Chicham languages
The Chicham languages, also known as Jivaroan is a small language family of northern Peru and eastern Ecuador.
Family division
Chicham consists of four languages:This language family is spoken in Amazonas, Cajamarca, Loreto, and San Martin, Peru and the Oriente region of Ecuador.
Mason (1950)
Internal classification of the Chicham languages by Mason :Chicham- * Aguaruna
- ** Alapico
- ** Indanza
- ** Iransa
- ** Maranza
- ** Santiago
- ** Patocuma
- ** Chiguasa
- ** Yuganza
- * Wambisa
- ** Uambisa
- ** Cherembo
- ** Chirapa
- ** Chiwando
- ** Candoa
- ** Cangaime
- ** Mangosisa
- * Achuale
- ** Capawari
- ** Copatasa
- ** Machine
- ** Pindu
- ** Wampoya
- * Antipa
- * Maca
- ** Walakisa
- ** Zamora
- ** Pintuc
- ** Ayuli
- ** Morona
- ** Miazal
- * Upano
- * Bolona
- * Bracamoro
Jolkesky (2016)
Internal classification by Jolkesky :Genetic relations
The extinct Palta language was classified as Chicham by Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño about 1940 and was followed by Čestmír Loukotka. However, only 4 words are known, and Kaufman states that there is "little resemblance".The most promising external connections are with the Cahuapanan languages and perhaps a few other language isolates in proposals variously called Jívaro-Cahuapana or Macro-Jibaro or Macro-Andean.
The unclassified language Candoshi has also been linked to Chicham, as David Payne provides reconstructions for Proto-Shuar as well as Proto-Shuar-Candoshi. However, more recently, linguists have searched elsewhere for Candoshi's relatives.
Language contact
Jolkesky notes that there are lexical similarities with the Quechuan, Kwaza, Taruma, Yanomami, Katukina-Katawixi, Kandoshi, Tupi, and Arawan language families due to contact. This suggests that Chicham had originated further downstream in the Central Amazon region.Vocabulary
lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Chicham languages.| gloss | Palta | Shuara | Huambisa | Achual | Gualaquiza | Upano | Aguaruna |
| one | chikichik | akítsik | tikichi | shikitiki | tikídyi | ||
| two | xímer | hímer | ximára | himiːra | hima | ||
| three | manéndiuk | kombaːtã | kahvaton | minendu | kampátu | ||
| head | múga | mók | mugwá | múka | mók | ||
| ear | kuísh | kuíshi | kuísh | kweche | kuishi | kuwísh | |
| tooth | nér | náyi | nai | inai | ñái | ||
| man | nuna | aíshmanu | ashmang | aíshmang | ashmano | aishmano | aíshmo |
| water | yuma | yumi | yumi | yumi | yume | yumé | yúmi |
| fire | kapal | xi | hí | xi | hi | hí | |
| sun | atsa | átsa | itsã | ítsa | étsa | itsã | |
| maize | xeme | shaʔa | sha | sha | shaya | sha | |
| house | héa | hía | hía | xéa | yéa | hína |
Proto-language
Payne's Proto-Shuar reconstruction is based on data from Shuar, Achuar, Aguaruna, and Huambisa, while his Proto-Shuar-Candoshi reconstruction also integrates data from Candoshi and Shapra.For reconstructions of Proto-Shuar and Proto-Shuar-Candoshi by Payne, see the corresponding Spanish article.