# Chicham languages

The Chicham languages, also known as Jivaroan (Hívaro, Jívaro, Jibaro) is a small language family of northern Peru and eastern Ecuador.

## Family division

Chicham consists of four languages:
    1. Shuar
    2. Achuar-Shiwiar
    3. Awajun
    4. Huambisa
This language family is spoken in Amazonas, Cajamarca, Loreto, and San Martin, Peru and the Oriente region of Ecuador.

### Mason (1950)

Internal classification of the Chicham languages by Mason (1950):
* Chicham
** Aguaruna
*** Alapico
*** Indanza
*** Iransa
*** Maranza
*** Santiago
*** Patocuma
*** Chiguasa
*** Yuganza
** Wambisa
*** Uambisa
*** Cherembo
*** Chirapa
*** Chiwando
*** Candoa
*** Cangaime
*** Mangosisa
** Achuale
*** Capawari
*** Copatasa
*** Machine
*** Pindu
*** Wampoya
** Antipa
** Maca
*** Walakisa
*** Zamora
*** Pintuc
*** Ayuli
*** Morona
*** Miazal
** Upano
** Bolona
** Bracamoro (Pacamuru)

### Jolkesky (2016)

Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):
(† = extinct)
* Jivaro
** Aguaruna
** Palta †
** Jivaro, Nuclear
*** Achuar-Shiwiar
*** Wambisa
*** Shuar

## Genetic relations

The extinct Palta language was classified as Chicham by Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño about 1940 and was followed by Čestmír Loukotka. However, only a few words are known, and Kaufman (1994) states that there is "little resemblance".
The most promising external connections are with the Cahuapanan languages and perhaps a few other language isolates in proposals variously called Jívaro-Cahuapana (Hívaro-Kawapánan) (Jorge Suárez and others) or Macro-Jibaro or Macro-Andean (Morris Swadesh and others, with Cahuapanan, Urarina, Puelche, and maybe Huarpe).
The unclassified language Candoshi has also been linked to Chicham, as David Payne (1981) provides reconstructions for Proto-Shuar as well as Proto-Shuar-Candoshi. However, more recently, linguists have searched elsewhere for Candoshi's relatives.

## Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Quechuan, Kwaza, Taruma, Yanomami, Katukina-Katawixi, Kandoshi, Tupi, and Arawan language families due to contact. This suggests that Chicham had originated further downstream in the Central Amazon region.

## Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Chicham languages.
| gloss | Palta | Shuara | Huambisa | Achual | Gualaquiza | Upano | Aguaruna |
| one | | chikichik | | akítsik | tikichi | shikitiki | tikídyi |
| two | | xímer | | hímer | ximára | himiːra | hima |
| three | | manéndiuk | | kombaːtã | kahvaton | minendu | kampátu |
| head | | múga | | mók | mugwá | múka | mók |
| ear | | kuísh | kuíshi | kuísh | kweche | kuishi | kuwísh |
| tooth | | nér | | náyi | nai | inai | ñái |
| man | nuna | aíshmanu | ashmang | aíshmang | ashmano | aishmano | aíshmo |
| water | yuma | yumi | yumi | yumi | yume | yumé | yúmi |
| fire | kapal | xi | | hí | xi | hi | hí |
| sun | | atsa | átsa | itsã | ítsa | étsa | itsã |
| maize | xeme | shaʔa | | sha | sha | shaya | sha |
| house | | héa | hía | hía | xéa | yéa | hína |

## Proto-language

Payne's (1981) Proto-Shuar reconstruction is based on data from Shuar, Achuar, Aguaruna, and Huambisa, while his Proto-Shuar-Candoshi reconstruction also integrates data from Candoshi and Shapra.
For reconstructions of Proto-Shuar and Proto-Shuar-Candoshi by Payne (1981), see the corresponding Spanish article.