Tupian languages


The Tupi or Tupian language family comprises some 70 languages spoken in South America, of which the best known are Tupi proper and Guarani.

Homeland and ''urheimat''

Rodrigues considers the Proto-Tupian urheimat to be somewhere between the Guaporé and Aripuanã rivers, in the Madeira River basin. Much of this area corresponds to the modern-day state of Rondônia, Brazil. 5 of the 10 Tupian branches are found in this area, as well as some Tupi–Guarani languages, making it the probable urheimat of these languages and maybe of its speaking peoples. Rodrigues believes the Proto-Tupian language dates back to around 3,000 BC.

Language contact

Tupian languages have extensively influenced many language families in South America. Jolkesky notes that there are lexical similarities with the Arawa, Bora-Muinane, Guato, Irantxe, Jivaro, Karib, Kayuvava, Mura-Matanawi, Taruma, Trumai, Yanomami, Harakmbet, Katukina-Katawixi, Arawak, Bororo, Karaja, Macro-Mataguayo-Guaykuru, Takana, Nadahup, and Puinave-Kak language families due to contact.

History, members and classification

When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, they found that wherever they went along the vast coast of this newly discovered land, most natives spoke similar languages. Jesuit missionaries took advantage of these similarities, systematizing common standards then named línguas gerais, which were spoken in that region until the 19th century. The best known and most widely spoken of these languages was Old Tupi, a modern descendant of which is still used today by indigenous peoples around the Rio Negro region, where it is known as Nheengatu, or the "good language". However, the Tupi family also comprises other languages.
In the neighbouring Spanish colonies, Guarani, another Tupian language closely related to Old Tupi, had a similar history, but managed to resist the spread of Spanish more successfully than Tupi resisted Portuguese. Today, Guarani has 7 million speakers, and is one of the official languages of Paraguay. The Tupian family also includes several other languages with fewer speakers. These share irregular morphology with the Je and Carib families, and Rodrigues connects them all as a Je–Tupi–Carib family.

Rodrigues & Cabral (2012)

Rodrigues & Cabral list 10 branches of Tupian, which cluster into Western Tupian and Eastern Tupian. Within Western and Eastern Tupian, the most divergent branches are listed first, followed by the core branches.
Meira and Drude posit a branch uniting Mawé and Aweti with Tupi-Guarani, also known as Maweti-Guarani. Purubora may form a branch together with Ramarama.

Jolkesky (2016)

Internal classification by Jolkesky :
;Tupi family
lists the following basic vocabulary items.
LanguageBranchheadeartoothhandonetwothree
TupiTupia-kangnambitáñapópeteĩmokoĩmbohapüi
TupinambaTupia-kánnambüráñapóangepémokoinmusaput
PotiguáraTupia-kanganambitañhain-bóoyepemokoymosapür
ÑeéngatuTupia-kanganamütañapóyepémokoinmusapeire
GuaraníGuaraníãkannambiapen-kunpópeteímokóimbhápira
ApapokúvaGuaranípóaépimokõimoapi
ChiripáGuaranírakãnambiaépi
CainguáGuaraníakánambikúpópeteinmókoinmbohapi
MbyháGuaraníche-ahkáchen-nambühche-raincheh-pópeteímokoimboapü
CanoeirosGuaraníeaushmãde-pó
ShetáGuaranizedsh-akache-nambitienaiche-pómatinkammokoiñiiru
S. DouradosGuaranizedñ-ãkaelaːmenénaieː-pouaːimoːgaimágatei
GuayaquíGuaranizedni-akanambiãi-páeteyãmenotanã
TapirapéTapirapédzyane-akángadzyane-inamídzyane-roidzyane-póanchepémukúimãpít
KamayuráKamayuráye-akangye-namiye-naiye-poyepetemokoimoapit
AwitíKamayuráapotinte-yambeinte-ngui-pomayepetemonkóimunitaruka
ArawinéKamayuráne-namiye-po
AnambéParáa-kángahä-nambise-rañapóyanäpomukuẽmuhapi
TakuñapéPará
GuajajáraNorthernakãsane-inamúe-raisane-pómetéimukúinairúi
TembéNorthernhe-akãhe-namihe-ráihe-pópeteimokuimoãpi
ManajéNorthernhe-akühe-namíhe-rĩhe-póchipeimokúmoapi
TuriwáraNorthernne-akángane-namine-ráĩne-pópeteimokoimoapiri
KaaporNorthernne-kangnambine-roin-pópeteimukoinoapíre
MakiríCentral Iai-akángái-namíái-ráingái-póaipitémokoíngmoapét
KayabíCentral Iparmióoyepamokoi
KawahybCentral Iae-akángae-namíae-ráiae-pooyepémokõiirumaé
ParintintinCentral IIae-akángae-nambíae-raiae-poeyepémokoĩ
WirafédCentral IIai-akánai-namíai-raiaí-poayipemokoi
TakwatípCentral IIai-kángaai-namiai-rainai-póayepeːimokoːin
DawahibCentral IIay-akanay-nambíay-rãiay-põãpká
CatuquinarúCentral IItaka-súsañapunü
OyampiGuianaea-kangi-namie-ráñné-popesimukuguemapur
EmerillonGuianaé-ankangé-námié-raié-pomozepémokoñemaʔapuit
ApiakáGuianaai-kanaai-nembíaai-rañaai-poamayupémokõñboapui
OmaguaAmazonasyakónámisáypóawépimokwéshemosapröke
CocamaAmazonasyakönámidzáipúwawípimokoíkamotsapwöka
CocamillaAmazonasyákönámitsáipúauípimokuíkamotsapölika
ChiriguanoChiriguanoankãnámbihaide-pópentimbokuimbapui
GuarayoChiriguanoche-ãkache-nambíche-raíche-pónyepeĩnyueniómosapĩ
PausernaChiriguanoakánambirahüpóomonopedomokóehebü
TapietéChiriguanoy-ankaya-nimbiya-ninayya-ndepopentémonkémaʔap
ChanéChiriguanose-ãkáse-ndambíse-rãise-pómompetímokoimboapi
SirionoChiriguanoe-ãnkĩe-isae-rẽye-oekomiĩnedemudedemu
JokaChiriguanoãchakádéchatu
YurunaYurunase-tabáyashiugáse-yanuváduáyonauánauámbo
ShipayaYurunatabáenshugáoayáuvuámemébidámévau
ManitsauáYurunanaibuáhuangá
MundurucúMundurucúwaáwa-naibéwoi-noiwo-ipopantáshepsheptáchebapitá
CuruayaMundurucúuásauampíñaibidáporákãteboazem
MawéMawéu-yakídau-yahapéu-háĩu-ipóenduptépuimuén
ItogapúcItogapúcn-akán-akiribeyãiparobémutíremyagarekómpairóbtem
RamaramaItogapúcn-akiribéniãngi-pabé
UrumíItogapúcin-akáin-akurapei-pabeuenakaveuishirangeitamaiun
UrukúItogapúcóña-ákáon-aküravéi-pábemotíremyegárokumpagodnóbtem
AraraItogapúcmotüremyegárkomkoirẽm
ArikémArikémarisábañãyapumundápapatámmoyúm
CaritianaArikémrisoponoñno
MacurápMacurápwakaräteua-pishevétau-ñamñemowõteuéreːketnemtuté
KanuaMacurápki-aneːmuwa-pitátki-nyaio-pokitsätürükwaikärum
GuratégajaMacurápki-anämkí-apitátki-nyaiki-puanákitsäteːrekwaikiä
KabishianaMacurápniaíno-popí
WayoroMacurápyáne-vapápo-nyaino-pitabkiétderätwärehät
ApichumMacurápo-pitabo-nyono-nebo
TupariMacurápápabaábtsiñainpoːkíämhürühürünoːm
KepkeriwátKepkeriwátu-akãinu-apiái-ñãinbapanguexatétesete-pangue
MondéMondéa-ndaráu-nanimbéu-imamba-béamakimparasherámpaiwutwuy
SanamaicaMondéhũ-ndáanambiaph'-ĩnhũ-mábémúnpalisharúwaikun
AruáMondépan-atpan-itiwäpan-yĩnpan-awämiːnbusáwauːm
DigütMondépan-dátním-piabnĩbabé
AruáshiMondésham-yakübshon-yainbu

LanguageBranchwomanwaterfirestonemaizetapir
TupiTupikuñáütatáitáabaitapüíra
TupinambaTupikuñáütatáitáauvatitapirusu
PotiguáraTupikuñaüütataːitaː
ÑeéngatuTupikuñanüügtatáitáauatitapira
GuaraníGuaraníkuñáütatáitáavatítapií
ApapokúvaGuaraníkuñaütatá
ChiripáGuaraníütataavatimborevi
CainguáGuaraníkoñáütatáitáavachimborevi
MbyháGuaraníkuñaütatáitáavachitapií
CanoeirosGuaraníuainviügitáavashi
ShetáGuaranizedkuñáütatăitáavachitapi
S. DouradosGuaranizedkoːñahoːñeagel'áiːtánutyatelaːgoi
GuayaquíGuaranizedkuñaüdadáitáwatémberevi
TapirapéTapirapékudzáütatáitáawachítapiíra
KamayuráKamayurákuñaütataitaavatsitapiít
AwitíKamayurákuñáütaraitaavachitapií
ArawinéKamayurá
AnambéParákuñaütataitaawattapiri
TakuñapéParákuñátatáikatapií
GuajajáraNorthernkuñãütatáitáawachítapiíra
TembéNorthernkuzáütatáitáawachitapihir
ManajéNorthernkuyiütatáitáawachítapihi
TuriwáraNorthernkuñáüatatáitáawachitapiíra
KaaporNorthernkuzaügtataitátapira
MakiríCentral Ikuñáihtatáavatítapiít
KayabíCentral Ikuñáauütatáuachi
KawahybCentral Ikuñáütatáabachitapiít
ParintintinCentral IIkuñáiütatáitakíavatétapiíd
WirafédCentral IIkuñáüütatáitáabasítapiít
TakwatípCentral IIkuñáüatatáabatítapi
DawahibCentral IIkunyaüütatáitátapiíra
CatuquinarúCentral IIuhehü
OyampiGuiananimeneheːtataitaabatitapiira
EmerillonGuianawaimidihtataauasi
ApiakáGuianakoñáihtataritaauasitapüra
OmaguaAmazonasuainúúnitátaitákeawátitapíra
CocamaAmazonaswáinaúnitátaitákiabatitapíra
CocamillaAmazonaswáinaúnidzataidzákiawáchitapíra
ChiriguanoChiriguanokúñaütatáitáavatímboreví
GuarayoChiriguanokuñáütatáitáavatímborevi
PausernaChiriguanoekúreütatáitáahuati
TapietéChiriguanotapipéötataitakíoatiorebi
ChanéChiriguanoarekóvaütatáítaavatíboreví
SirionoChiriguanokuñainetaténitaibashieãnkwãntoy
JokaChiriguanoetúintatáyiwityuáshingitíd
YurunaYurunakuñáiyáashíkoapámakatítõá
ShipayaYurunauamiáiyáashíkuapasámakatimasaká
ManitsauáYurunakuñáhidarúhadzúitamaidzú
MundurucúMundurucúawiyáhütashawitáamuirarápiho
CuruayaMundurucúáuütitiwítaʔamárabíu
MawéMawéoñañáüüärianoawatíwewató
ItogapúcItogapúcmapáiichichanáiyánayáiti
RamaramaItogapúcmapoiautiitianáiánaniannató
UrumíItogapúcshamonnoiábá
UrukúItogapúcvocháiichíchanáyáanáyanatoː
AraraItogapúc
ArikémArikémuspáraesésomiisoángiyóiruba
CaritianaArikémbisamseːisoːpomoirípo
MacurápMacuráparapíñamihiuchaékiatitiyahi
KanuaMacurápanamínaäküitaːtʔheːkatsitsikwayatsu
GuratégajaMacurápanaminaikiutaːtäk
KabishianaMacurápikí
WayoroMacuráparamiráögöagukápäkatitíikuáit
ApichumMacurápanaminaügükapäkügükabäk
TupariMacurápãramĩrãyükoːbkaːbäkopabtakara
KepkeriwátKepkeriwátbuhiamãnigarämbiokzyaoːpáuíto
MondéMondémanzetükaingekmaikeːuasá
SanamaicaMondéchipakchíükaːiämaʔäwaːsaː
AruáMondéükaʔinäk
DigütMondémanzéyãipávapokáingdzábmáinkinwachá
AruáshiMondémansätükainäk