Oti language
The Otí language, also known as Chavante or Euchavante, is a language isolate once spoken in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, between the Peixe River (Tietê River)|Peixe] and Pardo rivers. The language became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. Only a few wordlists are preserved, and Campbell leaves it unclassified due to a paucity of information.
Greenberg classified Oti as a Macro-Ge language, but he provided almost no supporting data and has not been followed by other researchers.
History
The Oti were largely exterminated in the late 19th century out of fear that they were Kaingang. Nimuendajú estimated that there were some 50 Oti in 1890. By 1903, there were only 8, divided between two locations, one a few kilometers east of Indiana and east of Presidente Prudente, between the Peixe and Paranapanema rivers, and one in Platina, some 50 km northwest of Ourinhos. The traditional Oti lands up to 1870 had been located between these two places. In 1988, the last Oti died.
Vocabulary
Loukotka lists the following basic vocabulary items.
Some Otí words given by Nikulin, cited from Quadros, Borba, and Nimuendajú in Ihering. For the original word lists by Quadros and Borba, see the corresponding Portuguese article.