Wichí Lhamtés Nocten, or Weenhayek, is a Wichí language spoken primarily in Bolivia, as well as in Argentina. The language is also called "Mataco", "Mataco Nocten", Nocten, Noctenes, and Oktenai, though the name "Mataco" has negative connotations.
Status An estimated 1,810 Wichí people spoke Weenhayek in Bolivia as of 1994. An additional 100 people spoke the language in Argentina in 1994.
Official status Weenhayek has been one of the 37 official languages of Bolivia since 2009, as outlined by the Constitution of Bolivia.
Geographical distribution In Bolivia, the language is spoken in the north-central Tarija Department, southwest of Pilcomayo River, and in Cordillera de Pirapo. In Argentina, it is spoken in from the northern border south to Tartagal, Salta."Wichí Lhamtés Nocten." Ethnologue. Retrieved 30 Jan 2012.
Classification Weenhayek is one of the Wichí languages, a dialect continuum spoken throughout northern Argentina and southern Bolivia. Wichí is a further member of the Mataguayan language family.
Phonology Weenhayek displays marked phonological differences from the other varieties of Wichí.
Consonants +Consonants of NoctenLabialAlveolarPalatalVelarUvularGlottalcentralplainlabialpal.PlosiveAffricateFricativeLateralNasalApproximant /kʲ/, depending on the dialect and/or speaker, may be realized as an affricate [tʃ]. /p, t, kʲ, kʷ, q, ts/ may be aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʲʰ, kʷʰ, qʰ, tsʰ] when preceding /h/, or glottalized [pʼ, tʼ, kʲʼ, kʷʼ, qʼ, tsʼ] when preceding /ʔ/. /m, n, l, j, w/ within the position of /ʔ/ are also glottalized as [ʼm, ʼn, ʼl, ʼj, ʼw].
Vowels +Vowels in NoctenFrontBackCloseMidOpen No contrasts between vowels with respect to lip roundedness exist. Vowel length is considered prosodic.
Phonotactics CV syllable structure is the most common in Weenhayek. Word-final syllables must end in a consonant, typically with the form CVC.
See also Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay
Notes