Gamela (Gamella, Acobu, Barbados) Curinsi or Acobu, is an unclassified and presumably extinct language of the
Maranhão
Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins and ...
region of
Northeastern Brazil. It was originally spoken along the
Itapecuru River,
Turiaçu River, and
Pindaré River
The Pindaré River is a river in Maranhão state of north-central Brazil.
The Pindaré rises in the low hills which separate its basin from that of the Tocantins River to the south.
In its lower reaches it is called the Pindaré-Mirim. It is a lef ...
, with ethnic descendants reported to be living in Cabo and Vianna in
Maranhão
Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of . Clockwise from north, it borders on the Atlantic Ocean for 2,243 km and the states of Piauí, Tocantins and ...
State.
Kaufman (1994) said that 'only
Greenberg dares to classify this language', due to the lack of data on it.
This is presumably the Gamela language of
Viana for which 19 words are recorded in
Nimuendajú (1937:68).
Other varieties
Below are other extinct varieties, many of which have no data, that may have been related to Gamela.
*Arañí - once spoken between the
Parnaíba River
The Parnaíba River ( pt, Rio Parnaíba) is a river in Brazil, which forms the border between the states of Maranhão and Piauí. Its main course is long and the Parnaíba River Basin covers .Ramos, T.P.A.; Ramos, R.T.C.; and Ramos, S.A.Q.A. (2 ...
and
Itapecuru River
*Puti (Poti) - once spoken at the mouth of the
Poti River (unattested)
*Anapurú - once spoken on the right bank of the
Parnaíba River
The Parnaíba River ( pt, Rio Parnaíba) is a river in Brazil, which forms the border between the states of Maranhão and Piauí. Its main course is long and the Parnaíba River Basin covers .Ramos, T.P.A.; Ramos, R.T.C.; and Ramos, S.A.Q.A. (2 ...
(unattested)
*Uruati - extinct language from the mouth of the
Munim River
The Munim River ( pt, Rio Munim) is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil.
It flows north for about before emptying into the Baía de São José to the south of the state capital.
The river has suffered from agricultural pollution and ...
, Maranhão
*Cururi - extinct language of the neighbors of the Uruati tribe
*Guanare - once spoken between the
Itapecuru River and
Parnaíba River
The Parnaíba River ( pt, Rio Parnaíba) is a river in Brazil, which forms the border between the states of Maranhão and Piauí. Its main course is long and the Parnaíba River Basin covers .Ramos, T.P.A.; Ramos, R.T.C.; and Ramos, S.A.Q.A. (2 ...
(unattested)
*Coroatá - once spoken on the
Itapecuru River, Maranhão (unattested)
*Guaxina - once spoken at the mouth of the
Itapecuru River (unattested)
*Curinsi - an extinct dialect of the Gamela once spoken near Vianna
*Tacarijú - once spoken on the
Longá River in the state of
Piauí (unattested)
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) gives three words in Gamela:
*''kokeáto'' 'pot'
*''kyoipé'' 'tree'
*''anéno'' 'tobacco'
''Gamella of Viana'' words recorded by
Nimuendajú (1937:68) from his informant Maria Cafuza in
Viana, Maranhão:
[Nimuendajú, Curt. 1937]
The Gamella Indians
''Primitive Man'' 10. 58-71.
:
References
Bibliography
*
{{South American languages
Indigenous languages of Northeastern Brazil
Maranhão
Extinct languages of South America
Unclassified languages of South America