Catuquinaru language


Catuquinaru or Catuquinarú is the extinct and unclassified language of the Catuquinaru tribe of Brazil, preserved in a few words collected by Jose Bach and published by G. E. Church in 1898. The name is a common derivative of Catuquina. Loukotka, among others, includes it among the Tupi languages, describing the people as Tupinized Catuquina. However, the little preserved vocabulary does not resemble that of the Tupi languages, Catuquinan languages, or Panoan languages.

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968)

The following words are given by Loukotka:
GlossCatuquinarú
headtaka-su
toothsaña
handpunü
wateruhehü

Church (1898)

The original vocabulary is as follows:
GlossCatuquinarú
headtacasú
hairanahé
eyescesá
nosetinoá
mouthagahó
teethcanha
neckyayoruá
breastputia
shoulderscopey
armyanó
stomachmaricau
eyebrowsnamÿ
legsgetemaupú
feetpihú
handspunÿ
house/malocaocausú
white man/Christiancarynosú
large boatmoracatÿ
hammock/netouÿsauarusú
arrowsuhÿnasú
bowuhÿnarasúcó
poison for arrowsorarÿ
earthen potcomatÿnú
copal gumananÿ
wateruhehÿ

Some recorded phrases are as follows:
Guabila-guateli-téna? 'What tribe do you belong to?'
Amago-hépÿ 'We belong to this'
Acó 'No, I don't want it, I am not agreed'
Honaytÿ 'I want it, I accept'
Bach reported that the Catuquinaru used a coded version of their language to communicate over distances of up to 1.5 km via drums called cambarysus.