Amahuaca is an indigenous language of the Amazon Basin in Peru and Brazil. It is also known as Amawaka, Amaguaco, Ameuhaque, Ipitineri, and Sayaco. Amahuaca is a Panoan language that is believed to be closely related to Cashinahua and Yaminawa. There around 220 speakers in Brazil, and around 328 speakers in Peru.Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. 2017. Censos Nacionales 2017: XII de población, VII de vivienda y III de comunidades indígenas. https://www.inei.gob.pe/estadisticas/censos/ Accessed: 2019-02-01

History The Amahuaca people were first contacted by Franciscan missionaries in 1686. They were formerly hostile to other groups in the area and sometimes attacked them in raids. Even after the Amazon rubber cycle, which resulted in numerous deaths of Indigenous people in the region, the Amahuaca were still fairly numerous. However, conflict with other groups, such as the Yine, Shipibo, and Yaminawá, greatly reduced their numbers. Beginning in the 1960s, the Amahuaca began to move near Spanish-speaking mestizo communities, and gradually began to assimilate into their culture. More and more Amahuaca speakers, as a result, are becoming bilingual with Spanish. The Amahuaca language is now endangered and poised to become extinct in the near future.

Classification Amahuaca is a member of the Panoan language family. David Fleck (2013) groups Amahuaca as being closest to the extinct Remo language of the Môa river and Tuxinawa, and the still-spoken Kashinawa and Yaminawa dialect complex, which also includes Sharanawa, Shanenawa, Yora, and Yawanawa.

Phonology + Vowels of Amahuaca Front Central BackplainnasalplainnasalplainnasalClose ĩ ɨ̃Close-mid õOpen ã

+ Consonants of Amahuaca Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal Nasal Plosive Fricative Approximant Tap/flap

Writing system 30% of Amahuaca speakers are literate in Amahuaca and 50% are literate in Spanish. Amahuaca uses a Latin-based script. There are some bilingual schools. A dictionary has been developed along with a grammatical description and bible portions.

See also Amhuaca people

References