Tupian languages


The Tupi or Tupian language family comprises some 70 languages spoken in South America, of which the best known are Tupi proper and Guarani.

Homeland and ''urheimat''

Rodrigues considers the Proto-Tupian urheimat to be somewhere between the Guaporé and Aripuanã rivers, in the Madeira River basin. Much of this area corresponds to the modern-day state of Rondônia, Brazil. Five of the ten Tupian branches are found in this area, as well as some Tupi–Guarani languages, making it the probable urheimat of these languages and maybe of its speaking peoples. Rodrigues believes the Proto-Tupian language dates back to around 3,000 BC.

Language contact

Tupian languages have extensively influenced many language families in South America. Jolkesky notes that there are lexical similarities with the Arawa, Bora-Muinane, Guato, Irantxe, Jivaro, Karib, Kayuvava, Mura-Matanawi, Taruma, Trumai, Yanomami, Harakmbet, Katukina-Katawixi, Arawak, Bororo, Karaja, Macro-Mataguayo-Guaykuru, Takana, Nadahup, and Puinave-Kak language families due to contact.

History, members and classification

When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, they found that wherever they went along the vast coast of South America, most of the indigenous peoples spoke similar languages. Jesuit missionaries took advantage of these similarities, systematizing common standards then named línguas gerais, which were spoken in that region until the 19th century. The best known and most widely spoken of these languages was Old Tupi, a modern descendant of which is still used today by indigenous peoples around the Rio Negro region, where it is known as Nheengatu, or the "good language". However, the Tupi family also comprises other languages.
In the neighbouring Spanish colonies, Guarani, another Tupian language closely related to Old Tupi, had a similar history, but managed to resist the spread of Spanish more successfully than Tupi resisted Portuguese. Today, Guarani has seven million speakers, and is one of the official languages of Paraguay. The Tupian family also includes several other languages with fewer speakers. These share irregular morphology with the Je and Carib families, and Rodrigues connects them all as a Je–Tupi–Carib family.

Rodrigues & Cabral (2012)

Rodrigues & Cabral list ten branches of Tupian, which cluster into Western Tupian and Eastern Tupian. Within Western and Eastern Tupian, the most divergent branches are listed first, followed by the core branches.
Meira and Drude posit a branch uniting Mawé and Aweti with Tupi-Guarani, also known as Maweti-Guarani. Purubora may form a branch together with Ramarama.

Jolkesky (2016)

Internal classification by Jolkesky :
  • Tupi family
  • *Arikem
  • **Arikem
  • **Karitiana
  • *Monde
  • **Paiter
  • **Monde, Nuclear
  • ***Monde
  • ***Cinta-Larga-Zoro
  • ****Arua
  • ****Cinta-Larga
  • ****Gavião; Zoro
  • *Ramarama-Purubora
  • **Purubora
  • **Ramarema: Karo; Urumi
  • *Tupari
  • **Makurap
  • **Tupari, Nuclear
  • ***Sakurabiat-Akuntsu
  • ****Akuntsu
  • ****Sakurabiat
  • ***Kepkiriwat
  • ***Tupari
  • ***Wayoro
  • *Tupi, Nuclear
  • **Juruna
  • ***Juruna
  • ***Manitsawa
  • ***Shipaya
  • **Munduruku
  • ***Kuruaya
  • ***Munduruku
  • **Mawe-Aweti-Tupi-Guarani
  • ***Satere-Mawe
  • ***Aweti-Tupi-Guarani
  • ****Aweti
  • ****'''Tupi-Guarani'''

    Galucio et al. (2015)

Galucio et al. give the following phylogenetic tree of Tupian, based on a computational phylogenetic analysis.
  • Tupian
  • *Western
  • **Karo; Puruborá
  • **Mondé
  • ***Suruí
  • ***Nuclear Mondé
  • ****Salamãy
  • ****Aruá; Gavião, Zoró
  • *Eastern
  • **Arikém
  • ***Karitiána
  • **Tuparí
  • ***Makuráp
  • ***Nuclear Tuparí
  • ****Akuntsú, Mekéns
  • ****Wayoró, Tuparí
  • **Mundurukú
  • ***Mundurukú
  • ***Kuruáya
  • **Jurúna
  • ***Jurúna
  • ***Xipáya
  • **Mawetí–Guaraní
  • ***Mawé
  • ***Awetí–Guaraní
  • ****Awetí
  • ****Tupí–Guaraní
  • *****Parintintín
  • *****Tapirapé; Urubú-Ka'apór, ''Paraguayan Guaraní''

    Vocabulary

lists the following basic vocabulary items.
LanguageBranchheadeartoothhandonetwothreewomanwaterfirestonemaizetapir
TupiTupia-kangnambitáñapópeteĩmokoĩmbohapüikuñáütatáitáabaitapüíra
TupinambaTupia-kánnambüráñapóangepémokoinmusaputkuñáütatáitáauvatitapirusu
PotiguáraTupia-kanganambitanhain-bóoyepemokoymosapürkuñaüütataːitaː
ÑeéngatuTupia-kanganamütañapóyepémokoinmusapeirekuñanüügtatáitáauatitapira
GuaraníGuaraníãkannambiapen-kunpópeteĩmokõimbohapykuñáütatáitáavatítapií
ApapokúvaGuaranípóaépimokõimoapikuñaütatá
ChiripáGuaranírakãnambiaépiütataavatimborevi
CainguáGuaraníakánambikúpópeteinmókoinmbohapikoñáütatáitáavachimborevi
MbyáGuaraníche-ahkáchen-nambühche-raincheh-pópeteímokoimboapükuñaütatáitáavachitapií
CanoeirosGuaraníeaushmãde-póuainviügitáavashi
ShetáGuaranizedsh-akache-nambitienaiche-pómatinkammokoiñiirukuñáütatăitáavachitapi
"S. Dourados"Guaranizedñ-ãkaelaːmenénaieː-pouaːimoːgaimágateikoːñahoːñeagel'áiːtánutyatelaːgoi
GuayaquíGuaranizedni-akanambiãi-páeteyãmenotanãkuñaüdadáitáwatémberevi
TapirapéTapirapédzyane-akángadzyane-inamídzyane-roidzyane-póanchepémukúimãpítkudzáütatáitáawachítapiíra
KamayuráKamayuráye-akangye-namiye-naiye-poyepetemokoimoapitkuñaütataitaavatsitapiít
AwitíKamayuráapotinte-yambeinte-ngui-pomayepetemonkóimunitarukakuñáütaraitaavachitapií
ArawinéKamayuráne-namiye-po
AnambéParáa-kángahä-nambise-rañapóyanäpomukuẽmuhapikuñaütataitaawattapiri
TakuñapéParákuñátatáikatapií
GuajajáraNorthernakãsane-inamúe-raisane-pómetéimukúinairúikuñãütatáitáawachítapiíra
TembéNorthernhe-akãhe-namihe-ráihe-pópeteimokuimoãpikuzáütatáitáawachitapihir
ManajéNorthernhe-akühe-namíhe-rĩhe-póchipeimokúmoapikuyiütatáitáawachítapihi
TuriwáraNorthernne-akángane-namine-ráĩne-pópeteimokoimoapirikuñáüatatáitáawachitapiíra
KaaporNorthernne-kangnambine-roin-pópeteimukoinoapírekuzaügtataitátapira
MakiríCentral Iai-akángái-namíái-ráingái-póaipitémokoíngmoapétkuñáihtatáavatítapiít
KayabíCentral Iparmióoyepamokoikuñáauütatáuachi
KawahybCentral Iae-akángae-namíae-ráiae-pooyepémokõiirumaékuñáütatáabachitapiít
ParintintinCentral IIae-akángae-nambíae-raiae-poeyepémokoĩkuñáiütatáitakíavatétapiíd
WirafédCentral IIai-akánai-namíai-raiaí-poayipemokoikuñáüütatáitáabasítapiít
TakwatípCentral IIai-kángaai-namiai-rainai-póayepeːimokoːinkuñáüatatáabatítapi
DawahibCentral IIay-akanay-nambíay-rãiay-põãpkákunyaüütatáitátapiíra
CatuquinarúCentral IItaka-súsañapunüuhehü
OyampiGuianaea-kangi-namie-ráñné-popesimukuguemapurnimeneheːtataitaabatitapiira
EmerillonGuianaé-ankangé-námié-raié-pomozepémokoñemaʔapuitwaimidihtataauasi
ApiakáGuianaai-kanaai-nembíaai-rañaai-poamayupémokõñboapuikoñáihtataritaauasitapüra
OmaguaAmazonasyakónámisáypóawépimokwéshemosaprökeuainúúnitátaitákeawátitapíra
CocamaAmazonasyakönámidzáipúwawípimokoíkamotsapwökawáinaúnitátaitákiabatitapíra
CocamillaAmazonasyákönámitsáipúauípimokuíkamotsapölikawáinaúnidzataidzákiawáchitapíra
ChiriguanoChiriguanoankãnámbihaide-pópentimbokuimbapuikúñaütatáitáavatímboreví
GuarayoChiriguanoche-ãkache-nambíche-raíche-pónyepeĩnyueniómosapĩkuñáütatáitáavatímborevi
PausernaChiriguanoakánambirahüpóomonopedomokóehebüekúreütatáitáahuati
TapietéChiriguanoy-ankaya-nimbiya-ninayya-ndepopentémonkémaʔaptapipéötataitakíoatiorebi
ChanéChiriguanose-ãkáse-ndambíse-rãise-pómompetímokoimboapiarekóvaütatáítaavatíboreví
SirionoChiriguanoe-ãnkĩe-isae-rẽye-oekomiĩnedemudedemukuñainetaténitaibashieãnkwãntoy
JoraChiriguanoãchakádéchatuetúintatáyiwityuáshingitíd
YurunaYurunase-tabáyashiugáse-yanuváduáyonauánauámbokuñáiyáashíkoapámakatítõá
ShipayaYurunatabáenshugáoayáuvuámemébidámévauuamiáiyáashíkuapasámakatimasaká
ManitsauáYurunanaibuáhuangákuñáhidarúhadzúitamaidzú
MundurucúMundurucúwaáwa-naibéwoi-noiwo-ipopantáshepsheptáchebapitáawiyáhütashawitáamuirarápiho
CuruayaMundurucúuásauampíñaibidáporákãteboazemáuütitiwítaʔamárabíu
MawéMawéu-yakídau-yahapéu-háĩu-ipóenduptépuimuénoñañáüüärianoawatíwewató
ItogapúcItogapúcn-akán-akiribeyãiparobémutíremyagarekómpairóbtemmapáiichichanáiyánayáiti
RamaramaItogapúcn-akiribéniãngi-pabémapoiautiitianáiánaniannató
UrumíItogapúcin-akáin-akurapei-pabeuenakaveuishirangeitamaiunshamonnoiábá
UrukúItogapúcóña-ákáon-aküravéi-pábemotíremyegárokumpagodnóbtemvocháiichíchanáyáanáyanatoː
AraraItogapúcmotüremyegárkomkoirẽm
ArikémArikémarisábañãyapumundápapatámmoyúmuspáraesésomiisoángiyóiruba
CaritianaArikémrisoponoñnobisamseːisoːpomoirípo
MacurápMacurápwakaräteua-pishevétau-ñamñemowõteuéreːketnemtutéarapíñamihiuchaékiatitiyahi
KanuaMacurápki-aneːmuwa-pitátki-nyaio-pokitsätürükwaikärumanamínaäküitaːtʔheːkatsitsikwayatsu
GuratégajaMacurápki-anämkí-apitátki-nyaiki-puanákitsäteːrekwaikiäanaminaikiutaːtäk
KabishianaMacurápniaíno-popíikí
WayoroMacurápyáne-vapápo-nyaino-pitabkiétderätwärehätaramiráögöagukápäkatitíikuáit
ApichumMacurápo-pitabo-nyono-neboanaminaügükapäkügükabäk
TupariMacurápápabaábtsiñainpoːkíämhürühürünoːmãramĩrãyükoːbkaːbäkopabtakara
KepkeriwátKepkeriwátu-akãinu-apiái-ñãinbapanguexatétesete-panguebuhiamãnigarämbiokzyaoːpáuíto
MondéMondéa-ndaráu-nanimbéu-imamba-béamakimparasherámpaiwutwuymanzetükaingekmaikeːuasá
SanamaicaMondéhũ-ndáanambiaph'-ĩnhũ-mábémúnpalisharúwaikunchipakchíükaːiämaʔäwaːsaː
AruáMondépan-atpan-itiwäpan-yĩnpan-awämiːnbusáwauːmükaʔinäk
DigütMondépan-dátním-piabnĩbabémanzéyãipávapokáingdzábmáinkinwachá
AruáshiMondésham-yakübshon-yainbumansätükainäk