The Trans-
Tocantins languages are a proposed subgroup of the
Northern Jê languages
The Northern Jê or Core Jê languages ( Portuguese: ''Jê Setentrionais'') are a branch of the Jê languages constituted by the Timbira dialect continuum (which includes Canela, Krahô, Pykobjê, Krikati, Parkatêjê, and Kỳikatêjê) a ...
, which comprises four languages spoken to the west of the
Tocantins River:
Apinajé,
Mẽbêngôkre,
Kĩsêdjê, and
Tapayúna.
It is subdivided in a binary manner into
Apinajé, spoken to the east of the
Araguaia River
The Araguaia River ( pt, Rio Araguaia , Karajá: ♂ ''Berohokỹ'' eɾohoˈkə̃ ♀ ''Bèrakuhukỹ'' ɛɾakuhuˈkə̃ is one of the major rivers of Brazil though it is almost equal in volume at its confluence with the Tocantins. It has a total ...
, and the
Trans-Araguaia subbranch, which includes the remaining three languages. Together with the
Timbira dialect continuum, the Trans-Tocantins languages make up the
Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
branch of the
Jê family.
The defining innovations of the Trans-Tocantins languages include the replacement of
Proto-Goyaz Jê and
Proto-Northern Jê ''*a-mbə'' ‘eat ''(intransitive)''’ (as preserved in
Canela/
Krahô/
Parkatêjê ''apà'',
Pykobjê ''aapỳ'',
Panará ''-ânpâ'') with Proto-Trans-Tocantins ''*ap-ku'' (>
Apinajé ''apku'',
Mẽbêngôkre ''aku'',
Kĩsêdjê/
Tapayúna ''akhu'').
as well as the fortition of
Proto-Northern Jê ''*j'' to ''*ĵ'' in unstressed syllables (except if preceded by the low vowel ''*a''), as shown below.
References
Jê languages
Languages of Brazil
{{Macro-Jê-lang-stub