Bora–Witoto languages

Bora–Witóto (also Bora–Huitoto, Bora–Uitoto, or, ambiguously, Witotoan) is a proposal to unite the Boran and Witotoan language families of southwestern Colombia (Amazonas Department) and neighboring regions of Peru and Brazil. Kaufman (1994) added the Andoque language.

Bora–Witóto
Witotoan
(controversial)
Geographic
distribution		northwestern Amazon
Linguistic classificationProposed language family
Subdivisions
GlottologNone

Family division

Kaufman (1994) lists Bóran and Witótoan (Huitoto–Ocaina) as separate families (they are grouped together with Andoque as Bora–Witótoan; by 2007 he moved Andoque to Witotoan). (Note that Andoque was later demonstrated to be part of the Andoque–Urequena family.)

Genetic relations

Aschmann (1993) proposed Bora–Witoto as a connection between the Boran and Witotoan language families. Echeverri & Seifart (2016) refute the connection.

Kaufman (2007) includes Bora-Witoto in his Macro-Andean proposal, and added the Andoque language to the Witotoan family.[1] (Aschmann had considered Andoque a language isolate.) These proposals have not been accepted by other linguists. Gildea and Payne (2007) checked Bora-Witoto with Andoque, Proto-Cariban and Yagua, and found Bora-Witoto to be not related to any of the others.

Mason (1950: 236–238) groups Bora–Witoto, Tupian, and Zaparoan together as part of a proposed Macro-Tupí-Guaranían family.[2]

Vocabulary

Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Proto-Bora-Muinane (i.e., Proto-Boran), Bora, Proto-Witotoan, Witoto, and Andoque.

glossProto-Bora-Muinane[3]Bora[4]Proto-Witotoan[5]Witoto[4]Andoque[4]
head *niga-ɨnīːkʷàɯ̀ɨɸogɨ-tai
hair *-hee-níːkʷākōɨɸotɨraɨka-tai ʌka-be
eye *aʤɨ-ɨācɯ̄ːuˑɨθɨ-ʔákʌ
ear *nɨ()-meeʔunɯ́mɨ̄̇ō ?**()poheɸo-bei
nose *tɨhɨ-ʔuTɨ́hɨ̄̇ò*topo-(ʔ)doɸo-pɤta
tooth *iʔgaiíʔkʷāhɨ̀ ?**iiʔ-gi-()iθido-kódi
tongue *nehenɨ́ːhɨ̄̇ʔkʷā ?**()peiɨɸe-sodɤ̃
mouth *i-hɨīʔhʲɯ̀**(-)po(e)ɸue-ɸi
hand *ʔutʦeōhtsɨ̄̇onoɟɨ-dobi
foot *ttɨʔaaimēhtíā**(ï)ta() (lower leg)eˑɨɟɨ-dʌka
breast *mɨppaino**xebae-gaï-ɲeé
meat *ʔookuu, *duuéːkóɟɨkɨθi-ɤ̃ta
blood *tɨɨ**tï-xë(ʔe)dɨe-duʔs
bone *bakkɨp̻āhkɯ̄iɟaikɨ-tadɤ̃
person *m()a-mɨnaa-ppi (sg.), *m()a-mɨnaa (pl.)kʷàhp̻ìɨimaʝóʔhʌ
name *momo**maimemamekɨ-ti
dog *ʔuuʔiōíp̻ʲē**xï̄ʔkohɨkoĩɲõ
fish āmōmèɟɨkɨaɨbei
louse *gaaini-ʔukʷāánīɨbomatáʔsi
tree *ɨmo-ʔoɯ̄mèè ?**(aï)me()amenakɤ̃́ʔɤ̃dɤ
leaf *-ʔaameɨ́nāʔámɨ̄̇rabe-sedɤ̃
flower θaɸia
water *nɨ-ppai()unēhp̻ākʲō**nō-()hɨnuidúʔu
fire *kɨɨhɨ-gaikɯ́ːhɯ̄kʷāiraiʌʔpa
stone néékʷājī**goti-noɸɨkɨɸisi
earth *hiinɨ-heìīɲɯ̀*xáénï̄ʔ-xëenɨeɲṍʔĩ
salt *ɨmo**(ï)xaidzaï(ga)ɨaiθaɨ
road **(na)xï̄()naˑɨθodubɤ, õbɤ
eat *matʧu**d(o)ʔ, **gōī(ne)guite-baʔi-
die *gihe-βobaˑɨdeĩ-hʌ́ʌ-
I *uuōō**(k)ōō-xe(ʔe)kueo-ʔɤ
you *ɨɨ**ō-xe(ʔe)oha-ʔɤ

References
  1. Kaufman, Terrence. 2007. South America. In: R. E. Asher and Christopher Moseley (eds.), Atlas of the World’s Languages (2nd edition), 59–94. London: Routledge.
  2. Mason, J. Alden. 1950. The languages of South America. In: Julian Steward (ed.), Handbook of South American Indians, Volume 6, 157–317. (Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143.) Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
  3. Seifart, Frank, & Echeverri, Juan Alvaro (2015). Proto Bora-Muinane. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas, 15(2), 279-311. doi:10.20396/liames.v15i2.8642303
  4. González de Pérez, María Setlla (ed). 2000. Lenguas indígenas de Colombia: una visión descriptiva. Bogotá: Instituto Caro y Cuervo.
  5. Aschmann, Richard P. (1993). Proto Witotoan. Publications in linguistics (No. 114). Arlington, TX: SIL & the University of Texas at Arlington.

Bibliography
  • Aschmann, Richard P. (1993). Proto Witotoan. Publications in linguistics (No. 114). Arlington, TX: SIL & the University of Texas at Arlington.
  • Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
  • Echeverri, Juan Alvaro & Frank Seifart. (2016). Proto-Witotoan: A re-evaluation of the distant genealogical relationship between the Boran and Witotoan linguistic families.
  • Gildea, Spike and Doris Payne. (2007). Is Greenberg's "Macro-Carib" viable? Bol. Mus. Para. Emílio Goeldi. Ciencias Humanas, Belém, v. 2, n. 2, p. 19-72, May-Aug. 2007 Online version: http://www.museu-goeldi.br/editora/bh/artigos/chv2n2_2007/Greenbergs(gildea).pdf
  • Greenberg, Joseph H. (1987). Language in the Americas. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  • Kaufman, Terrence. (1990). Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more. In D. L. Payne (Ed.), Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages (pp. 13–67). Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-70414-3.
  • Kaufman, Terrence. (1994). The native languages of South America. In C. Mosley & R. E. Asher (Eds.), Atlas of the world's languages (pp. 46–76). London: Routledge.
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