# Kariri languages

The Karirí languages, generally considered dialects of a single language, are a group of languages formerly spoken by the Kiriri people of Brazil. It was spoken until the middle of the 20th century; the 4,000 ethnic Kiriri are now monolingual Portuguese speakers, though a few know common phrases and names of medicinal plants. A revival of the Dzubukuá variety has been ongoing since 1989.

## History

After the Dutch were expelled from Northeast Brazil in the 17th century, Portuguese settlers rapidly colonized the region, forcing Kariri speakers to become widely dispersed due to forced migrations and resettlement. Hence, Kariri languages became scattered across Paraíba, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, and other states.

## Languages

The four known Kariri languages are:
* Kipeá (Quipea, Kariri)
* Kamurú (Camuru)
* Dzubukuá (Dzubucua, Kiriri)
* Sabujá (Sapoyá, Pedra Branca)
There are short grammatical descriptions of Kipeá and Dzubukuá, and word lists for Kamurú and Sabujá. Ribeiro established through morphological analysis that Kariri is likely to be related to the Jê languages.
The Xocó language is erroneously subsumed under the same ISO 639 code as the Kariri languages.
Mason (1950) lists:
* Kariri
** Cariri
*** Kipea
*** Camurú
*** Dzubucua
*** Pedra Branca
** Sapuya

### Varieties

Below is a full list of Kiriri languages and dialects listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.
* Kariri / Quipea / Cariri - originally spoken in the Serra dos Velhos, Paraíba state, later at the old missions of Missão Velha, Missão Nova, Milagres, Crato, and others, in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco and Ceará. Now entirely extinct, and the survivors speak only Portuguese.
* Kiriri / Dzubucua / Quiriri - extinct language once spoken on the islands of the São Francisco River near Cabrobó, Pernambuco. Now extinct, and the last survivors spoke only Portuguese.
* Sapuyá / Sabuya - extinct language originally spoken in the Serra Chapada, later in Caranguejo, Bahia
* Kamurú - originally spoken on the Pardo River and in Pedra Branca; the last survivors on the Gongogi River spoke only Portuguese.

#### Unattested varieties

* Iñamum - once spoken on the Inhamum Island of the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
* Quesque - once spoken on the Pajeú River, state of Pernambuco. (Unattested)
* Abacatiara - once spoken on an island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
* Icozinho - once spoken around the confluence of the Salgado River and Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Icó - once spoken between the Salgado River, Piranhas River and Peixe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Calabaça - the Portuguese name of an extinct language of the Salgado River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Cariú - once spoken between the Cariús River and Bastiões River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Corema - formerly spoken on the Piancó River, state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
* Jucá - once spoken south of the sources of the Jaguaribe River and near Arneiroz, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Ichú / Ansus - once spoken on the sources of the Salgado River in the state of Ceará. (Unattested)
* Ariú / Peba - extinct language formerly spoken on the Piranhas River and Sabugi River in the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
* Bultrin - extinct language of the Serra da Borborema of the state of Paraíba. (Unattested)
* Quixexeu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Quixelu - once spoken on the Jaguaribe River, Ceará. (Unattested)
* Aracapa - extinct language once spoken on Aracapa Island in the São Francisco River, Pernambuco. (Unattested)
Tumbalalá [pt], now extinct, is an effectively unattested and unclassified language, but words for Tumbalalá ritual objects used in their traditional toré religion appear to be of Kariri origin, namely pujá, kwaqui, and cataioba.

## Other languages called Kariri

The names Kariri and Kiriri were applied to many peoples over a wide area in the east of Brazil, in the lower and middle São Francisco River area and further north. Most of their now-extinct languages are too poorly known to classify, but what is recorded does not suggest that they were all members of the Kariri family. Examples are:
* Katembri (Kiriri, Kariri, Kariri de Mirandela [near Banzaê and Quijingue in Bahia])
** Kaufman (1990) classified it as Katembri–Taruma.
* Xukurú (Kirirí, Kirirí-Xokó [in the Serra do Urubá of Pesqueira, Pernambuco])
** Loukotka (1968) says this forms a small family with Paratió.
* Xocó (Xokó, Chocó [in Sergipe], Kariri-Xocó, Kariri-Shoko, Cariri-Chocó [in Alagoas], Xukuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Kariri, Xucuru-Cariri [in Alagoas])
** Three populations. Not clear if this was one language or three. In the Porto Real do Colégio and Palmeira dos Índios areas of Alagoas.
Other nearby language isolates and language families:
* Natú (in the area of Porto Real do Colégio, Alagoas)
* Wakoná (Aconã) (in Penedo, Alagoas) (unattested)
* Wasu (in Joaquim Gomes, Alagoas) (unattested)
* Pankararú (in Brejo dos Padres, Tacaratu, Pernambuco)
* Tuxá (in Rodelas, Bahia)
* Truká (in Cabrobó, Pernambuco) (unattested)
* Kapinawá (in Buíque, Pernambuco) (unattested)
* Wamoé (Atikum) (in the Serra Negra of Pernambuco and surroundings)
* Kambiwá (in Barreira, Petrolândia, Pernambuco)
* Yaté (Fulniô) (in Águas Belas, Pernambuco)
* Baenan (near Itaju, Bahia)
* Kaimbé (in Caimbé, Euclides da Cunha, Bahia)
* Kamakã languages (in Bahia and Minas Gerais states)
** Masakará (in Massacará, Euclides da Cunha, Bahia and Mirandela, Banzaê, Bahia)
* Tarairiú (in Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states)
* Tremembé (in Ceará and surroundings) (unattested)
* Gamela (in Viana, Maranhão)
The Maxakalían, Krenák (Botocudo, Aimoré), and Purían families, which are probable Macro-Jê languages, are spoken further to the south in Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states.

## Language contact

Ramirez et al. (2015) notes that Kariri languages display some lexical similarities with Cariban languages. Similarities with Katembri (also known as Kariri of Mirandela or Kaimbé) may be due to either a Kariri superstratum or substratum in Katembri.

## Syntax

Unlike most Macro-Jê languages which are SOV, Karirí languages are verb-initial (VSO) and make use of prepositions.

## Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Kariri languages.
    glossQuipeaDzubucuaSapuyaKamurú ear beñebeñépenixbenyen tooth dzadzazázah tongue nunununúnunünunuh hand amísamusangmusoémusang water dzuisúdzúdzu stone krokrokro sun ukieuxeuchéuchih moon kayakukayakúgayakúgayakúh star batibathübathübatthüh tree bewótsitsui tobacco badzepaewipoyú pot ruñu
Kiriri word list recorded by Wilbur Pickering in 1961 from João Manoel Domingo of Mirandela, Banzaê, Bahia:
    Portuguese gloss (original)English gloss (translated)Kiriri águawatersoˈdε̨ barrigabellymudu cabeçaheadkʌ̨sʌˈbu cachorrodogpoiˈo carne de boibeefkřaˈzɔ casahomekɔkɔtataˈpʌ̨ιnˈtεu cobrasnakeˈuʌ̨ŋgiu dentesteethuiˈsa fogofireřuˈɔ infɔiŋkiřiři fumosmokeboˈze línguatongueˈtʌ̨naˈdu mandiocacassavatokyʌ̨ milhocornpaiˈ hεkinikři milho verdegreen cornniˈkři mulherwomantʌ̨nʌˈzu nariznoselʌmbiˈzu olhoseyesuˈipɔ onçajaguarkosoˈbu inšiˈato orelhasearskombεˈñuy papagaioparrotɔřoɔ pertonearkřaˈbo pésfootbʌbεiˈu salsaltˈįñʌ̨ñį solsunbuˈzofɔˈši sujodirtyikřε velhooldšiˈbɔ abóborapumpkinkřuñaˈvɔ (está) alegre(be) happysιsιˈkři andar no matogo into the bushdořoˈřo ave (arapuá)type of birdkakiki ave (inambu)tinamouhoiˈpa batatapotatobřuziˈřundada bater (?)hit (?)dɔˈpɔ brancowhiteˈkařai cachimbosmoking pipepaˈu camaleãochameleonbodoˈyo carregadoloadedpεdiˈpi cavalohorsekabaˈřu comida gostosadelicious foodduˈhε coxathighˈkokulˈdu criaçãocreationbuzuřu cutiaagoutifoiˈpřu dedosfingerspoˈmɔdoˈi deusGodtuˈpo dinheiromoneykεiˈu emarheabuˈʌ̨ faca (arco?)knife (bow?)uˈza feijãobeanbřuˈzohɔˈši um tipo de frutaa type of fruitcom miolocorekɔˈpε gatocatpʌñ̨ ɔ ̨ índioIndianʌ̨ˈį jabutired-footed tortoise or yellow-footed tortoisesamˈbo jacu (ave)jacu (Penelope bird)kakika joelhokneekɔkabεkε maltrapilhoperson wearing shabby clotheshundiřɔ mancolameuʌnˈtyɔ melãomelonpřεˈzεnuda mentiralie (not truth)zoˈpřε muita gentemany peopledodoˈši muito obrigadoThank you very much.buřεˈdu poio mulher bonitabeautiful womankařabuˈšε pebadrinkbεˈřɔ peneirarsiftkoha pessoa amarelayellow personkřuaˈřʌ̨ pessoa vermelhared personbεřoˈhε pestanaeyelashpʌ̨nadu pretoblackšεŋˈgε quadrilhipkaiuˈε quaticoatiˈbizaui quentehotdaˈsả raposafoxiaˈka rasoshallowˈtařořo sacolabagdoˈbε senesenilebɔdɔkɔpři surdodeafˈbεñamu tamanduátamanduaiaˈzu tatuarmadilloˈbuzuku urubuvultureˈkikɔ veadodeerbuko verdadetruthfiˈzo à vontademake yourself at homenεˈta (está) zangado(be) angrypɔkεˈdε

## Loanwords

Eastern Macro-Jê loanwords in Kariri languages:
    glossKipeáDzubukuáother languages beansghinhéguenhiegiñá (Kotoxó) hammockpitépittapita (Coroado) Black persongoráengorá (Krenák) swamp, marshpôhôpohok (Maxakalí) cow, cattlecradzócradzokrazo ‘tapir’ (Masakará) tobaccobadzébadzebosé ‘tobacco pipe’ (Coroado)
Tupinambá loanwords in Kariri languages:
    glossKipeáDzubukuáTupinambáother Eastern Macro-Jê languages needleawíabiMaxakalí ãmix bananabacobápacovaCoroado bacóba White personcaraícaraicaraíbaIatê klai, Krenák krai boxcramemúcaramẽmuã domestic pigcurécurêKrenák kurek pumpkinerumújurumũ, jeremũPurí šurumúm ‘potato’ breadmiapémiapé beadsmyghýmuihimboýra oilnhendínianddinhandy benchpycáapycába chicken, hensabucádapuca(güyra)ssapucáia Black persontapanhútapwinhiutapyyiúnaCoroado tabañiú, Makoni tapagnon, Malalí tapagnon Black persontapyýiaIatê tupia hoetasíitassýraMaxakalí taxunna moneytayútayuitajúbaMaxakalí tayũmak GodtupãtupamtupãMaxakalí topa, Krenák kupan, Coroado tupan priestwarépadzuareabaréMaxakalí ãmãnex, Macuni amattèih, Coroado uáre, Masakará ampari mirrorwaruáguaruguá sugarcane millwirapararãybyrapararánga firearmmbocabaCoroado bokawa manioc tortillambejuCoroado bišu ‘manioc’ cow, cattletapiiraCoroado tapira, Malalí tapiet maizeabatiKrenák javati demonanhanga, anhangüeraCoroado nhawuera dogjaguaraCoroado džoàra
Portuguese loanwords in Kariri languages borrowed via Tupinambá and other intermediate sources:
    glossKipeáDzubukuáPossible intermediate sourcesPortugueseother Macro-Jê languages goatcabarácabaracabará (Tupinambá)cabra horsecabarúcavarú (Tupinambá)cavaloCoroado kawarú, Cotoxó cavaró crosscrusácrudzácurussá (Tupinambá)cruzIatê klusa devilnhewóniẽwoniñavoo (Kapoxó)diabo paperpaperapapelIatê wapela, Coroado tapera