuro was by default an official language in the area in which it is spoken. A Chamicuro dictionary has been created by the citizens, however no children can speak the language as they have shifted to
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
.
There is controversy in regards to whether
Aguano
The Aguano (also Awano, Ahuano, Hilaca, Uguano, Aguanu, Santacrucino, Tibilo) are a people of Peru. In 1959, they consisted of 40 families. They inhabit the lower Huallaga and upper Samiria Rivers, and the right bank tributary of the Marañon ...
is the same language, which one study (Ruhlen 1987) says it is, or the Chamicuros disputed this (Wise, 1987), although this may be for cultural reasons and the languages may actually be intelligible, but the different people do not relate to one another and maintain different names and connotations between their language or languages.
Phonology
Chamicuro has 5 vowels: /a, e, i, o, u/. All vowels have both short and long forms.
See also
*
Language death
In linguistics, language death occurs when a language loses its last native speaker. By extension, language extinction is when the language is no longer known, including by second-language speakers. Other similar terms include linguicide, the deat ...
References
Languages of Peru
Arawakan languages
Indigenous languages of the South American Northwest
{{Arawakan-lang-stub