# Chimane language

Chimané (Tsimaneʼ) is a South American language isolate. Some dialects are known as Mosetén (Mosetén of Santa Ana, Mosetén of Covendo). Chimane is a language of the western Bolivian lowlands spoken by the Tsimane peoples along the Beni River and the region around San Borja in the Department of Beni (Bolivia). Sakel (2004) classifies them as two languages for a number of reasons, yet some of the variants of the language are mutually intelligible and they reportedly have no trouble communicating (Ethnologue 16) and were evidently a single language separated recently through cultural contact (Campbell 2000).

## Status

The dialects of Tsimaneʼ are in different sociolinguistic situations. Covendo Mosetén has around 600 speakers, while Santa Ana Mosetén only has around 150-200 speakers. Both of these dialects are fading quickly, and almost all speakers of these dialects are bilingual in Spanish. Only older speakers maintain use of the language without Spanish influence. Tsimaneʼ proper, on the other hand, has at least 4,000 speakers, and the number of speakers is growing. In addition, the majority of speakers of Tsimaneʼ proper are monolingual. The Mosetén were in contact with missions for almost 200 years, while the Tsimaneʼ have remained isolated for much longer, thus leading the Tsimaneʼ to preserve their customs and traditions, including language, much more than the Mosetén.

## Classification

Mosetenan has no obvious relatives among the languages of South America. There is some lexicon shared with Puquina and the Uru–Chipaya languages, but these appear to be borrowings. Morris Swadesh suggested a Moseten–Chon relationship, which Suárez provided evidence for in the 1970s, and with which Kaufman (1990) is sympathetic.

## Dialects

Dialects listed by Mason (1950):
* Chimane dialects
** Moseten
*** Amo
*** Aparono
*** Cunana
*** Chumpa
*** Magdaleno
*** Punnucana
*** Rache
*** Muchanes
*** Tucupi
** Chimane
*** Chimaniza
*** Chumano
*** Nawazi-Monlji
Tsimane’ /tsi'maneʔ/ and Mosetén /mose'ten/ are self-designations that refer to both the language and ethnic group. Chimanes also refer to their language as tsunsi’ĉan /tsɨnt'siʔkhan/ ‘in our (language)’, while Mosetenes also refer to their language as tsinsi’ mik /tsint'si mik/ ‘our language’. As a dialect continuum, dialects of Chimane-Mosetén include Covendo Mosetén (500–800 speakers), spoken in the village of Covendo; Santa Ana Mosetén (150–200 speakers); and Chimane (12,500–15,000 speakers). Covendo is a more remote village that is predominantly ethnic Mosetén, while Santa Ana Mosetén (located between Covendo Mosetén and Chimane) is spoken in Santa Ana, which has many Spanish speakers who have moved from other parts of Bolivia. Chimane is still vigorously spoken, while Mosetén is highly endangered.$^{:303}$

## Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Uru-Chipaya, Yurakare, and Pano language families due to contact.

## Phonology

Tsimaneʼ has 5 vowels:
Vowels :
| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i | | |
| Close-mid | e | | o |
| Mid | | ə | |
| Open | | a | |
Tsimaneʼ has 24 consonants:
Consonants :
| | | Labial | Alveolar | Alveolar | Post-alv./ Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| | | Labial | plain | pal. | Post-alv./ Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | ɲ | | |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | tʲ | | k | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | dʲ | | | |
| Plosive | aspirated | pʰ | | | | kʰ | |
| Affricate | plain | | t͡s | | t͡ʃ | | |
| Affricate | aspirated | | t͡sʰ | | t͡ʃʰ | | |
| Fricative | Fricative | f | s | | ʃ | | h |
| Approximant | Approximant | ʋ | | | j | | |
| Trill | Trill | | r | | | | |

## Writing system

Chimane has been written since 1980 in a Spanish-based alphabet devised by Wayne Gill. It uses the additional letters ṕ, ć, q́u, tś, ćh, mʼ, nʼ, ä. It is widely used in publications and is taught in Chimane schools.
In 1996, Colette Grinevald created an alphabet for Moseten and Chimane which used only those letters found on a Spanish keyboard. It included the multigraphs ph khdh ch chh tsh dh, and was adopted by the Moseten.
Bolivian Law 3603 of 2007 Jan 17 recognizes the rights of the Chimane and Moseten to their language in all aspects of life in Bolivia, including education, and Chimane translation of policy which concerns them, and that written Chimane must use the unique Chimane(-Moseten) alphabet. However, it does not clarify which alphabet this is.

## Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Mosetene and Chimane.
    glossMoseteneChimane one iritíris two párapöre three chibinchiːbi tooth moñínmúdyin tongue nemném hand uñín woman penpén water oxñioñé fire tsitsí moon ivuaihúa maize táratãra jaguar itsikiítsikí house akaaká