The Krenak language, also Borum or Botocudo, is an Indigenous language of Brazil classified as an independent branch 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 +VowelsFrontCentralBackClose Close-midOpen-mid Open +ConsonantsBilabialAlveolarPost-alveolarPalatalVelarGlottalPlosive/AffricatevoicelessvoicedFricativeNasalvoicelessvoicedTapApproximant /h/ can also have an allophone of a velar [x].

Prenasal allophones [ᵐb, ⁿd, ⁿd͡ʒ, ᵑɡ] are heard as a result of a preceding nasal or nasal vowel before a voiced stop sound.

Vocabulary Several lexical loans from one of the Língua Geral varieties have been found identified. Examples include tuŋ ‘flea’ and krai ‘non-Indigenous person, foreigner’.

References