Waiká language

For other ethnic Yanomami languages, see Yanomaman languages.
Waiká
Yąnomamɨ
Native toBrazil
RegionRoraima, Amazonas
EthnicityYanomami
Native speakers
6,000 (2006)[1]
Yanomam
  • Waiká
Language codes
ISO 639-3wca
Glottologyano1262
ELPYanomam
Yanomaman languages location
  Yanomamö
  Ninam
  Yanomám
  Sanumá
  Ỹaroamë

Waiká, also Yanomám (or Yanomae, Yanomama, Yanomami),[2] is one of several closely related languages spoken by the Yanomami people in Brazil. Most speakers are monolingual. For a grammatical description, see Yanomaman languages.

The names Waika (Guaica) and Yanomami are shared with the Yanomamö language.

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive plain p t k
aspirated tʰ
Fricative f s ʃ h
Flap ɾ
Approximant w (l) j

/ɾ/ may alternate to a lateral approximant [l] sound.[2]

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ĩ ɨ ɨ̃ u ũ
Mid e ẽ ə o õ
Open a ã

References

  1. ^ Waiká at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b 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
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