Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library

The Macro-Chibchan family of languages is one of four language families now generally recognized for Mexico, Central, and South America. The languages of this family stretch from southern Mexico to Lake Titicaca in South America. The family may be divided into ten branches: Atacome, Camsa, Chibchan-Paezan, Itonoma, Lenca-Xinca, Malla, Misumalpan, Paya, Tarascan, and Tonocote. None of the languges in this family have received much publicity; perhaps you may have heard of Guaymi (spoken in Panama) or Miskito.

• Chibchan Languages
  
• Coche
  
• Kakan
  
• Kuna
  
• Kunza
  
• Malla
  
• Miskito
  
• Ngabere
  
• Paezan
  
• Quillecinga
  
• Sanaviron
  
• Sumo
  
• Tarascan
  
• Timucua
  
• Tonocote
  

Chibchan Languages					updated 5-22-2001

	The Chibchan languages (Macro-Chibchan) belong to the Chibchan-Paezan
branch of the Macro-Chibchan family of languages.  There are at least 4 Chibchan
languages: Bribri (spoken in Costa Rica), Cabecar (also spoken in Costa Rica), Guaymi
(spoken in Panama and Costa Rica), and Muisca.  Muisca is also called Chibcha, and
was spoken in Columbia until its extinction in the 18th century.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington, D.C. : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID:				ITEM #: que00004

Coche						updated 5-14-2003

	Coche (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Camsa branch of the Macro-
Chibchan family of languages.  Coche is spoken in Colombia.

SI		United States. Bureau of Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin - Bureau of Ethnology. -- Washington
143		: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 
v. 2 		RID: 98-4598			ITEM #: que00004

Kakan						updated 10-16-2003

	Kakan (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Atacome branch of the Macro-
Chibchan family of languages.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington, D.C. : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID:				ITEM #: que00004

Kuna						updated 3-7-2003

	Kuna (Macro-Chibchan) is now thought by some linguists to belong to the
Chibchan sub-branch of the Chibchan-Paezan branch of the Macro-Chibchan family
of languages; others, however, continue to regard it as an isolated language,
unrelated to any others.  The language name is also spelled Cuna.  Kuna is spoken
in Panama and Colombia.  There are several dialects.  The Kuna people are also
called Ngobe.

498.2		Sherzer, Joel
S554k			Kuna ways of speaking
		RID: 83-1318			ITEM #: kun00001

333.9513097287	Ventocilla, Jorge, 1955-
V466p.Ek		[Plantas y animales en la vida del pueblo
		Kuna. English]
			Plants and animals in the life of the Kuna
		/ by Jorge Ventocilla, Heraclio Herrara, Valerio Nunez
		; edited by Hans Roeder. -- Austin : University of
		Texas Press, 1995
		RID: 95-2942			ITEM #: kun00002

Kunza					updated 10-16-2003

	Kunza (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Atacome branch of the Macro-
Chibchan family of languages.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington, D.C. : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID:				ITEM #: que00004

Malla						updated 11-21-2003

	Malla (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Macro-Chibchan family of languages.
It is spoken in Colombia.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID: ---			ITEM #: que00004

Miskito					updated 3-7-2003

	Miskito (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Misumalpan branch of the Macro
-Chibchan family of languages.  Also spelled Misquito, Miskitu, and Mosquito,
Miskito is spoken in the countries of Nicaragua and Honduras.  It is used as a
lingua franca in the region.  Miskito is written with the Latin alphabet.

303.4827285	Carey, T. Mark
C276s			Separate but integrated : a history of isolation and market
		participation among Nicaragua's Mayangna Indians. -- 1998
			Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 1998.
		RID: ---			ITEM #: mch00001

SI		Conzemius, Eduard
2.3:			Ethnographical survey of the Miskito and Sumu Indians of Honduras
106		and Nicaragua. -- Washington, U.S. G.P.O., 1932.
Documents	RID: 32-28044			ITEM #: sum00001

Ngabere						updated 3-7-2003

	Ngabere (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Chibchan sub-branch of the
Chibchan-Paezan branch of the Macro-Chibchan family of languages.  It is spoken
in Panama, particularly on the Ngabe-Bugle Reservation, with a few speakers in
Costa Rica.  Chiriqui and Valiente are dialects.  The language is also spelled Ngabare,
and is also called Ngobe or Guaymi.  It is written with the Latin alphabet.

SI		Alphonse, Ephraim S
2.3:			Guaymi grammar and dictionary ... . -- Washington :
162		RID: 56-63840			ITEM #: guy00001

Paezan						updated 11-14-2003

	Paezan (Macro-Chibchan), also called Coaiquer, belongs to the Barbacoan-
Paezan sub-branch of the Chibchan-Paezan branch of the Macro-Chibchan family of
languages.  It is spoken in Colombia.

SI		United States. Bureau of Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin - Bureau of Ethnology. -- Washington
143		: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,
v. 2		RID: 98-4598			ITEM #: que00004

Quillecinga					updated 11-21-2003

	Quillecinga (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Camsa branch of the Macro-
Chibchan family of languages.  Quillecinga is spoken in Colombia.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID: ---			ITEM #: que00004

Sanaviron					updated 11-21-2003

	Sanaviron (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Atacome branch of the Macro-
Chibchan family of languages.  It is spoken in Colombia.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID: ---			ITEM #: que00004

Sumo						updated 3-7-2003

	Sumo (Macro-Chibchan), also spelled Sumu and also called Mayangna,
belongs to the Misumalpan branch of the Macro-Chibchan family of languages.  One
dialect of Sumo is spoken in Nicaragua, and another in Honduras.  Linguists are
working to reduce the language to writing, which will be in the Latin alphabet (IPA).
Dialects of Sumo include Yusku, Panamaka, Bawihka, Twahka, Prinsu, Ulva (or Ulwa),
Kukra, Tongala, Silam, and Ku.

303.4827285	Carey, T. Mark
C276s			Separate but integrated : a history of isolation and market
		participation among Nicaragua's Mayangna Indians. -- 1998
			Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 1998.
		RID: ---			ITEM #: mch00001

SI		Conzemius, Eduard
2.3:			Ethnographical survey of the Miskito and Sumu Indians of Honduras
106		and Nicaragua. -- Washington, U.S. G.P.O., 1932.
Documents	RID: 32-28044			ITEM #: sum00001

Tarascan						updated 3-7-2003

	Tarascan (Macro-Chibchan), also called Tarasco, although spoken
historically and still today in Mexico, is quite a bit of a language isolate.  Various
linguists have suggested classifying it as Macro-Penutian (possibly related to Zuni),
Macro-Chibchan (my somewhat arbitrary preference, since the evidence for this
classification seems the most compelling to me), Oto-Manguean, and Andean
Equatorial (possibly related to Quiche).  As well as having a language that defies
classification, the Tarascans are famous among anthropologists for having
developed a civilization that withstood the advance of the Aztecs.  Their civilization
was at its height from 1000 A.D. to 1521.

970.472		Adams, Richard E. W., 1931-
A216p			Prehistoric Mesoamerica. -- Rev. ed. -- Norman : University of
1991		Oklahoma Press, 1991.
		RID: 90-50679			ITEM #: zap00004

972.37		Beals, Ralph Leon, 1901-
B3667c			Cheran : a Sierra Tarascan village. -- Norman : University
		of Oklahoma Press, 1998
		RID: 97-34631			ITEM #: tar00001

897.4		Leon Portilla, Miguel
L579L.EL		[Literaturas precolombinas de Mexico. English]
			Pre-Columbian literatures of Mexico. -- Norman :
		University of Oklahoma Press, 1986
		RID: 85-40941			ITEM #: myn00024

861.08		Zaid, Gabriel, comp.
Z21o			Omnibus de poesia mexicana
		RID: wln86-51373, 72-348911	ITEM #: nai00030

Timucua						updated 8-25-2004

	Timucua (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Timucuan-Warao sub-branch of the
Chibchan-Paezan branch of the Macro-Chibchan family of languages.  Timucua was
spoken in southern Georgia and northeastern Florida.  It is now extinct, but was in use
in the 1500's and early 1600's when various explorers and missionaries encountered it
and mentioned it in their writings.  It differed greatly from the languages of surrounding
groups; instead it shows similarities to other Chibchan languages, especially Warao,
which are spoken in Central and South America.  Since archaeological evidence does
not support a new group appearing in the area around that time, any migration must have
taken place at least a millennium earlier.  Religious books having both Timucua and
Spanish were published between 1595 and 1635, as well as works mentioning the grammar
of the language; most of the latter are in Spanish, French, or Nahuatl.  Dialects include
Acuera, Agua Fresca, Itafi, Mocama, Tucururu, Yufera, Oconi, Potano, Tawasa, Yustaga,
and Timucua Proper.

975.901		Milanich, Jerald T
M637t			The Timucua. -- S.l. : Blackwell Publishers,
		1996
		RID: 95-40289			RID #: tim00001

Tonocote					updated 11-21-2003

	Tonocote (Macro-Chibchan) belongs to the Macro-Chibchan family of
languages.  It is spoken in Colombia.

SI		Bureau of American Ethnology
2.3:			Bulletin. -- no. 143. -- Washington : G.P.O.,
143
v. 2		RID: ---			ITEM #: que00004

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