Tarairiú language
Tarairiú is an extinct language of eastern Brazil. The Tarairiú Nation was divided into several etnies: the Janduí, Kanindé, Payakú, Jenipapo, Jenipapo-Kanindé, Javó, Kamaçu, Takarijú, Ariús, Pêgas, Caratiús, Coremas, Panatís, Paratiós, Piancós, Xukurú among others.
It was once spoken between the Assu, [Rio Grande do Norte|Assú] River and Apodi River in Rio Grande do Norte.
Classification
The language is attested only through a few word lists. A few words resemble those of neighboring Kariri and Xukuru languages, but not enough to support a genealogical connection. Kaufman reports that "not even Greenberg dares classify this language".Varieties
Below is a list of extinct Tarairiú language varieties listed by Loukotka, including names of unattested varieties.- Xoró - once spoken on the Apodi River, state of Rio Grande do Norte.
- Janduí - once spoken between the Apodi River and Açú River, Rio Grande do Norte.
- Payakú - once spoken in Rio Grande do Norte in the Serra do Coité, Serra de São Bento and Serra Calabouço between the Jaguaribe River and Apodi River.
- Panatí - once spoken in the state of Paraíba in the Serra Panatí and near Villaflor.
- Miñari - once spoken in the valley of the Apodi River, Rio Grande do Norte.
- Panahi - language of the neighbors of the Miñari tribe, Rio Grande do Norte.
- Canindé - once spoken at the sources of the Choró River, state of Ceará.
- Genipapo - Portuguese name of an extinct language on the Choró River.
- Camamu - once spoken on the Acaraú River, Ceará.
- Itañá / Baturité - once spoken in the Serra de Baturité, Ceará.
- Candodú - language of a neighboring tribe of the Jucá, Quixetó and Caratiú.
- Caratiú - once spoken at the sources of the Poti River and in the valley of the Triá River, Ceará.
- Camasú - once spoken in Ceará state at the sources of the Acaratí-guasú River
- Acriú - once spoken on the left bank of the Acaraná River, Ceará.
- Anasé - spoken in Ceará, on the right bank of the Acaraú River.
Vocabulary
Some of the recorded words:| Gloss | Tarairiú |
| 'water' | teu |
| 'fire' | kiro-kia, intoá |
| 'stone' | kebra |
| 'head' | kreká |
| 'hair' | unj |
| 'ear' | bandulak |
| 'eye' | pigó |
| 'nose' | korõza |
| 'mouth' | moz |
| 'tooth' | cidolé |
| 'hand' | koreké |
| 'foot' | poyá |
| 'man' | xenupre |
| 'woman' | moela, moéça |
| 'son' | ako |
| 'house' | sok |
| 'eat' | kringó |
| 'sleep' | gonyã |
Resemblances with Macro-Jê languages are in kebra 'stone', kreká 'head', koreké 'hand', and poyá 'foot'. Resemblances with Xukuru are kiro- 'fire', kringó 'eat', sok 'house'.
Loukotka gives three words in Tarairiú:
- agh 'sun'
- kén 'stone'
- ake 'tobacco'