Krenak language

Krenak
Native toBrazil
RegionMinas Gerais
Ethnicity150 Botocudo (2006)[1]
Native speakers
10 (2006)[1]
Dialects
  • Nakrehé
  • Uti Krag (Nakpie)
Language codes
ISO 639-3kqq
Glottologkren1239
ELPKrenak

The Krenak language, or Botocudo, is the sole surviving language of a small family believed to be part of the Macro-Gê languages. It was once spoken by the Botocudo people in Minas Gerais, but is known primarily by older women today.

Phonology

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ĩ ɨ u ũ
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɜ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a
Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Post-
alveolar 		Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive/
Affricate 		voiceless p t t͡ʃ k ʔ
voiced b d d͡ʒ g
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ⁿd͡ʒ ᵑɡ
Fricative ʒ h
Nasal voiceless m̥ n̥ ɲ̊ ŋ̊
voiced m n ɲ ŋ
Flap ɾ
Approximant j w

/h/ can also have an allophone of a velar [x].[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Krenak at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Pessoa, Katia N. (2012). Análise fonética e fonológica da língua Krenak e abordagem preliminar de contos Botocudo. Campinas.


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