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The Jê languages (also spelled Gê, Jean, Ye, Gean), or Jê–Kaingang languages, are spoken by the , a group of
indigenous peoples in Brazil Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( pt, povos indígenas no Brasil) or Indigenous Brazilians ( pt, indígenas brasileiros, links=no) once comprised an estimated 2000 tribes and nations inhabiting what is now the country of Brazil, before European con ...
.


Genetic relations

The Jê family forms the core of the Macro-Jê family. Kaufman (1990) finds the proposal convincing.


Family division

According to Ethnologue (which omits Jeikó), the language family is as follows: * Jeikó (†) * Northern Jê ** Apinayé (2,300 speakers) ** Mẽbengokre (Kayapó) (8,638 speakers) ** Panará (Kreen Akarore) (380 speakers) ** Suyá (350 speakers) **
Timbira Timbira refers to a number of related ethnolinguistic groups of Timbira-speaking Gê peoples native to Northern and Northeastern Brazil. Among those peoples grouped under the name are the Apanyekrá, Apinajé, Kanela, Gavião (Jê), Krahô ...
(Canela-Krayô, with the
Canela Canela may refer to: Places * Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, a town in Brazil * Canela, Chile, a commune in Chile * La Canela, a legendary location in South America * Isla Canela, an island in Andalusia, Spain Other uses * Canela (surname), in ...
and Kreye dialects) (5,100 speakers) * Central Jê ** Acroá (†) **
Xavante The Xavante (also Shavante, Chavante, Akuen, A'uwe, Akwe, Awen, or Akwen) are an indigenous people, comprising 15,315 individuals within the territory of eastern Mato Grosso state in Brazil. They speak the Xavante language, part of the Jê lang ...
(9,600 speakers) ** Xerente (1,810 speakers) ** Xakriabá (†) * Southern Jê **
Xokleng The Xokleng or Aweikoma (sometimes called '' botocudos'') are a Native American tribe of Brazil; their territory is located mainly in the state of Santa Catarina. They were one of the original inhabitants of Misiones Province Misiones (, '' ...
(760 speakers) ** Kaingáng *** Kaingáng (18,000 speakers) *** São Paulo Kaingáng (†) *** Ingain (†) *** Guayana (†)


Ramirez (2015)

Internal classification of the Jê languages according to Ramirez, et al. (2015): ;Jê *Southern Jê (
dialect continuum A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
) ** Ingain
Xokleng The Xokleng or Aweikoma (sometimes called '' botocudos'') are a Native American tribe of Brazil; their territory is located mainly in the state of Santa Catarina. They were one of the original inhabitants of Misiones Province Misiones (, '' ...
Kaigáng *Northern Jê **Jê proper (
Timbira Timbira refers to a number of related ethnolinguistic groups of Timbira-speaking Gê peoples native to Northern and Northeastern Brazil. Among those peoples grouped under the name are the Apanyekrá, Apinajé, Kanela, Gavião (Jê), Krahô ...
-Kayapó dialect continuum) ***
Canela Canela may refer to: Places * Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, a town in Brazil * Canela, Chile, a commune in Chile * La Canela, a legendary location in South America * Isla Canela, an island in Andalusia, Spain Other uses * Canela (surname), in ...
-Krahô ↔ Gavião-Krĩkati ↔ ApinajéKayapóSuyá-Tapayuna ↔ Panará-Kayapó do Sul **Akuwẽ (various microdialects) ***
Xavante The Xavante (also Shavante, Chavante, Akuen, A'uwe, Akwe, Awen, or Akwen) are an indigenous people, comprising 15,315 individuals within the territory of eastern Mato Grosso state in Brazil. They speak the Xavante language, part of the Jê lang ...
*** Xerente (including Xakriabá, Akroá, Gueguê) Ramirez excludes Jaikó as a possibly
spurious language Spurious languages are languages that have been reported as existing in reputable works, while other research has reported that the language in question did not exist. Some spurious languages have been proven to not exist. Others have very li ...
.


Nikulin (2020)

According to Nikulin (2020), the internal branching of the Jê language family is as follows:Nikulin, Andrey. 2020.
Proto-Macro-Jê: um estudo reconstrutivo
'. Doctoral dissertation, University of Brasília.
;Jê * Paraná **'' Ingain'' ** Southern Jê ***'' Kaingáng'' ***'' Laklãnõ'' *
Cerrado The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are the ...
** Akuwẽ ***'' Xerénte'' ***'' Xavánte'' ***'' Xakriabá'' ***'' Acroá'' ** Goyaz Jê *** Southern Kayapó ****''
Mossâmedes Mossâmedes is a municipality in western Goiás state, Brazil. Location Mossâmedes is located northwest of the state capital, Goiânia in the Anicuns Microregion. It is connected by paved roads with Itaberaí to the north and Anicuns to the sou ...
dialect'' ****'' Triângulo dialect'' *****'' Panará'' *** Northern Jê **** Timbíra *****'' Parkatêjê''; '' Kỳikatêjê'' *****Core Timbíra ******'' Krikati''; '' Pykobjê'' ******''
Krahô The Krahô (, ) are an indigenous Timbira Gê people of northeastern Brazil. The Krahô historically inhabited a portion of modern Maranhão along the Balsas River, but were pushed west by pioneer settlement and cattle farmers. Currently, the Kr ...
''; ''
Canela Canela may refer to: Places * Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, a town in Brazil * Canela, Chile, a commune in Chile * La Canela, a legendary location in South America * Isla Canela, an island in Andalusia, Spain Other uses * Canela (surname), in ...
'' (dialects: ''Apànjêkra'', ''Mẽmõrtũmre'') **** Trans-Tocantins *****'' Apinajé'' ***** Trans-Araguaia ******'' Mẽbêngôkre'' (dialects: ''Xikrín'', ''Kayapó'') ******
Tapajós The Tapajós ( pt, Rio Tapajós ) is a river in Brazil. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. It is one of the largest clearw ...
*******'' Kĩsêdjê'' *******'' Tapayúna'' Some
sound change A sound change, in historical linguistics, is a change in the pronunciation of a language. A sound change can involve the replacement of one speech sound (or, more generally, one phonetic feature value) by a different one (called phonetic chang ...
s and lexical innovations that define various Jê subgroups: * Proto-Southern Jê ''*a'' < *Proto-Jê ''*ô'' * Proto-Cerrado ''*wa'' < Proto-Jê ''*ô'' * Proto-Goyaz Jê: ''*am'', ''*um'', ''*ɨm'' > ''*ãm'', ''*ũm'', ''*ɨ̃m'' ** Proto-Northern Jê: replacement of ''*kakũm'' ‘dry season’ (as in Panará ''akũŋ'' and Proto-Central Jê ) with ** Proto-Timbíra: ''*c'' > ''*h'' ** Proto-Trans-Tocantins: replacement of ''*a-mbə'' ‘eat (intransitive)’ with ''*ap-ku''


Varieties

Below is a full list of Jê language varieties listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties. ;Timbirá group *Mehin - language spoken in the village of Araraparituya on the right bank of the
Gurupí River The Gurupí River is a river in north-central Brazil which forms the boundary between Maranhão and Pará states. The Gurupí rises in the low hills which separate its basin from that of the Tocantins River to the south, and flows north into the At ...
, Maranhão state. Now perhaps extinct. *Tajé / Timbirá - spoken in the village of Bacurí on the right bank of the
Mearim River The Mearim River is a river in Maranhão state of northern Brazil. The river originates in the southern part of Maranhão, and drains north into the Baía de São Marcos, an estuary that also receives the Pindaré and Grajaú rivers, which are ...
, state of Maranhão. *Kukoekamekran - once spoken on the lower course of the Grajaú River, Maranhão. (Unattested.) *Kreapimkatajé / Krepúnkateye - spoken on the middle course of the Grajaú River. *Karákatajé - once spoken by the southern neighbors of the preceding tribe. (Unattested.) *Krenjé - spoken at the sources of the
Gurupí River The Gurupí River is a river in north-central Brazil which forms the boundary between Maranhão and Pará states. The Gurupí rises in the low hills which separate its basin from that of the Tocantins River to the south, and flows north into the At ...
. *Remkokamekran / Remako-Kamékrere / Merrime - spoken on the
Corda River The Corda River is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil. See also *List of rivers of Maranhão List of rivers in Maranhão (Brazilian State). The list is arranged by drainage basin from east to west, with respective tributaries ind ...
and
Alpercatas River The Alpercatas River is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Itapecuru River. Some of the headwaters of the river are protected by the Mirador State Park, created in 1980. See also *List of rivers of Mara ...
, especially in the village of Ponto. *Aponegicran / Apáñekra - language spoken at the sources of the
Corda River The Corda River is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil. See also *List of rivers of Maranhão List of rivers in Maranhão (Brazilian State). The list is arranged by drainage basin from east to west, with respective tributaries ind ...
. *Krenkatajé / Canella - extinct language once spoken in the village of Suridade on the
Alpercatas River The Alpercatas River is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Itapecuru River. Some of the headwaters of the river are protected by the Mirador State Park, created in 1980. See also *List of rivers of Mara ...
. *Sakamekran / Chacamecran / Mateiros - spoken on the Codo River and Flores River. *Purekamekran - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the Grajaú River. *Makamekran / Pepuxi - once spoken on the Manuel Alves Pequeno River. *Kenpokatajé - once spoken between the
Manuel Alves Grande River The Manuel Alves Grande River is a river of Maranhão and Tocantins states in northeastern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Tocantins River. See also *List of rivers of Maranhão *List of rivers of Tocantins List of rivers in Tocantins (Brazil ...
and Manuel Alves Pequeno River. (Unattested.) *Kanakateyé - once spoken on the
Farinha River The Farinha River is a river of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil. See also *List of rivers of Maranhão List of rivers in Maranhão (Brazilian State). The list is arranged by drainage basin from east to west, with respective tributaries ...
, Maranhão. (Unattested.) *Apinagé - language spoken between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
and Araguaia River, near their confluence. *Karaho / Carauau - once spoken in the Serra do Estrondo, Goiás state. *Menren / Gavioes / Augutjé - spoken between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
and Surubiu River in the state of Pará. (Only a few words.) *Meitajé - spoken by a few individuals northeast of Itupiranga, Maranhão state. *Norokwajé / Nurukwayé - spoken south of the Apinagé tribe on the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
, but perhaps extinct now. (Unattested.) ;Krao group *Krahó / Krao - language spoken between the
Macapá Macapá () is a city in Brazil with a population of 512,902 (2020 estimation). It is the capital of Amapá state in the country's North Region. It is located on the northern channel of the Amazon River near its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. The c ...
River and Balsas River and the Serra das Alpercatas, Maranhão state. *Krikati / Krikatajé - spoken between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
and Grajaú River to the sources of the
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 ...
, Maranhão. *Piokobjé / Bncobu / Pukobje - spoken at the sources of the Grajaú River. *Kapiekran - once spoken on the Balsas River, Maranhão. ;Kayapó group *Kayapó / Ibirayára - originally in the interior of the state of Goiás, now between the Araguaia River and
Tapajós River The Tapajós ( pt, Rio Tapajós ) is a river in Brazil. It runs through the Amazon Rainforest and is a major tributary of the Amazon River. When combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajós is approximately long. It is one of the largest cle ...
, state of Pará. Dialects: **Iraamráire / Meibenokre / Mekubengokrä / Cayapó do Rio Pau d'Arco - spoken on the Arrais River and Pau d'Arco River, state of Pará; now probably extinct. **Gorotiré / Cayapó do Xingu - spoken as a dialect of Cayapó between the
Xingu River The Xingu River ( ; pt, Rio Xingu, ; Mẽbêngôkre: ''Byti'', ) is a river in north Brazil. It is a southeast tributary of the Amazon River and one of the largest clearwater rivers in the Amazon basin, accounting for about 5% of its water. ...
and Pau d'Arco River. **Chikrí / Xicri - spoken between the Macaxeira River and Pardo River, south of the Itacaiunas River, Pará. **Kuben-Kran-Keñ - spoken on the Ambé River near
Altamira, Pará Altamira is one of one hundred and forty-four municipalities in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil. It has an area of , making it the largest municipality by area both in Pará state and Brazil, and until 2009 it was the world's largest muni ...
. **Dzyoré - spoken at the sources of the Cuxura River, Pará. (Unattested.) **Purucaru - spoken between the
Fresco River The Fresco River is a river of Pará state in north-central Brazil. It is a right tributary of Xingu River, which it joins at São Félix do Xingu. The Fresco River is a blackwater river. Its basin is in the Xingu–Tocantins–Araguaia moist fo ...
and the sources of the Itacaiunas River. (Unattested.) **Metotíre / Chukahamai - spoken by a few individuals on the
Culuene River The Culuene River, or Kuluene River is a 600 km tributary of Xingu River in Mato Grosso, a state in western Brazil. The main economic activities in the region are agriculture and cattle farming. It joins the Xingu from the southeast in the X ...
near the falls of
Von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD ...
and on the Jarina River, state of Mato Grosso. **Kruatire - spoken on the right bank of the Liberdade River, Pará. (Unattested.) **Krinkatíre - spoken by an unknown tribe in the state of Mato Grosso. (Unattested.) **Kren-Akárore - spoken by an unknown tribe, Mato Grosso. (Unattested.) **Mek-kran-noty - spoken on the
Iriri River The Iriri River ( pt, Rio Iriri, ; Mẽbêngôkre: ''Kororoti'', ) is a large tributary of the Xingu River in Brazil, in the state of Pará. It is long making it the 116th longest river in the world (with Krishna River, India) and the 15th long ...
, Pará state. (Unattested.) **Kradahó / Gradaú - once spoken between the Araguaia River and
Sororó River The Sororó River ( pt, Rio Sororó) is a river in the state of Pará, Brazil. It is a left tributary of the Itacaiúnas River. Tributaries of the Sororó River drain the Serra das Andorinhas within the Serra dos Martírios/Andorinhas State Par ...
, Pará, now perhaps extinct. **Ushikrin - extinct dialect once spoken on the Vermelho River south of the Carajá tribe, state of Goiás. ;Central group *Southern Cayapó - incorrect name of a language the original name of which is unknown; originally spoken in the southern areas of the state of Mato Grosso on the Turvo River,
Corumbá River The Corumbá River (''Rio Corumbá'' in Portuguese) is the most important river in the Central Plateau region of Brazil. Its source is in the Montes de Pireneus, near Pirenópolis, state of Goiás, near the boundary with the Federal District and ...
,
Meia Ponte River The Meia Ponte River (Portuguese, ''Rio Meia Ponte'') is one of the most important rivers in the state of Goiás, Brazil. Its source lies 60 km north of the city of Goiânia and it flows through that city in a southern direction joining the P ...
,
Tijuco River The Tijuco River ( Portuguese, ''Rio Tijuco'') is a river of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Paranaíba River, which it joins in the reservoir created by São Simão Dam. See also * Tributaries of the Río de ...
,
das Velhas River The das Velhas River ( pt, Rio das Velhas), is by length the major tributary of the basin of the São Francisco river. Its water flows into that river at a place called Barra do Guaicuí, in the municipality of Várzea da Palma, Minas Gerais. The ...
, Pardo River,
Sucuriú River The Sucuriú River (Portuguese, ''Rio Sucuriú'') is a river of Mato Grosso do Sul state in southwestern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Paraná River, which it joins just upriver of Eng Souza Dias (Jupiá) Dam.Aporé River The Aporé River (Portuguese, ''Rio Aporé'', also called ''Rio do Peixe'') is a river forming the border between Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul states in central Brazil. It is a tributary of the Paranaíba River The Paranaíba River is a Brazil ...
,
Verde River The Verde River (Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona. Description The ri ...
, and
Taquari River The Taquari River ( pt, Rio Taquari) is a river in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil. It is a left tributary of the Paraguay River. The town of Coxim is situated on the Taquari. The Taquari River is considered the most de ...
. Later found in the old mission of Santa Ana de Paranaíba and now spoken by only a few families in a village on the confluence of the Grande River and
Paraná River The Paraná River ( es, Río Paraná, links=no , pt, Rio Paraná, gn, Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Br ...
, state of São Paulo. The following extinct languages may have been related: **Panariá - extinct language spoken once near
Uberaba Uberaba () is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at above sea level on the Uberaba River, and away from the state capital, Belo Horizonte. The city status was granted in 1856, and i ...
, state of Minas Gerais. **Mandimbóia - state of Minas Gerais on the
Verde River The Verde River (Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona. Description The ri ...
and Sapucai-Guasú River. **Candindé - once spoken in the
Itapecerica Itapecerica (, ) is a municipality located in the center of the states of Brazil, Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The population is 21,761 (2020 est.) in an area of 1041 km². The city belongs to the meso-region of Oeste de Minas and to the ...
Valley near
Divinópolis Divinópolis is a municipality in the centre-west of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The estimated population in 2020 was 240,408 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is 709 km2 and the elevation is 712 metres. It is 120 km from s ...
, Minas Gerais. **Bocoani - once spoken between the Turvo River and Preto River, Minas Gerais. **Morupak / Mirapác - once spoken between the Sapucai-Guasú River and Jaguari River, state of Minas Gerais. **Katágua - once spoken on the Jequiriçá River, Minas Gerais. **Puxiauá - language of the neighbors of the Katágua tribe. **Teremembe - once spoken on the
Paraopeba River The Paraopeba River is a river in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the Tupi language "Para" means "great river or sea," and "peba" means "flat," together meaning "flat river". The source of the river is situated south of the municipality of ...
,
Paranaíba River The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains, municipality of Rio Paranaíba, at an altitude of 1,148 meters; on the other face of this mountain chain are the sources of t ...
, Grande River, and Sapucai-Guasú River, Minas Gerais. **Araxó - once spoken in the vicinity of the modern city of Araxá, Minas Gerais. **Araxué - once spoken between the Serra Canastra and Mata de Corda. **Carayá - unknown language spoken by a tribe from the northern area of the
Paraíba do Sul River Paraíba ( Tupi: ''pa'ra a'íba''; ) is a state of Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and it is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Paraíba ...
, Minas Gerais. ;Western *Suyá - language spoken by a tribe that once lived at the mouth of the Suia-Missu River on the
Xingu River The Xingu River ( ; pt, Rio Xingu, ; Mẽbêngôkre: ''Byti'', ) is a river in north Brazil. It is a southeast tributary of the Amazon River and one of the largest clearwater rivers in the Amazon basin, accounting for about 5% of its water. ...
; now in an unexplored area to the north. ;Eastern *Goyá - extinct language once spoken at the sources of the Vermelho River, Goiás state. (Unattested.) *Xavante / Akwẽ / Akuän / Kayamó - spoken in the state of Mato Grosso in the
Serra do Roncador Serra (Latin for " saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil * Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Amp ...
and between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
and Araguaia River in the Serra dos Chavantes. *Xerente - spoken between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
, Sono River and Urucuaí River in the interior of the state of Goiás *Xaraó - extinct language once spoken in the village of Pedro Afonso on the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
. (Unattested.) *Xakriabá / Chicriabá - extinct language once spoken in the state of Goiás between the
Palma River The Palma River is a river of Tocantins state in central Brazil. See also * List of rivers of Tocantins List of rivers in Tocantins (Brazilian State). The list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each lar ...
and
Corumbá River The Corumbá River (''Rio Corumbá'' in Portuguese) is the most important river in the Central Plateau region of Brazil. Its source is in the Montes de Pireneus, near Pirenópolis, state of Goiás, near the boundary with the Federal District and ...
. *Acroá / Coroá - extinct language once spoken at the sources 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 ...
and
Paranaíba River The Paranaíba River is a Brazilian river whose source lies in the state of Minas Gerais in the Mata da Corda mountains, municipality of Rio Paranaíba, at an altitude of 1,148 meters; on the other face of this mountain chain are the sources of t ...
, state of Bahia. *Aricobé / Abroa - once spoken on the Preto River and in the Serra das Figuras, state of Bahia. Several families have been reported in this location. (Unattested.) *Takacuá - extinct language once spoken on the middle course of the Sono River, state of Goiás. (Unattested.) *Guaiba - once spoken on Guaiba Island in the
São Francisco River The São Francisco River (, ) is a large river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and t ...
near the city of
São Romão São Romão is a Brazilian municipality located in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. In 2020 the population was 12,529 in a total area of 2,432 km². It became a municipality in 1943. History Guaiba, an extinct Jê language, was on ...
, state of Minas Gerais. (Unattested.) *Krixá - once spoken in the São Marcos valley between the Urucuia River and
Paracatu River The Paracatu River ( pt, Rio Paracatu) is located mainly in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. It is the longest tributary of the São Francisco, draining a basin of about 45,000 km², including 21 municipalities and the Federal District. ...
in the state of Minas Gerais. (Unattested.) *Goguez / Guegué - once spoken between the
Tocantins River The Tocantins River ( pt, Rio Tocantins, link=no , , Parkatêjê: ''Pyti'' ɨˈti is a river in Brazil, the central fluvial artery of the country. In the Tupi language, its name means " toucan's beak" (''Tukã'' for "toucan" and ''Ti'' for "beak ...
and
Gurguéia River The Gurguéia River is a river in Piauí state of northeastern Brazil. The Gurguéia is a tributary of the Parnaíba River, which originates in the Chapada das Mangabeiras in the southern portion of the state, and flows north to join the Parnaíb ...
in the state of Piauí. (Unattested.) ;Jeicó group *Jaicó / Zyeikó - extinct language once spoken on the Canindé River,
Gurguéia River The Gurguéia River is a river in Piauí state of northeastern Brazil. The Gurguéia is a tributary of the Parnaíba River, which originates in the Chapada das Mangabeiras in the southern portion of the state, and flows north to join the Parnaíb ...
, and
Piauí River Piauí River may refer to: *Piauí River (Piauí) The Piauí River is a river of Piauí state in northeastern Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both Sout ...
, state of Piauí *Eastern Timbirá - once spoken in the state of Piauí between the Itaim 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.) *Arua - once spoken in Piauí state between the Itaim River and Jaguaribe River. (Unattested.) *Ponti - once spoken on an island in the
São Francisco River The São Francisco River (, ) is a large river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and t ...
near the city of Quebrobó (
Cabrobó Cabrobó is a city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, 536 km away from the state's capital, Recife. The city is located just to the north of a section of the São Francisco River that contains many archipelagos. History The Truká peop ...
), Pernambuco state; Portuguese is now spoken. (Unattested.)


Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.


Proto-language


Nikulin (2020)

Proto-Jê reconstructions by Nikulin (2020): : For a more complete list of Proto-Jê reconstructions, as well as Proto-Southern Jê reconstructions, see the corresponding Portuguese article.


Ribeiro & van der Voort (2010)

Proto-Jê reconstructions by Ribeiro and van der Voort (2010): :


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Je Languages Nuclear Macro-Jê languages Languages of Brazil Indigenous languages of South America (Central)