Extinct unclassified language of Brazil
Kambiwá (a.k.a. Cambioá) is an extinct unclassified language of Brazil. A couple dozen words were collected by Wilbur Pickering during the 1960s from two people living in Barreira, Petrolândia, Pernambuco. However, by that time the language had become extinct.[1]
Classification
Apart from two apparent borrowings, none of the words are relatable to known languages. Loukotka (1968) characterized the language as unclassifiable due to lack of data.[2]
Vocabulary
In 1961, two word lists of Kambiwá were collected by Wilbur Pickering from elderly rememberers in Barreira, Petrolândia, Pernambuco. The word lists are published in Meader (1978).[1]
Word list recorded from Manoel de Souza:
Portuguese gloss
(original) |
English gloss
(translated) |
Kambiwá
|
| bebê indígena |
indigenous baby |
ˈkɔ́lúmì
|
| fogo |
fire |
ˈtóὶ
|
| fumo |
smoke |
ˈpɔ́ṛ̃ùi
|
| mulher |
woman |
ˈšíˈtúrù
|
| cachimbo |
smoking pipe |
ˈkákwì / ˈkwákwì
|
| gado |
cattle |
ˈkǫ́ną̀
|
| homem branco (estrangeiro) |
white man (stranger) |
ˈtš̭yářίtš̭yà
|
| negro |
black man |
tãˑˈkážúpì
|
| ovelha |
sheep |
ˈtyápɔsεřε̨
|
| peba |
drink |
ˈr̃úpʌ̨̀ų̀
|
| porco-do-mato |
collared peccary
(Pecari tajacu) |
ˈtų́pàřà
|
| raposa |
fox |
ˈfɔ́iàsà
|
| tamanduá |
tamandua |
ˈfílípį̀
|
| tatu-bola |
Brazilian three-banded armadillo
(Tolypeutes tricinctus) |
ˈkʌ̨́ñíkį̀
|
Word list recorded from an elderly man named Tenoro:
Kambiwá words provided by each informant that differ from each other:
| Portuguese |
English |
Manoel de Souza |
Tenoro
|
| fogo |
fire |
ˈtóὶ |
břázádò (loanword?)
|
| fumo |
smoke |
ˈpɔ́ṛ̃ùi |
pą̃ˈ húì
|
| ovelha |
sheep |
ˈtyápɔsεřε̨ |
púsέˈrὲ̨
|
| porco-do-mato |
peccary |
ˈtų́pàřà |
pǫį
|
References