Ỹaroamë language

For other ethnic Yanomami languages, see Yanomaman languages.

Ỹaroamë
Jawari
Pronunciation	[ɲãɾoˈamɨ], [ʤaˈwaɾi]
Native to	Brazil
Region	Roraima
Ethnicity	Yanomami
Native speakers	430 (2015)[1]
Language family	Yanomam Ỹaroamë
Language codes
ISO 639-3	yro
Glottolog	yaro1235
Yanomaman languages location   Yanomamö   Ninam   Yanomám   Sanumá   Ỹaroamë

Ỹaroamë, or Jawari (Jauari), is a language spoken by the Yanomami people in southern Roraima state, Brazil.[2] It was only recently recognized as a distinct language.

Its name Jawari (Yawari, Joari, Yoari, etc.) is shared with the Ninam language.

Dialects

There are two dialects spoken in Roraima, Brazil:[2]

• Opiki (Highland/Serra): in the Serra do Pacu (Catrimani Mission)
• Yawaripë (Lowland/Baixada): in Ajarani and Apiaú

Phonology

The inventory per Ferreira (2011):[3]

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i ĩ, iː ĩː		u ũ, uː ũː
Mid	ɛ ɛ̃, ɛː ɛ̃ː	ə ə̃, əː ə̃ː ⟨ë⟩	o õ, oː õː
Open		a ã, aː ãː

Consonants

	Bilabial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stop	p	t		k
Affricate			t͡ʃ ⟨y⟩
Fricative				x	h
Nasal	m	n	ɲ ⟨ỹ⟩
Approximant				w ⟨u⟩
Flap		l~ɾ ⟨r⟩

/x/ > [ʃ]/_i

/ə/ > [ɨ]/N_

/t͡ʃ/ and /ɲ/ are cognate to the oral and nasal allophones of /j/ in Yanomam; for this reason they are written ⟨y⟩ and ⟨ỹ⟩ in Yaroame.

References

1. "ISO 639-3 Registration Authority : Request for New Language Code Element in ISO 639-3" (PDF). 01.sil.org. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
2. Ferreira, Helder Perri; Machado, Ana Maria Antunes; Senra, Estevão Benfica. 2019. As línguas Yanomami no Brasil: diversidade e vitalidade. São Paulo: Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) and Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN). 216pp. ISBN 978-85-8226-076-0
3. Ferreira, Helder Perri (2011) Esboço gramatical do Yaroamë: Língua Yanomami falada do Serra do Pacu/RR. Rio de Janeiro: Museo do Indio.