Classification schemes for indigenous languages of the Americas
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This is a list of different language classification proposals developed for the indigenous languages of the Americas. The article is divided into North, Central, and South America sections; however, the classifications do not correspond to these divisions.


North America


''Glottolog'' 4.1 (2019)

''
Glottolog ''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for ...
'' 4.1 (2019) recognizes 42 independent families and 31 isolates in North America (73 total). The vast majority are (or were) spoken in the United States, with 26 families and 26 isolates (52 total). ;North American languages families proposed in ''
Glottolog ''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for ...
'' 4.1 ;Families (42) # Otomanguean (180) #
Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
(78) #
Uto-Aztecan Uto-Aztecan, Uto-Aztekan or (rarely in English) Uto-Nahuatl is a family of indigenous languages of the Americas, consisting of over thirty languages. Uto-Aztecan languages are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. The na ...
(69) # Algic (46) # Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit (45) # Mayan (33) # Chibchan (27) # Salishan (25) # Mixe-Zoque (19) # Siouan (18) # Eskimo–Aleut (12) #
Totonacan The Totonacan languages (also known as Totonac–Tepehua languages) are a Language families, family of closely related languages spoken by approximately 290,000 Totonac (approx. 280,000) and Tepehua people, Tepehua (approx. 10,000) people in the ...
(12) # Cochimi-Yuman (11) # Iroquoian (11) # Miwok-Costanoan (11) # Kiowa-Tanoan (8) # Muskogean (7) #
Pomoan The Pomoan, or Pomo , languages are a small family of seven languages indigenous to northern California spoken by the Pomo people, whose ancestors lived in the valley of the Russian River and the Clear Lake basin. Four languages are extinct, an ...
(7) #
Chumashan Chumashan was a family of languages that were spoken on the southern California coast by Native American Chumash people, from the Coastal plains and valleys of San Luis Obispo to Malibu, neighboring inland and Transverse Ranges valleys and ca ...
(6) #
Wakashan Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia around and on Vancouver Island, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington (state), Washington state, on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As is ...
(6) #
Caddoan The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of sp ...
(5) # Misumalpan (5) #
Sahaptian Sahaptian (also Sahaptianic, Sahaptin, Shahaptian) is a two-language branch of the Plateau Penutian family spoken by Native Americans in the United States, Native American peoples in the Columbia Plateau region of Washington (state), Washington, ...
(5) # Xincan (5) # Chinookan (4) # Huavean (4) # Maiduan (4) #
Yokutsan Yokuts, formerly known as Mariposa, is an endangered language spoken in the interior of Northern and Central California in and around the San Joaquin Valley by the Yokuts people. The speakers of Yokuts were severely affected by disease, mission ...
(4) #
Kalapuyan Kalapuyan (also Kalapuya) is a small extinct language family that was spoken in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon, United States. It consists of three languages. The Kalapuya language is currently in a state of revival. Kalapuyan descenda ...
(3) # Shastan (3) #
Tequistlatecan Tequistlatec, also called Chontal, are three close but distinct languages spoken or once spoken by the Chontal people of Oaxaca State, Mexico. Chontal was spoken by 6,000 or so people in 2020. Languages * Huamelultec (Lowland Oaxaca Chontal), ...
(3) # Tsimshian (3) #
Chimakuan The Chimakuan languages are a group of extinct languages that were spoken in northwestern Washington state, United States, on the Olympic Peninsula. They were spoken by Chimakum, Quileute and Hoh tribes. They are part of the Mosan sprachbund, a ...
(2) #
Coosan Coosan () is a townland and suburb just north of Athlone, County Westmeath in Ireland. The suburb is surrounded on three sides by Lough Ree and on one side by Athlone. Coosan attracts tourists over the summer months due to its location on the ...
(2) #
Haida Haida may refer to: Places * Haida, an old name for Nový Bor * Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands * Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia Ships * , a 1 ...
(2) # Jicaquean (2) # Keresan (2) # Lencan (2) #
Palaihnihan Palaihnihan (also Palaihnih) is a language family of northeastern California. It consists of two closely related languages, both now extinct: # Atsugewi ''(†)'' # Achumawi ''(†)'' (ís siwa wó disi, also known as Achomawi, Pit River Indian ...
(2) # Tarascan (2) #
Wintuan The Wintun are members of several related Native American peoples of Northern California, including the Wintu (northern), Nomlaki (central), and Patwin (southern).Pritzker, 152Yuki-Wappo (2) ;Isolates (31) # Adai # Alsea-Yaquina #
Atakapa The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct band ...
# Beothuk #
Cayuse Cayuse may refer to: *Cayuse people, a people native to Oregon, United States *Cayuse language, an extinct language of the Cayuse people *Cayuse, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the United States *Cayuse horse, an archaic term for a feral or ...
# Chimariko # Chitimacha #
Coahuilteco Coahuilteco was one of the Pakawan languages that was spoken in southern Texas (United States) and northeastern Coahuila (Mexico). It is now extinct. Classification Coahuilteco was grouped in an eponymous Coahuiltecan family by John Wesley Po ...
# Comecrudan #
Cotoname Cotoname was a Pakawan language spoken by Native Americans indigenous to the lower Rio Grande Valley of northeastern Mexico and extreme southern Texas (United States). Today it is extinct. Vocabulary The following vocabulary list of Cotoname ...
# Cuitlatec #
Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Californi ...
# Guaicurian # Karankawa #
Karok The Karuk people are an indigenous people of California, and the Karuk Tribe is one of the largest tribes in California. Karuks are also enrolled in two other federally recognized tribes, the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Ran ...
# Klamath-Modoc # Kutenai # Maratino # Molale # Natchez #
Salinan The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition f ...
#
Seri Seri or SERI may refer to: People *Jean Michaël Seri, an Ivorian professional footballer Places *Seri Yek-e Zarruk, Iran *Seri, Bheri, Nepal *Seri, Karnali, Nepal *Seri, Mahakali, Nepal *Seri, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Oth ...
# Siuslaw # Takelma # Timucua # Tonkawa # Tunica # Washo #
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
# Yuchi # Zuni


Gallatin (1836)

An early attempt at North American language classification was attempted by A. A. Albert Gallatin published in 1826, 1836, and 1848. Gallatin's classifications are missing several languages which are later recorded in the classifications by
Daniel G. Brinton Daniel Garrison Brinton (May 13, 1837July 31, 1899) was an American surgeon, historian, archaeologist and ethnologist. Biography Brinton was born in Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Yale University in 1858, ...
and John Wesley Powell. (Gallatin supported the assimilation of indigenous peoples to Euro-American culture.) : (Current terminology is indicated parenthetically in ''italics''.) Families # Algonkin-Lenape '' (= Algonquian)'' # Athapascas '' (=
Athabaskan Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific C ...
)'' # Catawban '' (= Catawba +  Woccons)'' # Eskimaux '' (= Eskimoan)'' # Iroquois '' (= Northern Iroquoian)'' # Cherokees '' (= Southern Iroquoian)'' # Muskogee '' (= Eastern Muskogean)'' # Chahtas '' (= Western Muskogean)'' # Sioux '' (= Siouan)'' Languages


Gallatin (1848)

Families # Algonquian languages # Athabaskan languages # Catawban languages #
Eskimoan languages The Eskaleut (), Eskimo–Aleut or Inuit–Yupik–Unangan languages are a language family native to the northern portions of the North American continent and a small part of northeastern Asia. Languages in the family are indigenous to parts of w ...
# Iroquoian languages (Northern) # Iroquoian languages (Southern) # Muskogean languages #
Siouan languages Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the entire ...
Languages


Powell's (1892) "Fifty-eight"

John Wesley Powell, an explorer who served as director of the
Bureau of American Ethnology The Bureau of American Ethnology (or BAE, originally, Bureau of Ethnology) was established in 1879 by an act of Congress for the purpose of transferring archives, records and materials relating to the Indians of North America from the Interior D ...
, published a classification of 58 "
stocks Stocks are feet restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation. The use of stocks is seen as early as Ancient Greece, where they are described as being in use in Solon's law code. The law describing ...
" that is the "cornerstone" of genetic classifications in North America. Powell's classification was influenced by Gallatin to a large extent. John Wesley Powell was in a race with
Daniel G. Brinton Daniel Garrison Brinton (May 13, 1837July 31, 1899) was an American surgeon, historian, archaeologist and ethnologist. Biography Brinton was born in Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Yale University in 1858, ...
to publish the first comprehensive classification of North America languages (although Brinton's classification also covered South and Central America). As a result of this competition, Brinton was not allowed access to the linguistic data collected by Powell's fieldworkers. : ''(More current names are indicated parenthetically.)''


Rivet (1924)

Paul Rivet (1924) lists a total of 46 independent language families in North and Central America. Olive and Janambre are extinct languages of Tamaulipas, Mexico. ;North American families # Algonkin #'' Beothuk'' #
Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Siberian Yupik, Yuit) of eastern Si ...
# Hoka # Iroquois (Irokwa) #'' Kaddo'' #'' Keres'' #'' Kiowa'' #''
Klamath Klamath may refer to: Ethnic groups *Klamath people, a Native American people of California and Oregon **Klamath Tribes, a federally recognized group of tribes in Oregon *Klamath language, spoken by the Klamath people Places in the United States * ...
'' #'' Kutenai'' # Muskhogi # Na-Dene # Penutia # Sahaptin #
Salish Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...
# Siou (Syu) # Tano #'' Timukua'' #''
Chimakum The Chimakum, also spelled Chemakum and Chimacum are a near extinct Native American people (known to themselves as Aqokúlo and sometimes called the Port Townsend Indians), who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula in Washin ...
'' #'' Tunika'' # Uto-Azten #''
Waiilatpu Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located just west of Walla Walla, Washington, at the site of the former Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. On November 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa ...
'' # Wakash #'' Yuki'' #'' Yuchi'' #'' Zuñi'' ;Central American families #'' Amusgo'' #'' Kuikatec'' #'' Kuitlatek'' # Lenka # Maya # Miskito-Sumo-Matagalpa # Mixe-Zoke # Mixtek #''
Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
'' # Otomi #'' Paya'' #''
Subtiaba Subtiaba is an extinct Oto-Manguean language which was spoken on the Pacific slope of Nicaragua, especially in the Subtiaba district of León. Edward Sapir established a connection between Subtiaba and Tlapanec. When Lehmann wrote about it in 1 ...
'' #'' Tarask (Michoacano)'' # Totonak # Chinantek #'' Waїkuri'' #'' Xanambre (Janambre)'' # Xikake (Jicaque) # Xinka (Jinca, Sinca) # Zapotek


Sapir (1929): ''Encyclopædia Britannica''

Below is Edward Sapir's (1929) famous '' Encyclopædia Britannica'' classification. Note that Sapir's classification was controversial at the time and it additionally was an original proposal (unusual for general encyclopedias). Sapir was part of a " lumper" movement in Native American language classification. Sapir himself writes of his classification: "A more far-reaching scheme than Powell's
891 classification Year 891 ( DCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 21 – Guy III, duke of Spoleto, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Ste ...
suggestive but not demonstrable in all its features at the present time" (Sapir 1929: 139). Sapir's classifies all the languages in North America into only 6 families: Eskimo–Aleut, Algonkin–Wakashan,
Nadene Na-Dene (; also Nadene, Na-Dené, Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit, Tlina–Dene) is a family of Native American languages that includes at least the Athabaskan languages, Eyak, and Tlingit languages. Haida was formerly included, but is now considered ...
,
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
,
Hokan The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families that were spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California. Etymology The name ''Hokan'' is loosely based on the word for "two" in the various Hokan ...
– Siouan, and Aztec–Tanoan. Sapir's classification (or something derivative) is still commonly used in general languages-of-the-world type surveys. (Note that the question marks that appear in Sapir's list below are present in the original article.) : "Proposed Classification of American Indian Languages North of Mexico (and Certain Languages of Mexico and Central America)"


Voegelin & Voegelin (1965): The "Consensus" of 1964

The Voegelin & Voegelin (1965) classification was the result of a conference of Americanist linguists held at Indiana University in 1964. This classification identifies 16 main genetic units.
Chumashan Chumashan was a family of languages that were spoken on the southern California coast by Native American Chumash people, from the Coastal plains and valleys of San Luis Obispo to Malibu, neighboring inland and Transverse Ranges valleys and ca ...
, Comecrudan, and Coahuiltecan are included in Hokan with "reservations".
Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Californi ...
is included in
Hokan The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families that were spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California. Etymology The name ''Hokan'' is loosely based on the word for "two" in the various Hokan ...
with "strong reservations". Tsimshian and Zuni are included in
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
with reservations.


Campbell & Mithun (1979): The "Black Book"

Campbell & Mithun's 1979 classification is more conservative, since it insists on more rigorous demonstration of genetic relationship before grouping. Thus, many of the speculative phyla of previous authors are "split".


Goddard (1996), Campbell (1997), Mithun (1999)

(preliminary) Families # Algic ## Algonquian ##
Wiyot The Wiyot ( Wiyot: Wíyot, Chetco-Tolowa: Wee-’at xee-she or Wee-yan’ Xee-she’, Euchre Creek Tututni: Wii-yat-dv-ne - "Mad River People“, Yurok: Weyet) are an indigenous people of California living near Humboldt Bay, California and a s ...
(>
Ritwan The Algic languages (also Algonquian–Wiyot–Yurok or Algonquian–Ritwan) are an indigenous language family of North America. Most Algic languages belong to the Algonquian subfamily, dispersed over a broad area from the Rocky Mountains to ...
?) ## Yurok (>
Ritwan The Algic languages (also Algonquian–Wiyot–Yurok or Algonquian–Ritwan) are an indigenous language family of North America. Most Algic languages belong to the Algonquian subfamily, dispersed over a broad area from the Rocky Mountains to ...
?) # Na-Dene ## Eyak-Athabaskan ###
Eyak The Eyak ( Eyak: ʔi·ya·ɢdəlahɢəyu·, literally "inhabitants of Eyak Village at Mile 6"Krauss, Michael E. 1970. ''Eyak dictionary''. University of Alaska and Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1963-1970) are a Native American indigenous ...
###
Athabaskan Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific C ...
## Tlingit #
Caddoan The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of sp ...
(>
Macro-Siouan The Macro-Siouan languages are a proposed language family that would include the Siouan languages, Siouan, Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian, and Caddoan languages, Caddoan families. Most linguists remain unconvinced that these languages share a gen ...
?) #
Chimakuan The Chimakuan languages are a group of extinct languages that were spoken in northwestern Washington state, United States, on the Olympic Peninsula. They were spoken by Chimakum, Quileute and Hoh tribes. They are part of the Mosan sprachbund, a ...
# Chinookan (>
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
?) #
Chumashan Chumashan was a family of languages that were spoken on the southern California coast by Native American Chumash people, from the Coastal plains and valleys of San Luis Obispo to Malibu, neighboring inland and Transverse Ranges valleys and ca ...
húmash# Comecrudan #
Coosan Coosan () is a townland and suburb just north of Athlone, County Westmeath in Ireland. The suburb is surrounded on three sides by Lough Ree and on one side by Athlone. Coosan attracts tourists over the summer months due to its location on the ...
us(> Coast Penutian?) # Eskimo–Aleut ## Eskimoan ## Aleut = Unangan # Iroquoian #
Kalapuyan Kalapuyan (also Kalapuya) is a small extinct language family that was spoken in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon, United States. It consists of three languages. The Kalapuya language is currently in a state of revival. Kalapuyan descenda ...
alapúyan#
Kiowa–Tanoan Tanoan , also Kiowa–Tanoan or Tanoan–Kiowa, is a family of languages spoken by indigenous peoples in present-day New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most of the languages – Tiwa (Taos, Picuris, Southern Tiwa), Tewa, and Towa – a ...
# Maiduan # Muskogean #
Palaihnihan Palaihnihan (also Palaihnih) is a language family of northeastern California. It consists of two closely related languages, both now extinct: # Atsugewi ''(†)'' # Achumawi ''(†)'' (ís siwa wó disi, also known as Achomawi, Pit River Indian ...
(Achumawi–Atsugewi) #
Pomoan The Pomoan, or Pomo , languages are a small family of seven languages indigenous to northern California spoken by the Pomo people, whose ancestors lived in the valley of the Russian River and the Clear Lake basin. Four languages are extinct, an ...
#
Sahaptian Sahaptian (also Sahaptianic, Sahaptin, Shahaptian) is a two-language branch of the Plateau Penutian family spoken by Native Americans in the United States, Native American peoples in the Columbia Plateau region of Washington (state), Washington, ...
# Salishan # Shastan # Siouan–Catawban ## Siouan ##
Catawban The Catawban, or Eastern Siouan, languages form a small language family in east North America. The Catawban family is a branch of the larger Siouan a.k.a. Siouan–Catawban family. Family division The Catawban family consists of two languages: ...
#
Tsimshianic The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in Southeast Alaska on Annette Island and Ketchikan. All Tsimshianic languages are endangered, some with only around 400 speakers. Only around 2,170 ...
# Utian ## Miwok ##
Costanoan The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...
# Utaztecan ## Numic = Plateau ##
Tübatulabal The Tübatulabal are an indigenous people of Kern River Valley in the Sierra Nevada range of California. They may have been the first people to make this area their permanent home. Today many of them are enrolled in the Tule River Indian Tribe. ...
= Kern ##
Takic The Takic languages are a putative group of Uto-Aztecan languages historically spoken by a number of Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous peoples of Southern California. Takic is grouped with the Tübatulabal language, Tubatulabal, Hopi la ...
= Southern California ##
Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...
= Pueblo ##
Tepiman Piman (or Tepiman) refers to a group of languages within the Uto-Aztecan family that are spoken by ethnic groups (including the Pima) spanning from Arizona in the north to Durango, Mexico in the south. The Piman languages are as follows (Cam ...
= Pimic ##
Taracahitic The Taracahitic languages (occasionally called Taracahita or Taracahitan) form a putative branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family of Mexico. The best known is Tarahumara. Languages *Tarahumaran :: Tarahumara :: Guarijío (Huarijio, Varihio) ...
## Tubar ##
Corachol Corachol (alternatively Coracholan, Cora-Huichol or Coran) is a grouping of languages within the Uto-Aztecan languages, Uto-Aztecan language family. The living members of Coracholan are the Huichol language, Huichol and Cora languages, spoken by c ...
## Aztecan #
Wakashan Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia around and on Vancouver Island, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington (state), Washington state, on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As is ...
## Kwakiutlan ## Nootkan #
Wintuan The Wintun are members of several related Native American peoples of Northern California, including the Wintu (northern), Nomlaki (central), and Patwin (southern).Pritzker, 152Coast Penutian?) #
Yokutsan Yokuts, formerly known as Mariposa, is an endangered language spoken in the interior of Northern and Central California in and around the San Joaquin Valley by the Yokuts people. The speakers of Yokuts were severely affected by disease, mission ...
# Yuman–Cochimi ## Yuman ## Cochimi Isolates # Adai # Alsea
lsi LSI may refer to: Science and technology * Large-scale integration, integrated circuits with tens of thousands of transistors * Latent semantic indexing, a technique in natural language processing * LSI-11, an early large-scale integration com ...
(> Coast Penutian?) #
Atakapa The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct band ...
(> Tunican?) # Beothuk (unclassifiable?) #
Cayuse Cayuse may refer to: *Cayuse people, a people native to Oregon, United States *Cayuse language, an extinct language of the Cayuse people *Cayuse, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the United States *Cayuse horse, an archaic term for a feral or ...
# Chimariko # Chitimacha (> Tunican?) #
Coahuilteco Coahuilteco was one of the Pakawan languages that was spoken in southern Texas (United States) and northeastern Coahuila (Mexico). It is now extinct. Classification Coahuilteco was grouped in an eponymous Coahuiltecan family by John Wesley Po ...
#
Cotoname Cotoname was a Pakawan language spoken by Native Americans indigenous to the lower Rio Grande Valley of northeastern Mexico and extreme southern Texas (United States). Today it is extinct. Vocabulary The following vocabulary list of Cotoname ...
= Carrizo de Camargo #
Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Californi ...
#
Haida Haida may refer to: Places * Haida, an old name for Nový Bor * Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands * Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia Ships * , a 1 ...
# Karankawa # Karuk # Keres # Klamath-Modoc # Kootenai #
Molala The Molala (also Molale, Molalla, Molele) are a people of the Plateau culture area in the Oregon Cascades and central Oregon, United States. They are one of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, with 141 of the 882 member ...
# Natchez #
Salinan The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition f ...
# Siuslaw (> Coast Penutian?) # Takelma # Timucua # Tonkawa # Tunica (> Tunican?) #
Wappo The Wappo (endonym: ''Micewal'') are an indigenous people of northern California. Their traditional homelands are in Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River valley. They are distantly related to the Yuki ...
(> Yuki–Wappo) # Washo #
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
# Yuchi (> Siouan) # Yuki (> Yuki–Wappo) # Zuni Stocks * Yuki–Wappo, supported by Elmendorf (1981, 1997) The unity of Penutian languages outside Mexico is considered probably by many linguists: *
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
#
Tsimshianic The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in Southeast Alaska on Annette Island and Ketchikan. All Tsimshianic languages are endangered, some with only around 400 speakers. Only around 2,170 ...
# Chinookan # Takelma # Kalapuya (not close to Takelma: Tarpent & Kendall 1998) # Maidun # Oregon Coast-Wintu (Whistler 1977, Golla 1997) ## Alsea ##
Coosan Coosan () is a townland and suburb just north of Athlone, County Westmeath in Ireland. The suburb is surrounded on three sides by Lough Ree and on one side by Athlone. Coosan attracts tourists over the summer months due to its location on the ...
## Siuslaw ##
Wintuan The Wintun are members of several related Native American peoples of Northern California, including the Wintu (northern), Nomlaki (central), and Patwin (southern).Pritzker, 152Plateau ##
Sahaptian Sahaptian (also Sahaptianic, Sahaptin, Shahaptian) is a two-language branch of the Plateau Penutian family spoken by Native Americans in the United States, Native American peoples in the Columbia Plateau region of Washington (state), Washington, ...
##
Klamath Klamath may refer to: Ethnic groups *Klamath people, a Native American people of California and Oregon **Klamath Tribes, a federally recognized group of tribes in Oregon *Klamath language, spoken by the Klamath people Places in the United States * ...
##
Molala The Molala (also Molale, Molalla, Molele) are a people of the Plateau culture area in the Oregon Cascades and central Oregon, United States. They are one of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, with 141 of the 882 member ...
##
Cayuse Cayuse may refer to: *Cayuse people, a people native to Oregon, United States *Cayuse language, an extinct language of the Cayuse people *Cayuse, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the United States *Cayuse horse, an archaic term for a feral or ...
? (poor data) # Yok-Utian ? ##
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
##
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
Siouan–Yuchi "probable";
Macro-Siouan The Macro-Siouan languages are a proposed language family that would include the Siouan languages, Siouan, Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian, and Caddoan languages, Caddoan families. Most linguists remain unconvinced that these languages share a gen ...
likely: *
Macro-Siouan The Macro-Siouan languages are a proposed language family that would include the Siouan languages, Siouan, Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian, and Caddoan languages, Caddoan families. Most linguists remain unconvinced that these languages share a gen ...
# Iroquoian–Caddoan ## Iroquoian ##
Caddoan The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of sp ...
# Siouan–Yuchi ## Siouan–Catawban ## Yuchi Natchez–Muskogean most likely of the Gulf hypothesis * Natchez–Muskogean # Natchez # Muskogean Hokan: most promising proposals *
Hokan The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families that were spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California. Etymology The name ''Hokan'' is loosely based on the word for "two" in the various Hokan ...
#
Karok The Karuk people are an indigenous people of California, and the Karuk Tribe is one of the largest tribes in California. Karuks are also enrolled in two other federally recognized tribes, the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Ran ...
# Chimariko # Shastan #
Palaihnihan Palaihnihan (also Palaihnih) is a language family of northeastern California. It consists of two closely related languages, both now extinct: # Atsugewi ''(†)'' # Achumawi ''(†)'' (ís siwa wó disi, also known as Achomawi, Pit River Indian ...
#
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
# Washo #
Pomoan The Pomoan, or Pomo , languages are a small family of seven languages indigenous to northern California spoken by the Pomo people, whose ancestors lived in the valley of the Russian River and the Clear Lake basin. Four languages are extinct, an ...
#
Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Californi ...
#
Salinan The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition f ...
# Yuman–Cochimi #
Seri Seri or SERI may refer to: People *Jean Michaël Seri, an Ivorian professional footballer Places *Seri Yek-e Zarruk, Iran *Seri, Bheri, Nepal *Seri, Karnali, Nepal *Seri, Mahakali, Nepal *Seri, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Oth ...
"Unlikely" to be Hokan: :
Chumashan Chumashan was a family of languages that were spoken on the southern California coast by Native American Chumash people, from the Coastal plains and valleys of San Luis Obispo to Malibu, neighboring inland and Transverse Ranges valleys and ca ...
: Tonkawa : Karankawa Subtiaba–Tlapanec is likely part of Otomanguean (Rensch 1977, Oltrogge 1977). Aztec–Tanoan is "undemonstrated"; Mosan is a
Sprachbund A sprachbund (, lit. "language federation"), also known as a linguistic area, area of linguistic convergence, or diffusion area, is a group of languages that share areal features resulting from geographical proximity and language contact. The lang ...
.


Mesoamerica

(Consensus conservative classification) Families *
Uto-Aztecan Uto-Aztecan, Uto-Aztekan or (rarely in English) Uto-Nahuatl is a family of indigenous languages of the Americas, consisting of over thirty languages. Uto-Aztecan languages are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. The na ...
(Other branches outside Mesoamerica. See North America) languages :#
Corachol Corachol (alternatively Coracholan, Cora-Huichol or Coran) is a grouping of languages within the Uto-Aztecan languages, Uto-Aztecan language family. The living members of Coracholan are the Huichol language, Huichol and Cora languages, spoken by c ...
(Cora–Huichol) :# Aztecan (Nahua–Pochutec) * Totonac–Tepehua * Otomanguean :# Otopamean :# Popolocan– Mazatecan :# Subtiaba–Tlapanec :#
Amuzgo The Amuzgos are an Indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous people of Mexico. They primarily live in a region along the Guerrero/Oaxaca border, chiefly in and around four municipalities: Xochistlahuaca, Tlacoachistlahuaca and Ometepec in Guerrero, ...
:# Mixtecan :# Chatino– Zapotec :# Chinantec :#
Chiapanec Chiapanec is a presumably extinct indigenous Mexican language of the Oto-Manguean language family. The 1990 census reported 17 speakers of the language in southern Chiapas out of an ethnic population of 32, but later investigations failed to find ...
– Mangue (extinct) *
Tequistlatec Tequistlatec was the Chontal language of Tequisistlán town, Oaxaca. Highland Oaxaca Chontal Highland Oaxaca Chontal, or Chontal de la Sierra de Oaxaca, is one of the Chontal languages of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is sometimes called ''Tequistlate ...
- Jicaque * Mixe–Zoque * Mayan * Misumalpan (Outside Mesoamerica proper. See South America) * Chibchan (Outside Mesoamerica proper. See South America) :# Paya Isolates *
Purépecha The Purépecha (endonym pua, P'urhepecha ) are a group of indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the pejorative "Tarascan ...
* Cuitlatec (extinct) * Huave * Xinca (extinct?) * Lenca (extinct) Proposed stocks *
Hokan The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families that were spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California. Etymology The name ''Hokan'' is loosely based on the word for "two" in the various Hokan ...
(see North America) :#
Tequistlatec Tequistlatec was the Chontal language of Tequisistlán town, Oaxaca. Highland Oaxaca Chontal Highland Oaxaca Chontal, or Chontal de la Sierra de Oaxaca, is one of the Chontal languages of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is sometimes called ''Tequistlate ...
- Jicaque * Macro-Mayan (
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
affiliation now considered doubtful.) :# Totonac–Tepehua :# Huave :# Mixe–Zoque :# Mayan * Macro-Chibchan :# Chibchan :# Misumalpan :# Paya (sometimes placed in Chibchan proper) :# Xinca :# Lenca


South America

Notable early classifications of classifications of indigenous South American language families include those by
Filippo Salvatore Gilii Filippo Salvatore Gilii (Spanish: Felipe Salvador Gilij) (1721–1789) was an Italian Jesuit priest who lived in the Province of Venezuela (in present day central Venezuela) on the Orinoco River. Gilii is a highly celebrated figure in early Sou ...
(1780–84),Gilij, Filippo Salvatore. 1965. ''Ensayo de historia Americana''. Spanish translation by
Antonio Tovar Antonio Tovar Llorente (17 May 1911 – 13 December 1985) was a Spanish philologist, linguist and historian. Biography Born in Valladolid, the son of a notary, he grew up in Elorrio (Vizcaya), Morella (Castellón) and Villena (Alicante) where as ...
. (Fuentes para la Historia Colonial de Venezuela, Volumes 71–73.) Caracas: Biblioteca de la Academia Nacional de la Historia. First published as Saggio di storia americana; o sia, storia naturale, civile e sacra de regni, e delle provincie spagnuole di Terra-Ferma nell’ America Meridionale descritto dall’ abate F. S. Gilij. Rome: Perigio
780–1784 78 may refer to: * 78 (number) * one of the years 78 BC, AD 78, 1978, 2078 In contemporary history, the third millennium of the anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 ( 21 ...
Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...
(1784–87),Hervás y Panduro, Lorenzo. 1784–87. ''Idea dell’universo: che contiene la storia della vita dell’uomo, elementi cosmografici, viaggio estatico al mondo planetario, e storia de la terra e delle lingue''. Cesena: Biasini.Hervás y Panduro, Lorenzo. 1800–1805. ''Catálogo de las lenguas de las naciones conocidas y numeracion, division, y clases de estas segun la diversidad de sus idiomas y dialectos'', Volume I (1800): ''Lenguas y naciones Americanas''. Madrid: Administracion del Real Arbitrio de Beneficencia.
Daniel Garrison Brinton Daniel Garrison Brinton (May 13, 1837July 31, 1899) was an American surgeon, historian, archaeologist and ethnologist. Biography Brinton was born in Thornbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Yale University in 1858, ...
(1891),Brinton, Daniel G. 1891. ''The American race''. New York: D. C. Hodges. Paul Rivet (1924),Rivet, Paul. 1924. Langues Américaines III: Langues de l’Amérique du Sud et des Antilles. In: Antoine Meillet and Marcel Cohen (ed.), ''Les Langues du Monde'', Volume 16, 639–712. Paris: Collection Linguistique. John Alden Mason (1950),Mason, J. Alden. 1950. The languages of South America. In: Julian Steward (ed.), ''Handbook of South American Indians'', Volume 6, 157–317. ( Smithsonian Institution,
Bureau of American Ethnology The Bureau of American Ethnology (or BAE, originally, Bureau of Ethnology) was established in 1879 by an act of Congress for the purpose of transferring archives, records and materials relating to the Indians of North America from the Interior D ...
Bulletin 143.) Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. and Čestmír Loukotka (1968). Other classifications include those of Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño (1940–45),Jijón y Caamaño, Jacinto. 1998. ''El Ecuador interandino y occidental antes de la conquista castellana''. Quito: Abya-Yala. First published Quito: Editorial Ecuatoriana
940–1945 94 may refer to: * 94 (number) * one of the years 94 BC, AD 94, 1994, 2094, etc. * Atomic number 94: plutonium * Saab 94 See also * * List of highways numbered A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: Peopl ...
Antonio Tovar Antonio Tovar Llorente (17 May 1911 – 13 December 1985) was a Spanish philologist, linguist and historian. Biography Born in Valladolid, the son of a notary, he grew up in Elorrio (Vizcaya), Morella (Castellón) and Villena (Alicante) where as ...
(1961; 1984),Tovar, Antonio. 1961. ''Catálogo de las lenguas de América del Sur: enumeración, con indicaciones tipológicas, bibliografía y mapas''. Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana.Tovar, Antonio and Consuelo Larrucea de Tovar. 1984. ''Catálogo de las lenguas de América del Sur''. Madrid: Gredos. and
Jorge A. Suárez Jorge Alberto Suárez (29 July 1927 – 24 February 1985) was an Argentinian linguist specializing in Mexican indigenous languages. He was born in Villa María in the province of Córdoba in Argentina, and was educated in Buenos Aires, first as ...
(1974).Suárez, Jorge. 1974. South American Indian languages. ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', 15th edition, Macropaedia 17. 105–112.


''Glottolog'' 4.1 (2019)

''
Glottolog ''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for ...
'' 4.1 (2019) recognizes 44 independent families and 64 isolates in South America. ;South American languages families proposed in ''
Glottolog ''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for ...
'' 4.1 ;Families (44) #
Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
(78) # Tupian (71) # Pano-Tacanan (45) #
Quechuan Quechua (, ; ), usually called ("people's language") in Quechuan languages, is an indigenous language family spoken by the Quechua peoples, primarily living in the Peruvian Andes. Derived from a common ancestral language, it is the most widely ...
(45) #
Cariban The Cariban languages are a Language family, family of languages indigenous to northeastern South America. They are widespread across northernmost South America, from the mouth of the Amazon River to the Colombian Andes, and they are also spoken ...
(42) # Mayan (33) # Nuclear-Macro-Je (30) # Chibchan (27) # Tucanoan (26) # Chapacuran (12) #
Chocoan The Choco languages (also Chocoan, Chocó, Chokó) are a small family of Native American languages spread across Colombia and Panama. Family division Choco consists of six known branches, all but two of which are extinct. *The Emberá langu ...
(9) # Huitotoan (7) #
Matacoan Matacoan (also ''Mataguayan, Matákoan, Mataguayo, Mataco–Mataguayo, Matacoano, Matacoana'') is a language family of northern Argentina, western Paraguay, and southeastern Bolivia. Family division Matacoan consists of four clusters of languag ...
(7) # Arawan (6) #
Barbacoan Barbacoan (also Barbakóan, Barbacoano, Barbacoana) is a language family spoken in Colombia and Ecuador. Genealogical relations The Barbacoan languages may be related to the Páez language. Barbacoan is often connected with the Paezan languages ...
(6) # Nambiquaran (6) #
Zaparoan Zaparoan (also Sáparoan, Záparo, Zaparoano, Zaparoana) is an endangered language family of Peru and Ecuador with fewer than 100 speakers. Zaparoan speakers seem to have been very numerous before the arrival of the Europeans. However, their grou ...
(6) #
Guahiboan Guajiboan (also Guahiban, Wahívoan, Guahiboan) is a language family spoken in the Orinoco River region in eastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela, a savanna region known as the Llanos. Family division Guajiboan consists of 5 languages: ...
(5) #
Guaicuruan Guaicuruan (Guaykuruan, Waikurúan, Guaycuruano, Guaikurú, Guaicuru, Guaycuruana) is a language family spoken in northern Argentina, western Paraguay, and Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul). The speakers of the languages are often collectively called ...
(5) # Lengua-Mascoy (5) # Yanomamic (5) #
Aymaran Aymaran (also Jaqi or Aru) is one of the two dominant language families in the central Andes alongside Quechua languages, Quechuan. The family consists of Aymara language, Aymara, widely spoken in Bolivia, and the endangered Jaqaru language, Jaqa ...
(4) # Chicham (4) # Chonan (4) # Jodi-Saliban (4) # Kamakanan (4) # Naduhup (4) # Bororoan (3) # Cahuapanan (3) # Charruan (3) # Kawesqar (3) # Peba-Yagua (3) #
Zamucoan Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco Department, Chaco) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz Department). The family has hardly been studied by linguists (as of Adelaar & Muysken 2 ...
(3) # Araucanian (2) # Boran (2) #
Harakmbut The Harakmbut (Arakmbut, Harakmbet) are indigenous people in Peru. They speak the Harakmbut language. An estimated 2,000 Harakmbut people live in the Madre de Dios Region near the Brazilian border in the Peruvian Amazon.
(2) # Hibito-Cholon (2) # Huarpean (2) # Kakua-Nukak (2) # Katukinan (2) # Otomaco-Taparita (2) # Puri-Coroado (2) # Ticuna-Yuri (2) # Uru-Chipaya (2) ;Isolates (64) # Aewa # Aikanã # Andaqui # Andoque # Arutani # Atacame # Betoi-Jirara # Camsá # Candoshi-Shapra #
Canichana Canichana, or Canesi, Joaquiniano, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia (department of Beni). In 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language had no L ...
#
Cayubaba Cayubaba (Cayuvava, Cayuwaba, Kayuvava) is a moribund language of the Bolivian Amazon. The Cayubaba people inhabit the Beni region to the west of the Mamoré River, North of the Santa Ana Yacuma, with a population of 794 inhabitants. Since ...
#
Chiquitano The Chiquitano or Chiquitos are an indigenous people of Bolivia, with a small number also living in Brazil. The Chiquitano primarily live in the Chiquitania tropical savanna of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, with a small number also living in Be ...
# Chono # Cofán # Culli # Fulniô # Guachi #
Guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as we ...
# Guató # Irántxe-Münkü #
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
# Jirajaran # Kanoê #
Kariri Kiriri people are indigenous peoples of Brazil, indigenous people of Eastern Brazil. Their name is also spelled Cariri or Kariri and is a Tupi language, Tupi word meaning "silent" or "tactiturn." History The French Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, ...
#
Kunza Kunza is an extinct language isolate once spoken in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and southern Peru by the Atacama people, Atacama people, who have since shifted to Spanish people, Spanish. The last speaker was documented in 1949. Other n ...
# Kwaza # Leco # Lule # Máku # Matanawí # Mato Grosso Arára #
Mochica The Moche civilization (; alternatively, the Mochica culture or the Early, Pre- or Proto-Chimú) flourished in northern Peru with its capital near present-day Moche, Trujillo, Peru from about 100 to 700 AD during the Regional Development Epoch. ...
# Mosetén-Chimané #
Movima Movima is a language that is spoken by about 1,400 (nearly half) of the Movima, a group of Native Americans that resides in the Llanos de Moxos region of the Bolivian Amazon, in northeastern Bolivia. It is considered a language isolate, as it h ...
# Muniche # Mure # Omurano # Oti # Páez # Pankararú # Payagua # Pirahã # Puelche #
Puinave Puinave, Waipunavi (Guaipunabi) or Wanse ( pui, Wãnsöhöt) is an indigenous language of Colombia and Venezuela. It is generally considered to be an unclassified language. Varieties Varieties listed by Mason (1950): *Puinave (Epined) **Weste ...
# Pumé #
Puquina Puquina (or Pukina) is a small, putative language family, often portrayed as a language isolate, which consists of the extinct Puquina language and Kallawaya, although it is assumed that the latter is just a remnant of the former mixed with Qu ...
# Ramanos # Sapé # Sechuran #
Tallán Tallán (or ''Tacllán'', after the use of the taclla, a farming tool) was a conglomerate of ethnic groups with a common origin that settled in the plains of north-western Peru, an ethnos with a matriarchal system. (Due to their possible kinship, ...
# Taruma # Taushiro # Timote-Cuica # Tinigua # Trumai # Tuxá #
Urarina The Urarina are an indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the valleys of the Chambira, Urituyacu, and Corrientes Rivers. According to both archaeological and historical sources, they have resided in the Chambira Basi ...
# Vilela # Waorani # Warao # Xukurú # Yámana # Yuracaré # Yurumanguí


Rivet (1924)

Paul Rivet (1924) lists 77 independent language families of South America.


Mason (1950)

Classification of South American languages by
J. Alden Mason John Alden Mason (January 14, 1885 – November 7, 1967) was an American archaeological anthropologist and linguist. Mason was born in Orland, Indiana, but grew up in Philadelphia's Germantown. He received his undergraduate degree from the Unive ...
(1950): ; Chibchan * Western ** Talamanca ** Barbacoa *** Pasto *** Cayapa- Colorado **
Guatuso Guatuso is a canton in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Toponymy It is named for the region's original inhabitants, an indigenous tribe whose survivors are now known as the Maleku and remain as residents of the area. History Guatuso was ...
** Cuna * Pacific ** Isthmian (Guaymí) ** Colombian * Inter-Andine ** Páez **
Coconuco Coconuco, also known as Guambiano and Misak, is a dialect cluster of Colombia spoken by the Guambiano indigenous people. Though the three varieties, Guambiano, moribund Totoró, and the extinct Coconuco are traditionally called languages, Adelaar ...
** Popayanense * Eastern ** Cundinamarca ** Arhuaco ** Central America ** ? Andakí (Andaquí) ** ? Betoi group ;Languages probably of Chibchan affinities *
Panzaleo Panzaleo (''Pansaleo, Quito, Latacunga'') is a poorly attested and unclassified indigenous American language that was spoken in the region of Quito until the 17th century. Attestation Much of the information on Panzaleo comes from toponyms of ...
* Cara, Caranki * Kijo (Quijo) * Misumalpan * Cofán (Kofane) ;Languages of doubtful Chibchan relationships * Coche (Mocoa) * Esmeralda * Tairona, Chimila * Yurumanguí *
Timote Timote is a settlement in Carlos Tejedor Partido, Carlos Tejedor ''Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido'', Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Location It is 18 km east from Carlos Tejedor, Buenos Aires, Carlos Tejedor, its accesses are over 68 an ...
*
Candoshi Candoshi-Shapra (also known as Candoshi, Candoxi, Kandoshi, and Murato) is an indigenous American language isolate, spoken by several thousand people in western South America along the Chapuli, Huitoyacu, Pastaza, and Morona river valleys. Ther ...
, Chirino, Murato * Cholón * Híbito * Copallén * Aconipa (Akonipa) ;Language families of central South America * Yunca-Puruhán ** Yunca **
Puruhá The Puruhá are an indigenous people of Ecuador. Their traditional area in the highlands of the Andes Mountains includes much of Chimborazo Province and parts of Bolívar Province. History In the early period they grew subsistence crops, rais ...
** Cañari (Canyari) ** Atalán ** Sec (Sechura, Tallán) * Kechumaran ** Quechua ** Aymara * Chiquitoan * Macro-Guaicuruan ** Mataco-Macá *** Mataco *** Macá (Enimagá, Cochaboth) ** Guaicurú (Waicurú) * Lule-Vilelan **
Tonocoté Lule is an indigenous language of northern Argentina. Lule may be extinct today. Campbell (1997) writes that in 1981 there was an unconfirmed report that Lule is still spoken by 5 families in Resistencia in east-central Chaco Province. It is ...
, Matará, Guacará ;
Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
* Chané,
Chaná Chana, chhana, or chaná may refer to : Food * Chickpea, known in South Asia as ''chana'' * Chhana, a type of curds from South Asia Places * Chana, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community * Chana District, Songkhla Province, ...
;Languages of probable Arawakan affinities * Arauá group * Apolista (Lapachu) * Amuesha * Tucuna (Tikuna) * Tarumá *
Tacana Tacana is a Western Tacanan language spoken by some 1,800 Tacana people in Bolivia out of an ethnic population of 5,000. They live in the forest along the Beni is a Japanese R&B singer, who debuted in 2004 under the Avex Trax label. In 2 ...
;Languages of possible Arawakan relationships * Tuyuneri *
Jirajara Jirajara is an extinct language of western Venezuela. Other than being part of the Jirajaran family, its classification is uncertain due to a lack of data. See Jirajaran languages The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spo ...
* Jívaro * Uru-Chipaya- Pukina ** Ochosuma ** Chango, Coast Uru ;
Cariban The Cariban languages are a Language family, family of languages indigenous to northeastern South America. They are widespread across northernmost South America, from the mouth of the Amazon River to the Colombian Andes, and they are also spoken ...
;Languages of probable Cariban affiliations * Chocó, Cariban of Colombia * Peba-Yagua **
Arda Arda or ARDA may refer to: Places *Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece * Arda (Italy), a river in Italy *Arda (Douro), a river in Portugal * Arda, Bulgaria, a village in southern Bulgaria * Arda, County Fermanagh, a townland in County ...
* Yuma * Palmella * Yuri (Juri) * Pimenteira ;Macro-Tupí-Guaranian * Tupí-Guaranian ** Yurimagua (Zurimagua) * Arikem * Miranyan (Boran) * Witotoan ** Nonuya ** Muenane ** Fitita **
Orejón ''Enterolobium cyclocarpum'', commonly known as guanacaste, caro caro, monkey-ear tree, or elephant-ear tree, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the Americas, from central Mexico ...
** Coeruna ** Andoke ** Resigero * Záparoan ** Omurano (Roamaina?) **
Sabela Sabela is a dialect of several major South African languages used primarily in South Africa. Sabela was originally developed inside Prisons in South Africa, national prisons as a means of communication within Prison gang, gangs, primarily The ...
** Canelo ** Awishira ;Northern tropical lowland independent families * Warrauan * Auakéan * Calianan * Macuan * Shirianán * Sálivan, Macu, Piaróa * Pamigua, Tinigua * Otomacan, Guamo (Guama), Yaruran * Guahiban * Puinavean (Macú) * Tucanoan (Betoyan) ** Coto * Cahuapanan ** Muniche *
Panoan Panoan (also Pánoan, Panoano, Panoana, Páno) is a family of languages spoken in Peru, western Brazil, and Bolivia. It is possibly a branch of a larger Pano–Tacanan family. Genetic relations The Panoan family is generally believed to be relat ...
** Chama languages ** Cashibo ** Mayoruna ** Itucale, Simacu,
Urarina The Urarina are an indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the valleys of the Chambira, Urituyacu, and Corrientes Rivers. According to both archaeological and historical sources, they have resided in the Chambira Basi ...
**
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 ...
** Chamicuro ;Southern tropical lowland independent families * Unclassified languages of Eastern Perú:
Alon Alon or ALON may refer to: * Alon (name), an Israeli given name and surname * Alon, Mateh Binyamin, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank * Alon Inc, an American airplane builder, known for the Alon A-4 * Alon USA, an American energy company * Alu ...
, Amasifuin, Carapacho, Cascoasoa, Chedua, Cholto, Chunanawa, Chusco, Cognomona, Chupacho, Huayana, Kikidcana (Quiquidcana), Moyo-pampa, Nindaso, Nomona, Pantahua, Payanso, Tepqui, Tingan, Tulumayo, Zapazo * Small "families" of Bolivia:
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
,
Canichana Canichana, or Canesi, Joaquiniano, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia (department of Beni). In 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language had no L ...
, Cayuvava,
Movima Movima is a language that is spoken by about 1,400 (nearly half) of the Movima, a group of Native Americans that resides in the Llanos de Moxos region of the Bolivian Amazon, in northeastern Bolivia. It is considered a language isolate, as it h ...
, Moseten, Leco, Yuracare * Small languages of the Brazil-Bolivia border:
Huari Huari may refer to: *Huari culture, a historical civilization in Peru *Huari (archaeological site), an archaeological site in Peru *Huari, Peru, a town in Peru * Huari District, a district in the Huari Province, Peru * Huari Province, a province in ...
, Masáca, Capishaná, Puruborá, Mashubi, Kepikiriwat, Sanamaicá, Tuparí, Guaycarú, Aricapu, Yaputi, Aruashí,
Canoa Canoa is a town in the Canton of San Vicente in the Manabí Province of Ecuador. Canoa is located north of Bahía de Caraquez, Province of Manabí – Ecuador. Local stories and tales say that the natives of Canoa hid deep in the hills when th ...
* Catukinan * Chapacuran: Wanyam (Huañam), Cabishí (Kabichi) * Mascoian *
Zamucoan Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco Department, Chaco) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz Department). The family has hardly been studied by linguists (as of Adelaar & Muysken 2 ...
* Guatoan * Bororoan, Otuke ** Coraveca, Covareca ** Curucaneca, Curuminaca * Nambicuaran ** Cabishí * Muran ** Matanawí * Trumaian * Caraján * Caririan ;Macro-Ge * Ge * Caingang * Camacán, Mashacalí, Purí (Coroado) ** Camacán ** Mashacalí ** Purí (Coroado) * Patashó * Malalí * Coropó * Botocudo ;Other language families of eastern Brazil * Shavanté (Chavanté, Šavante) ** Otí ** Opayé ** Cucurá * Guaitacán * Small languages of the Pernambuco region: Fulnió, Natú, Pancãrurú, Shocó, Shucurú, Tushá, Carapató, Payacú, Teremembé, Tarairiu (Ochucayana) ;Southernmost languages * Ataguitan ** Atacama ** Omawaca (Omahuaca) ** Diaguita (Calchaquí) * Charrua, Kerandí,
Chaná Chana, chhana, or chaná may refer to : Food * Chickpea, known in South Asia as ''chana'' * Chhana, a type of curds from South Asia Places * Chana, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community * Chana District, Songkhla Province, ...
, etc. * Allentiac (Huarpean) *
Sanavirón This is a list of indigenous languages of the Americas, Indigenous languages that are or were spoken in the present territory of Argentina. Although the official language of Argentina is Spanish language, Spanish, several Indigenous peoples of th ...
, Comechingónan **
Sanavirón This is a list of indigenous languages of the Americas, Indigenous languages that are or were spoken in the present territory of Argentina. Although the official language of Argentina is Spanish language, Spanish, several Indigenous peoples of th ...
**
Comechingón Comechingón (plural Comechingones) is the common name for a group of people indigenous to the Argentina, Argentine Provinces of Argentina, provinces of Córdoba Province (Argentina), Córdoba and San Luis Province, San Luis. They were thoroughly ...
* Araucanian ** Chono * Puelchean ** Het (Chechehet) * Chonan ( Tewelche, Tehuelche),
Ona Ona or ONA may refer to: Anthropology * Ona people, an indigenous people of southern Argentina and Chile ** Ona language, a language once spoken in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego * Ona, a pre-Aksumite culture in Sembel, Eritrea Geography * On ...
* Yahganan * Alacalufan


Loukotka (1968)

Čestmír Loukotka (1968) proposed a total of 117 indigenous language families (called ''stocks'' by Loukotka) and isolates of South America. ;Languages of Paleo-American tribes *A. Southern Division **1. '' Yámana'' **2. '' Alacaluf'' **3. Aksanás **4. ''
Patagon The Patagones or Patagonian giants were a race of giant humans rumoured to be living in Patagonia and described in early European accounts. They were said to have exceeded at least double normal human height, with some accounts giving heights of ...
'' **5. '' Gennaken'' **6. Chechehet **7. '' Sanaviron'' *B. Chaco Division **8. Guaicuru **9. Vilela **10. Mataco **11. Lengua **12.
Zamuco The Ayoreo (Ayoreode, Ayoréo, Ayoréode) are an indigenous people of the Gran Chaco. They live in an area surrounded by the Paraguay, Pilcomayo, Parapetí, and Grande Rivers, spanning both Bolivia and Paraguay. There are approximately 5,600 ...
**13. Chiquito **14. ''
Gorgotoqui Gorgotoqui is a currently undocumented extinct language of the Chiquitania region of the eastern Bolivian lowlands. It may have been a Bororoan languages, Bororoan language. Spellings Alternate spellings include ''Borogotoqui, Brotoqui, Corocoqui ...
'' **Unclassified or unknown languages of the areas of Divisions A and B. *C. Division of Central Brazil **15. Charrua **16. Kaingán **17. '' Opaie'' **18. Puri **19. Mashakali **20. Botocudo **21. '' Baenan'' **22. Kamakan **23. Fulnio **24. Ge **25. '' Kukura'' (spurious) **26. '' Otí'' **27. Boróro **28.
Karajá The Karajá, also known as Iny, are an indigenous tribe located in Brazil.Karaja Indians.
''Hands Aro ...
**Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of Division C. *D. Northeastern Division **29. '' Katembri'' **30. '' Tushá'' **31. '' Pankarurú'' **32. '' Chocó'' **33. '' Umán'' **34. '' Natú'' **35. Shukurú **36. Kiriri **37. Tarairiú **38. Gamela **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of Division D. *E. Northwestern Division **39. Múra **40. '' Matanawí'' **41. '' Erikbaktsa'' **42. Nambikwára **43. '' Iranshe'' **44. Yabutí ;Languages of tropical forest tribes *A. North Central Division **45.
Tupi Tupi may refer to: * Tupi people of Brazil * Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America ** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people * Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil * Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...
**46. Arawak **47. Otomac **48.
Guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as we ...
**49. '' Taruma'' **50. Piaroa **51. Tinigua **52. '' Máku'' **53. '' Tucuna'' **54.
Yagua Yagua are an indigenous people in Colombia and northeastern Peru, numbering approximately 6,000. Currently, they live near the Amazon, Napo, Putumayo and Yavari rivers and their tributaries. As of 2005, some Yagua have migrated northward to C ...
**55. Kahuapana **56. Munichi **57. Cholona **58. Mayna **59. Murato **60. '' Auishiri'' **61. '' Itucale'' **62.
Jíbaro Jivaro or Jibaro, also spelled Hivaro or Hibaro, may refer to: * Jíbaro (Puerto Rico), mountain-dwelling peasants in Puerto Rico * Jíbaro music, a Puerto Rican musical genre * Jivaroan peoples The Jivaroan peoples are the indigenous peoples ...
**63.
Sabela Sabela is a dialect of several major South African languages used primarily in South Africa. Sabela was originally developed inside Prisons in South Africa, national prisons as a means of communication within Prison gang, gangs, primarily The ...
**64. Záparo **65. Chapacura **66.
Huari Huari may refer to: *Huari culture, a historical civilization in Peru *Huari (archaeological site), an archaeological site in Peru *Huari, Peru, a town in Peru * Huari District, a district in the Huari Province, Peru * Huari Province, a province in ...
**67. '' Capixana'' **68. '' Koaiá'' **69. '' Purubora'' **70. '' Trumai'' **71. '' Cayuvava'' **72. '' Mobima'' **73. ''
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
'' **74. ''
Canichana Canichana, or Canesi, Joaquiniano, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia (department of Beni). In 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language had no L ...
'' **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of the North Central Division. *B. South Central Division **75.
Pano Pano may refer to: Pano ancient empory somaly Culture and language * Páno, one of the family of Panoan languages, within the wider group of Pano-Tacanan languages spoken in South America * Pano people or Tsimané people, Bolivia * Paño, a fo ...
**76.
Tacana Tacana is a Western Tacanan language spoken by some 1,800 Tacana people in Bolivia out of an ethnic population of 5,000. They live in the forest along the Beni is a Japanese R&B singer, who debuted in 2004 under the Avex Trax label. In 2 ...
**77. '' Toyeri'' **78. '' Yuracare'' **79. Mosetene **80. '' Guató'' **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of the South Central Division. *C. Languages of the Central Division **81. Tucano **82. '' Andoque'' **83. Uitoto **84. Bora **85. ''
Yuri Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
'' **86. Makú **87. Catuquina **88. Arawa **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of the Central Division. *D. Northeastern Division **89. Karaib **90.
Yanoama ''Yanoama: The Story of Helena Valero, a Girl Kidnapped by Amazonian Indians'' (original Italian title ''Yanoáma: dal racconto di una donna rapita dagli Indi'') is a biography of Helena Valero, a white woman who was captured in the 1930s as a gir ...
**91. Uarao **92. '' Auaké'' **93. '' Kaliána'' **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of the North Eastern Division. ;Languages of Andean tribes *A. Northern Division **94. Chibcha **95.
Timote Timote is a settlement in Carlos Tejedor Partido, Carlos Tejedor ''Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido'', Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Location It is 18 km east from Carlos Tejedor, Buenos Aires, Carlos Tejedor, its accesses are over 68 an ...
**96.
Jirajara Jirajara is an extinct language of western Venezuela. Other than being part of the Jirajaran family, its classification is uncertain due to a lack of data. See Jirajaran languages The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spo ...
**97. Chocó **98. '' Idabaez'' **Unclassified or unknown division. *B. North Central Division **99. Yurimangui **100. '' Cofán'' **101.
Sechura Sechura is a city in northwestern Peru, south of Piura. It is the capital of Sechura Province in the Piura Region. The city lends its name to the Sechura Desert The Sechura Desert is a coastal desert located south of the Piura Region of Peru ...
**102. Catacao **103. '' Culli'' **104. '' Tabancale'' **105. '' Copallén'' **106. Chimú *C. South Central Division **107. Quechua **108. Aymara **109.
Puquina Puquina (or Pukina) is a small, putative language family, often portrayed as a language isolate, which consists of the extinct Puquina language and Kallawaya, although it is assumed that the latter is just a remnant of the former mixed with Qu ...
**110.
Uro Uro or URO may refer to: * Aurochs, the predecessor of modern cattle * Uro Bonsai technique; see deadwood bonsai techniques * Uro, Delta, Nigeria * ''Uro'' (film), directed by Stefan Faldbakken * Uro (trucks), a Spanish truck manufacturer * ''Ur ...
**111. Atacama **112. '' Leco'' **Unclassified or unknown languages of the area of the Ancient Inca Empire. *D. Southern Division **113. Mapuche **114. Diaguit **115. Humahuaca **116. Lule **117.
Huarpe The Huarpes or Warpes are an indigenous people of Argentina, living in the Cuyo region. Some scholars assume that in the Huarpe language, this word means "sandy ground," but according to ''Arte y Vocabulario de la lengua general del Reino de Chi ...


Kaufman (1990)


Families and isolates

Terrence Kaufman's classification is meant to be a rather conservative genetic grouping of the languages of South America (and a few in Central America). He has 118 ''genetic units''. Kaufman believes for these 118 units "that there is little likelihood that any of the groups recognized here will be broken apart". Kaufman uses more specific terminology than only ''language family'', such as ''language area'', ''emergent area'', and ''language complex'', where he recognizes issues such as partial mutual intelligibility and dialect continuums. The list below collapses these into simply ''families''. Kaufman's list is numbered and grouped by "geolinguistic region". The list below is presented in alphabetic order. Kaufman uses an anglicized orthography for his genetic units, which is mostly used only by himself. His spellings have been retained below.


Stocks

In addition to his conservative list, Kaufman list several larger "stocks" which he evaluates. The names of the stocks are often obvious hyphenations of two members; for instance, the Páes-Barbakóa stock consists of the Páesan and Barbakóan families. If the composition is not obvious, it is indicated parenthetically. Kaufman puts question marks by Kechumara and Mosetén-Chon stocks. "Good" stocks: * Awaké–Kaliana (Arutani–Sape) * Chibcha–Misumalpa * Ezmeralda–Jaruro * Jurí–Tikuna * Kechumara ''(= Kechua + Haki)'' (good?) * Lule–Vilela * Mosetén–Chon (good?) * Páes–Barbakóa * Pano–Takana * Sechura–Katakao * Wamo–Chapakúra "Probable" stocks: * Macro-Je ''(= Chikitano + Boróroan + Aimoré + Rikbaktsá + Je + Jeikó + Kamakánan + Mashakalían + Purían + Fulnío +
Karajá The Karajá, also known as Iny, are an indigenous tribe located in Brazil.Karaja Indians.
''Hands Aro ...
+ Ofayé + Guató)'' * Mura–Matanawí "Promising" stocks: * Kaliánan ''(= Awaké +
Kaliana Kaliana ( gr, Καλλιάνα) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, located 3 km south of Temvria Temvria ( gr, Τεμβρια) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Re ...
+ Maku)'' "Maybe" stocks: * Bora–Witoto * Hívaro–Kawapana * Kunsa–Kapishaná (now abandoned) * Pukina–Kolyawaya * Sáparo–Yawa


Clusters and networks

Kaufman's largest groupings are what he terms ''clusters'' and ''networks''. Clusters are equivalent to macro-families (or phyla or superfamilies). Networks are composed of clusters. Kaufman views all of these larger groupings to be hypothetical and his list is to be used as a means to identify which hypotheses most need testing.


Campbell (2012)

Lyle Campbell (2012) proposed the following list of 53 uncontroversial indigenous language families and 55 isolates of South America – a total of 108 independent families and isolates. Language families with 9 or more languages are highlighted in bold. The remaining language families all have 6 languages or fewer. ;Families #
Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
(Maipurean, Maipuran) (~65) – widespread #
Cariban The Cariban languages are a Language family, family of languages indigenous to northeastern South America. They are widespread across northernmost South America, from the mouth of the Amazon River to the Colombian Andes, and they are also spoken ...
(~40) – Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. # Chapacuran (Txapakúran) (9) – Brazil, Bolivia # Chibchan (23) – Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica # Jêan (12) – Brazil # Pano–Takanan (~30) – Brazil, Peru, Bolivia # Makúan (Makú–Puinavean, Puinavean, Guaviaré–Japurá) (8) – Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela #
Quechuan Quechua (, ; ), usually called ("people's language") in Quechuan languages, is an indigenous language family spoken by the Quechua peoples, primarily living in the Peruvian Andes. Derived from a common ancestral language, it is the most widely ...
(23 ?) – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina # Tukanoan (Tucanoan) (~20) – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil # Tupían (~55) – Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, etc. # Arawan (Arahuan, Arauan, Arawán) (6) – Brazil, Peru #
Aymaran Aymaran (also Jaqi or Aru) is one of the two dominant language families in the central Andes alongside Quechua languages, Quechuan. The family consists of Aymara language, Aymara, widely spoken in Bolivia, and the endangered Jaqaru language, Jaqa ...
(2) – Bolivia, Peru #
Barbacoan Barbacoan (also Barbakóan, Barbacoano, Barbacoana) is a language family spoken in Colombia and Ecuador. Genealogical relations The Barbacoan languages may be related to the Páez language. Barbacoan is often connected with the Paezan languages ...
(5) – Colombia, Ecuador # Bororoan (3) – Brazil # Cahuapanan (2) – Peru # Cañar–Puruhá (2; uncertain) – Ecuador # Charruan (3) – Uruguay, Argentina # Chipaya–Uru (3) – Bolivia #
Chocoan The Choco languages (also Chocoan, Chocó, Chokó) are a small family of Native American languages spread across Colombia and Panama. Family division Choco consists of six known branches, all but two of which are extinct. *The Emberá langu ...
(2–6) – Colombia, Panama # Cholonan (2) – Peru # Chonan (Chon) (3) – Argentina #
Guaicuruan Guaicuruan (Guaykuruan, Waikurúan, Guaycuruano, Guaikurú, Guaicuru, Guaycuruana) is a language family spoken in northern Argentina, western Paraguay, and Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul). The speakers of the languages are often collectively called ...
(Waykuruan) (5) – Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil #
Guajiboan Guajiboan (also Guahiban, Wahívoan, Guahiboan) is a language family spoken in the Orinoco River region in eastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela, a savanna region known as the Llanos. Family division Guajiboan consists of 5 languages: ...
(4) – Colombia # Harákmbut–Katukinan (3; uncertain) – Peru, Brazil # Huarpean (Warpean) (2) – Argentina # Jabutían (2) – Brazil # Jirajaran (3) – Venezuela # Jivaroan (4 ?) – Peru, Ecuador # Kamakanan (5 ?) – Brazil #
Karajá The Karajá, also known as Iny, are an indigenous tribe located in Brazil.Karaja Indians.
''Hands Aro ...
(2 ?) – Brazil # Karirian (Karirí) (4) – Brazil # Krenákan (Botocudoan, Aimoré) (3) – Brazil # Lule–Vilelan (2) – Argentina #
Mascoyan The Mascoian also known as Enlhet–Enenlhet, Lengua–Mascoy, or Chaco languages are a small, closely related language family of Paraguay. Languages The languages are:Unruh, Ernesto; Kalisch, Hannes. 2003. "Enlhet-Enenlhet. Una familia lingüí ...
(4) – Paraguay #
Matacoan Matacoan (also ''Mataguayan, Matákoan, Mataguayo, Mataco–Mataguayo, Matacoano, Matacoana'') is a language family of northern Argentina, western Paraguay, and southeastern Bolivia. Family division Matacoan consists of four clusters of languag ...
(4) – Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia # Maxakalían (3) – Brazil #
Mosetenan Chimané (Tsimané) is a South American language isolate. Some dialects are known as Mosetén (Mosetén of Santa Ana, Mosetén of Covendo). Chimane is a language of the western Bolivian lowlands spoken by the Tsimane peoples along the Beni River ...
(2) – Bolivia # Muran (4, only 1 living) – Brazil # Nambikwaran (5 ?) – Brazil # Qawasqaran (Kaweskaran, Alacalufan) (2–3) – Chile # Otomacoan (2) – Venezuela # Paezan (1–3; isolate ?) – Colombia # Purían (2) – Brazil # Sáliban (Sálivan) (3 ?) – Venezuela, Colombia # Sechura–Catacaoan (3) – Peru # Timotean (2) – Venezuela # Tikuna–Yuri – Peru, Colombia, Brazil # Tiniguan (2) – Colombia # Yaguan (3) – Peru # Witotoan (Huitotoan) (5) – Colombia, Peru #
Yanomaman Yanomaman, also as Yanomam, Yanomáman, Yamomámi, and Yanomamana (also Shamatari, Shirianan), is a family of languages spoken by about 20,000 Yanomami people in southern Venezuela and northwestern Brazil (Roraima, Amazonas). Subdivision Ferr ...
(4) – Venezuela, Brazil #
Zamucoan Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco Department, Chaco) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz Department). The family has hardly been studied by linguists (as of Adelaar & Muysken 2 ...
(2) – Paraguay, Bolivia #
Zaparoan Zaparoan (also Sáparoan, Záparo, Zaparoano, Zaparoana) is an endangered language family of Peru and Ecuador with fewer than 100 speakers. Zaparoan speakers seem to have been very numerous before the arrival of the Europeans. However, their grou ...
(3) – Peru, Ecuador ;Isolates # Aikaná – Brazil # Andaquí – Colombia # Andoque (Andoke) – Colombia, Peru #
Atacameño The Atacama people, also called Atacameño, are indigenous people from the Atacama Desert and altiplano region in the north of Chile and Argentina and southern Bolivia, mainly Antofagasta Region. According to the Argentinean Census in 2010, 13,93 ...
(Cunza, Kunza, Atacama, Lipe) – Chile, Bolivia, Argentina # Awaké (Ahuaqué, Uruak) – Venezuela, Brazil # Baenan – Brazil # Betoi – Colombia (small family ?) # Camsá (Sibundoy, Coche) – Colombia #
Candoshi Candoshi-Shapra (also known as Candoshi, Candoxi, Kandoshi, and Murato) is an indigenous American language isolate, spoken by several thousand people in western South America along the Chapuli, Huitoyacu, Pastaza, and Morona river valleys. Ther ...
(Candoxi, Maina, Shapra, Murato) – Peru #
Canichana Canichana, or Canesi, Joaquiniano, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia (department of Beni). In 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language had no L ...
– Bolivia # Cayuvava (Cayuwaba, Cayubaba) – Bolivia #
Chiquitano The Chiquitano or Chiquitos are an indigenous people of Bolivia, with a small number also living in Brazil. The Chiquitano primarily live in the Chiquitania tropical savanna of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, with a small number also living in Be ...
– Bolivia # Chono – Chile # Cofán (A’ingaé) – Colombia, Ecuador # Culle – Peru # Gamela – Brazil # Guachí – Brazil # Guató – Brazil # Irantxe (Iranche, Münkü) – Brazil #
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
(Saramo, Machoto) – Bolivia, Brazil # Jeikó (Jeicó, Jaiko) – Brazil (Macro–Jêan ?) # Jotí (Yuwana) – Venezuela #
Kaliana Kaliana ( gr, Καλλιάνα) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, located 3 km south of Temvria Temvria ( gr, Τεμβρια) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Re ...
(Sapé, Caliana, Cariana, Chirichano) – Venezuela # Kapixaná (Kanoé) – Brazil # Koayá (Kwaza, Koaiá, Arara) – Brazil # Máku (Mako) – Brazil #
Mapudungu Mapuche (, Mapuche & Spanish: , or Mapudungun; from ' 'land' and ' 'speak, speech') is an Araucanian language related to Huilliche spoken in south-central Chile and west-central Argentina by the Mapuche people (from ''mapu'' 'land' and ''che ...
(Mapudungun, Araucano, Mapuche, Maputongo) – Chile, Argentina # Matanauí – Brazil #
Mochica The Moche civilization (; alternatively, the Mochica culture or the Early, Pre- or Proto-Chimú) flourished in northern Peru with its capital near present-day Moche, Trujillo, Peru from about 100 to 700 AD during the Regional Development Epoch. ...
(Yunga, Yunca, Chimú, Mochica, Muchic) – Peru #
Movima Movima is a language that is spoken by about 1,400 (nearly half) of the Movima, a group of Native Americans that resides in the Llanos de Moxos region of the Bolivian Amazon, in northeastern Bolivia. It is considered a language isolate, as it h ...
– Bolivia # Munichi (Muniche, Munichino, Otanabe) – Peru # Natú (Peagaxinan) – Brazil # Ofayé (Opayé, Ofayé–Xavante) – Brazil (Macro–Jêan ?) # Omurano (Humurana, Numurana) – Peru # Otí – Brazil # Pankararú (Pancararu, Pancarurú, Brancararu) – Brazil #
Payaguá The Payaguá people, also called Evueví and Evebe, were an ethnic group of the Guaycuru peoples in the Northern Chaco of Paraguay. The Payaguá were a river tribe, living, hunting, fishing, and raiding on the Paraguay River. The name ''Pay ...
– Paraguay #
Puquina Puquina (or Pukina) is a small, putative language family, often portrayed as a language isolate, which consists of the extinct Puquina language and Kallawaya, although it is assumed that the latter is just a remnant of the former mixed with Qu ...
– Bolivia # Rikbaktsá (Aripaktsá, Eribatsa, Eripatsa, Canoeiro) – Brazil (Macro–Jêan ?) #
Sabela Sabela is a dialect of several major South African languages used primarily in South Africa. Sabela was originally developed inside Prisons in South Africa, national prisons as a means of communication within Prison gang, gangs, primarily The ...
(Huao, Auca, Huaorani, Auishiri) – Ecuador # Taruma (Taruamá) – Brazil, Guyana # Taushiro (Pinchi, Pinche) – Peru # Tequiraca (Tekiraka, Aushiri, Auishiri, Avishiri) – Peru # Trumai (Trumaí) – Brazil # Tuxá – Brazil #
Urarina The Urarina are an indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the valleys of the Chambira, Urituyacu, and Corrientes Rivers. According to both archaeological and historical sources, they have resided in the Chambira Basi ...
(Simacu, Kachá, Itucale) – Peru # Wamoé (Huamoé, Huamoi, Uamé, Umã; Araticum, Atikum) – Brazil # Warao (Guarao, Warau, Guaruno) – Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela # Xokó – Brazil # Xukurú – Brazil # Yagan (Yaghan, Yamana, Yámana) – Chile # Yaruro (Pumé, Llaruro, Yaruru, Yuapín) – Venezuela #Yaté language, Yaté (Furniô, Fornió, Carnijó; Iatê) – Brazil # Yuracaré – Bolivia #Yurumangui language, Yurumangui – Colombia Campbell (2012) leaves out the classifications of these languages as uncertain. * Boran – Brazil, Colombia *'' Esmeralda'' – Ecuador *''
Guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as we ...
'' – Venezuela *''Leco language, Leko'' – Bolivia *'' Mure'' – Bolivia *''
Puinave Puinave, Waipunavi (Guaipunabi) or Wanse ( pui, Wãnsöhöt) is an indigenous language of Colombia and Venezuela. It is generally considered to be an unclassified language. Varieties Varieties listed by Mason (1950): *Puinave (Epined) **Weste ...
'' – Colombia, Venezuela


Jolkesky (2016)

Jolkesky (2016) lists 43 language families and 66 language isolates (and/or unclassified languages) in South America – a total of 109 independent families and isolates. *† = extinct ;Families #Andoke-Urekena languages, Andoke-Urekena # Arawa #Barbakoa languages, Barbakoa #Bora-Muinane languages, Bora-Muinane #Chacha-Cholon-Hibito languages, Chacha-Cholon-Hibito #Chapakura-Wañam languages, Chapakura-Wañam # Charrua # Chibcha #Choko languages, Choko #Chon languages, Chon #Duho languages, Duho #Guahibo languages, Guahibo #Harakmbet-Katukina languages, Harakmbet-Katukina #Jaqi languages, Jaqi #
Jirajara Jirajara is an extinct language of western Venezuela. Other than being part of the Jirajaran family, its classification is uncertain due to a lack of data. See Jirajaran languages The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spo ...
† #Jivaro languages, Jivaro #Karib languages, Karib #Kawapana languages, Kawapana #Kechua languages, Kechua #Lengua-Maskoy languages, Lengua-Maskoy #Macro-Arawak languages, Macro-Arawak #Macro-Mataguayo-Guaykuru languages, Macro-Mataguayo-Guaykuru #Macro-Jê languages, Macro-Jê #Mapudungun languages, Mapudungun #Moseten-Tsimane languages, Moseten-Tsimane #Mura-Matanawi languages, Mura-Matanawi #Nambikwara languages, Nambikwara #Otomako-Taparita languages, Otomako-Taparita † #Pano-Takana languages, Pano-Takana # Peba-Yagua #Puinave-Nadahup languages, Puinave-Nadahup # Puri † #Tallan languages, Tallan † #Timote-Kuika languages, Timote-Kuika #Tinigua-Pamigua languages, Tinigua-Pamigua #Tukano languages, Tukano #
Tupi Tupi may refer to: * Tupi people of Brazil * Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America ** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people * Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil * Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...
# Uru-Chipaya #Warpe languages, Warpe † #Witoto-Okaina languages, Witoto-Okaina #Yanomami languages, Yanomami #Zamuko languages, Zamuko #Zaparo languages, Zaparo ;Isolates and unclassified languages # Aikanã #Andaki language, Andaki † #Arara do Rio Branco language, Arara do Rio Branco # Arutani #Atakame language, Atakame † #Atikum language, Atikum † #Aushiri language, Aushiri † # Chono † #
Guamo Guamo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as we ...
† #Guato language, Guato #Gününa Këna language, Gününa Këna #Iranche language, Iranche/Myky language, Myky #
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
#Kakan language, Kakan † #Kamsa language, Kamsa #Kañari language, Kañari † #Kanichana language, Kanichana #Kanoe language, Kanoe #Kawesqar language, Kawesqar #Kayuvava language, Kayuvava #Kerandi language, Kerandi † #Kimbaya language, Kimbaya † #Kingnam language, Kingnam † #Kofan language, Kofan #Komechingon language, Komechingon † #Koraveka language, Koraveka † #Kueva language, Kueva † #Kulle language, Kulle † #
Kunza Kunza is an extinct language isolate once spoken in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and southern Peru by the Atacama people, Atacama people, who have since shifted to Spanish people, Spanish. The last speaker was documented in 1949. Other n ...
† #Kuruminaka language, Kuruminaka † # Kwaza #Leco language, Leko # Lule † #Jukude language, Maku #Malibu language, Malibu † #Mochika language, Mochika † #Mokana language, Mokana † #Morike language, Morike † #
Movima Movima is a language that is spoken by about 1,400 (nearly half) of the Movima, a group of Native Americans that resides in the Llanos de Moxos region of the Bolivian Amazon, in northeastern Bolivia. It is considered a language isolate, as it h ...
#Muzo-Kolima language, Muzo-Kolima † # Omurano # Oti † #Paez language, Paez #Panche language, Panche † #Pijao language, Pijao † #Puruha language, Puruha † # Sanaviron † #Sape language, Sape #Sechura language, Sechura † #Tarairiu language, Tarairiu † # Taruma # Taushiro #Tekiraka language, Tekiraka # Trumai #Tuxa language, Tuxa † #Umbra language, Umbra #
Urarina The Urarina are an indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the valleys of the Chambira, Urituyacu, and Corrientes Rivers. According to both archaeological and historical sources, they have resided in the Chambira Basi ...
# Vilela # Waorani # Warao #Xukuru language, Xukuru † # Yagan # Yaruro #Yurakare language, Yurakare #Yurumangui language, Yurumangui † #Zenu language, Zenu † ;Creoles, pidgins, and secret languages #Kallawaya language, Kallawaya #Maskoy Pidgin language, Maskoy Pidgin #Media Lengua language, Media Lengua #Ndyuka-Tiriyo language, Ndyuka-Tiriyo


All of the Americas


Swadesh (1960 or earlier)

Morris Swadesh further consolidated Sapir's North American classification and expanded it to group all indigenous languages of the Americas in just 6 families, 5 of which were entirely based in the Americas. # Vasco-Dene languages included the Eskimo–Aleut, Na-Dene, Wakashan and Kutenai families along with most of the languages of Eurasia. # Macro-Hokan roughly comprised a combination of Sapir's Hokan–Siouan and Almosan families and expanded into Central America including the Jicaque language. # Macro-Mayan comprising Mayan along with Sapir's Penutian and Aztec-Tanoan families, the Otomanguean languages and various languages of Central and South America including the Chibchan languages, the Paezan languages and the Tucanoan languages. # Macro-Quechua comprising the Zuni language, the Purépecha language and various languages of South America including Quechua, the Aymara language, the Panoan languages and most of the various other languages of Patagonia and the Andes. # Macro-Carib, an almost entirely South American family including the Carib languages, the Macro-Je languages and the Jirajara languages, albeit including some Caribbean languages. # Macro-Arawak, a family primarily confined to South America and its component families included the Arawakan languages and the Tupian languages. However, it also was proposed to include the Taíno language in the Caribbean and the Timucua language in Florida.


Greenberg (1960, 1987)

Joseph Greenberg's classification in his 1987 book ''Joseph Greenberg#The languages of the Americas, Language in the Americas'' is best known for the highly controversial assertion that all North, Central and South American language families other than Eskimo–Aleut and Na-Dene including Haida, are part of an Amerind peoples, Amerind macrofamily. This assertion of only three major American language macrofamiles is supported by DNA evidence, although the DNA evidence does not provide support for the details of his classification. # Amerind languages, Northern Amerind ## Almosan–Keresiouan ### Almosan languages, Almosan #### Algic #### Kutenai #### Mosan #####
Wakashan Wakashan is a family of languages spoken in British Columbia around and on Vancouver Island, and in the northwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington (state), Washington state, on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. As is ...
#####
Salish Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...
#####
Chimakuan The Chimakuan languages are a group of extinct languages that were spoken in northwestern Washington state, United States, on the Olympic Peninsula. They were spoken by Chimakum, Quileute and Hoh tribes. They are part of the Mosan sprachbund, a ...
###
Caddoan The Caddoan languages are a family of languages native to the Great Plains spoken by tribal groups of the central United States, from present-day North Dakota south to Oklahoma. All Caddoan languages are critically endangered, as the number of sp ...
### Keres languages, Keres ### Siouan ### Iroquoian ##
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
### California
Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian st ...
#### Maidu languages, Maidu #### Miwok–Costanoan languages, Miwok–Costanoan #### Wintun languages, Wintun #### Yokuts languages, Yokuts ### Chinook languages, Chinook ### Mexican Penutian (=Macro-Mayan) #### Huave #### Mayan #### Mixe–Zoque #### Totonac languages, Totonac ### Oregon Penutian languages, Oregon Penutian ### Plateau Penutian languages, Plateau Penutian ### Tsimshian ### Yukian languages, Yukian ### Gulf languages, Gulf ####
Atakapa The Atakapa Sturtevant, 659 or Atacapa were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who spoke the Atakapa language and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Texas and Louisiana. They included several distinct band ...
#### Chitimacha #### Muskogean #### Natchez #### Tunica ### Zuni ##
Hokan The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families that were spoken mainly in California, Arizona and Baja California. Etymology The name ''Hokan'' is loosely based on the word for "two" in the various Hokan ...
### Hokan languages, Nuclear Hokan #### Hokan languages, Northern #####
Karok The Karuk people are an indigenous people of California, and the Karuk Tribe is one of the largest tribes in California. Karuks are also enrolled in two other federally recognized tribes, the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Ran ...
–Shasta language, Shasta #####
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
##### Pomo languages, Pomo #### Washo ####
Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Californi ...
– Yuman ####
Salinan The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition f ...
–
Seri Seri or SERI may refer to: People *Jean Michaël Seri, an Ivorian professional footballer Places *Seri Yek-e Zarruk, Iran *Seri, Bheri, Nepal *Seri, Karnali, Nepal *Seri, Mahakali, Nepal *Seri, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Oth ...
#### Waicuri language, Waicuri #### Maratino #### Quinigua language, Quinigua #### Tequistlatec languages, Tequistlatec ### Coahuiltecan #### Tonkawa #### Coahuiltecan languages, Nuclear Coahuiltecan #### Karankawa ###
Subtiaba Subtiaba is an extinct Oto-Manguean language which was spoken on the Pacific slope of Nicaragua, especially in the Subtiaba district of León. Edward Sapir established a connection between Subtiaba and Tlapanec. When Lehmann wrote about it in 1 ...
### Jicaque languages, Jicaque ### Yurumangui language, Yurumangui # Central Amerind languages, Central Amerind ##
Kiowa–Tanoan Tanoan , also Kiowa–Tanoan or Tanoan–Kiowa, is a family of languages spoken by indigenous peoples in present-day New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most of the languages – Tiwa (Taos, Picuris, Southern Tiwa), Tewa, and Towa – a ...
## Otomanguean ##
Uto-Aztecan Uto-Aztecan, Uto-Aztekan or (rarely in English) Uto-Nahuatl is a family of indigenous languages of the Americas, consisting of over thirty languages. Uto-Aztecan languages are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. The na ...
# Chibchan–Paezan languages, Chibchan–Paezan ## Chibchan ### Chibchan languages, Nuclear Chibchan #### Chibchan languages, Antioquia #### Aruak language, Aruak #### Chibcha #### Cuna #### Guaymi language, Guaymi #### Malibu language, Malibu #### Misumalpan #### Motilon language, Motilon #### Rama language, Rama #### Talamanca ### Paya ###
Purépecha The Purépecha (endonym pua, P'urhepecha ) are a group of indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the pejorative "Tarascan ...
### Xinca ### Yanomam languages, Yanomam ### Yunca–Puruhan languages, Yunca–Puruhan ## Paezan ### Allentiac language, Allentiac ### Atacama ### Betoi languages, Betoi ### Chimu languages, Chimu ###
Itonama Itonama is a moribund language isolate spoken by the Itonama people in the Amazonian lowlands of north-eastern Bolivia. Greenberg’s (1987) classification of Itonama as Paezan, a sub-branch of Macro-Chibchan, remains unsupported and Itonama co ...
###
Jirajara Jirajara is an extinct language of western Venezuela. Other than being part of the Jirajaran family, its classification is uncertain due to a lack of data. See Jirajaran languages The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spo ...
### Mura languages, Mura ### Nuclear Paezan #### Andaqui #### Barbacoa #### Choco languages, Choco #### Paez language, Paez ### Timucua ### Warrao language, Warrao # Andean (Greenberg (1960) joined Andean and Equatorial, but Greenberg (1987) did not) ## Aymara ## Itucale–
Sabela Sabela is a dialect of several major South African languages used primarily in South Africa. Sabela was originally developed inside Prisons in South Africa, national prisons as a means of communication within Prison gang, gangs, primarily The ...
### Itucale ### Mayna language, Mayna ###
Sabela Sabela is a dialect of several major South African languages used primarily in South Africa. Sabela was originally developed inside Prisons in South Africa, national prisons as a means of communication within Prison gang, gangs, primarily The ...
## Cahuapana–Zaparo ### Cahuapano languages, Cahuapano ### Zaparo languages, Zaparo ## Northern ### Catacao ### Cholona ### Culli ### Leco ### Sechura language, Sechura ## Quechua ## Southern ### Qawesqar language, Qawesqar ### Mapundungu language, Mapundungu ### Gennaken ### Patagon language (Peru), Patagon ### Yamana language, Yamana # Equatorial–Tucanoan ## Equatorial ### Macro-Arawakan languages, Macro-Arawakan ####
Arawakan Arawakan (''Arahuacan, Maipuran Arawakan, "mainstream" Arawakan, Arawakan proper''), also known as Maipurean (also ''Maipuran, Maipureano, Maipúre''), is a language family that developed among ancient indigenous peoples in South America. Branch ...
#### Guahibo languages, Guahibo #### Katembri #### Otomaco languages, Otomaco #### Tinigua ### Cayuvava ### Coche language, Coche ### Jivaro–Kandoshi languages, Jivaro–Kandoshi #### Cofan language, Cofan #### Esmeralda #### Jivaro languages, Jivaro #### Kandoshi language, Kandoshi #### Yaruro ### Kariri–Tupi #### Kariri languages, Kariri #### Tupian ### Piaroa language, Piaroa ### Taruma ###
Timote Timote is a settlement in Carlos Tejedor Partido, Carlos Tejedor ''Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido'', Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Location It is 18 km east from Carlos Tejedor, Buenos Aires, Carlos Tejedor, its accesses are over 68 an ...
### Trumai ### Tusha language, Tusha ### Yuracare ###
Zamucoan Zamucoan (also Samúkoan) is a small language family of Paraguay (northeast Chaco Department, Chaco) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz Department). The family has hardly been studied by linguists (as of Adelaar & Muysken 2 ...
## Tucanoan ### Auixiri language, Auixiri ###
Canichana Canichana, or Canesi, Joaquiniano, is a possible language isolate of Bolivia (department of Beni). In 1991 there were 500 Canichana people, but only 20 spoke the Canichana language; by 2000 the ethnic population was 583, but the language had no L ...
### Capixana ### Catuquina language, Catuquina ### Gamella language, Gamella ###
Huari Huari may refer to: *Huari culture, a historical civilization in Peru *Huari (archaeological site), an archaeological site in Peru *Huari, Peru, a town in Peru * Huari District, a district in the Huari Province, Peru * Huari Province, a province in ...
### Iranshe ### Kaliana–Maku languages, Kaliana–Maku #### Auake language, Auake ####
Kaliana Kaliana ( gr, Καλλιάνα) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, located 3 km south of Temvria Temvria ( gr, Τεμβρια) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Re ...
#### Jukude language, Maku ### Koaia language, Koaia ###
Movima Movima is a language that is spoken by about 1,400 (nearly half) of the Movima, a group of Native Americans that resides in the Llanos de Moxos region of the Bolivian Amazon, in northeastern Bolivia. It is considered a language isolate, as it h ...
### Muniche ### Nambikwara languages, Nambikwara ### Natu language, Natu ### Pankaruru language, Pankaruru ###
Puinave Puinave, Waipunavi (Guaipunabi) or Wanse ( pui, Wãnsöhöt) is an indigenous language of Colombia and Venezuela. It is generally considered to be an unclassified language. Varieties Varieties listed by Mason (1950): *Puinave (Epined) **Weste ...
### Xukuruan languages, Shukura ### Ticuna–Yuri languages, Ticuna–Yuri #### Ticuna language, Ticuna ####
Yuri Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
### Tucanoan ### Uman language, Uman # Je–Tupi–Carib, Ge–Pano–Carib ## Macro-Ge languages, Macro-Ge ### Bororo languages, Bororo ### Botocudo ### Caraja language, Caraja ### Chiquitano language, Chiquito ### Erikbatsa language, Erikbatsa ### Fulnio language, Fulnio ### Ge–Kaingang #### Ge #### Kaingang language, Kaingang ### Guato language, Guato ### Kamakan ### Mashakali ### Opaie ### Oti ### Puri ### Yabuti languages, Yabuti ## Macro-Panoan languages, Macro-Panoan ### Charruan ### Lengua ### Lule–Vilela #### Lule #### Vilela ### Mataco–Guaicuru languages, Mataco–Guaicuru #### Guaicuru #### Mataco ### Moseten languages, Moseten ### Pano–Tacanan languages, Pano–Tacanan ####
Panoan Panoan (also Pánoan, Panoano, Panoana, Páno) is a family of languages spoken in Peru, western Brazil, and Bolivia. It is possibly a branch of a larger Pano–Tacanan family. Genetic relations The Panoan family is generally believed to be relat ...
#### Tacanan languages, Tacanan ## Cariban languages, Macro-Carib ### Andoke ### Bora–Uitoto languages, Bora–Uitoto #### Boran languages, Boro #### Uitoto #### Carib languages, Carib #### Kukura #### Peba-Yagua languages, Yagua


Mixed languages

In ''American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America'', Lyle Campbell describes various pidgins and trade languages spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Some of these mixed languages have not been documented and are known only by name. * Medny Aleut language, Medny Aleut (Copper Island Aleut) * Chinook Jargon * Broken Slavey (Slavey Jargon) * Loucheux Jargon * Michif (French Cree, Métis, Metchif) * Broken Oghibbeway (Broken Ojibwa) * Basque-Algonquian Pidgin (spoken by the Basque people, Basques, Mi'kmaq people, Micmacs, and Innu people, Montagnais in eastern Canada) * Delaware Jargon * Pidgin Massachusett * Jargonized Powhatan * Lingua Franca Creek language, Creek * Lingua Franca Apalachee language, Apalachee * Mobilian Jargon * Güegüence-Nicarao (formerly spoken in Nicaragua) * Ndjuka-Amerindian Pidgin, Carib Pidgin or Ndjuka-Amerindian Pidgin (Ndjuka-Trio) * Carib Pidgin-Arawak mixed language * Media Lengua * Catalangu * Callahuaya (Machaj-Juyai, Kallawaya) * Nheengatú or Lingua Geral Amazonica ("Lingua Boa," Lingua Brasílica, Lingua Geral do Norte) * Lingua Geral do Sul or Lingua Geral Paulista (Tupí Austral) * Labrador Eskimo Pidgin * Hudson Strait Pidgin Eskimo (spoken from 1750–1850) * Nootka Jargon (18th–19th centuries; later replaced by Chinook Jargon) * Trader Navajo * Yopará (Guaraní-Spanish pidgin) * Afro-Seminole Creole (variety of Gullah) * Haida Jargon * Kutenai Jargon * Guajiro-Spanish mixed language Lingua francas * Occaneechi language, Ocaneechi (spoken in Virginia and the Carolinas in early colonial times) * Tuscarora language * Plains sign language


Linguistic areas


See also

*Indigenous languages of South America **List of indigenous languages of South America *List of extinct languages of South America **Extinct languages of the Marañón River basin **List of extinct Uto-Aztecan languages *List of unclassified languages of South America **:Unclassified languages of South America *Classification of indigenous peoples of the Americas *Classification of Southeast Asian languages *Intercontinental Dictionary Series


Notes and references


Bibliography

* See: Indigenous languages of the Americas#Bibliography


External links


Native American Language Net
* *
Diachronic Atlas of Comparative Linguistics (DiACL)Languages of hunter-gatherers and their neighbors
The University of Texas at Austin
The Intercontinental Dictionary Series
{{DEFAULTSORT:Classification Schemes For Indigenous Languages Of The Americas Indigenous languages of the Americas Language classification, Americas