Pankararú (Pancaré, Pankaré, Pancaru, Pankaruru, Pankarará, Pankaravu, Pankaroru, Pankarú, Brancararu) is an extinct language, probably a language isolate, of eastern Brazil. There are 6,000 ethnic Pankararú, but they all speak Portuguese. In 1961, only two elders could remember anything of the language. Today, they live in Brejo dos Padres and other villages of Tacaratu, Pernambuco State. The language was originally spoken between the Moxotó River and the Pajeú River.
In the 19th century the people split into multiple ethnic groups, including the Pankararú and the Pankararé. One quarter of the Pankararé retain their traditional religion. Their language, however, is unattested, and can only be assumed to be a dialect of Pankararu. According to Meader (1978), the Pankararu regarded themselves as belonging to the "Macarú" nation.
Classification Pankararú has no proven relatives and remains unclassified.
The original languages of the Jeriticó or Jiripancó, Koiupanká and Karuazu may have been related or identical to Pankararú. Kalankó (Cacalancó), with descendants now living in Água Branca, Alagoas, may have also been related to, or identical with, Pankararú.
Vocabulary
Nimuendajú (1935) Curt Nimuendajú recorded a number of words in the "Macarú" language in an unpublished manuscript dated 16 March 1935. His wordlist is presented below. {| class="wikitable sortable" !gloss !Macarú |- |God |sansê |- |beautiful |likim |- |tobacco |poi |- |salt |tuká |- |spoon |foiá |- |bee |arraó |- |water |ginicaçí |- |smoking pipe |matinadô |- |pig |aleal |- |ox |canarí |- |horse |tiaparú |- |sheep |pucheren |- |devil |fenêkia |- |dog |sará |- |dance clothing |tonan |- |dancer |praiá
Pompeu (1958) Language variety from Pompeu (1958), originally collected by Carlos Estêvam:
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Portuguese gloss (original) !! English gloss (translated) !! "Brejo dos Padres" |- | fogo || fire || obaí |- | água || water || jinikací; jatateruá; jai/já |- | brejo || swamp || ibiji/arôto |- | lagoa || pond || joo |- | terra || earth || jobají |- | pedra || stone || tóitú; ipá |- | sal || salt || tuká |- | cachimbo || smoking pipe || kuna kuní |- | cachimbo cerimonial || ceremonial pipe || matrinadô; matrigó |- | maracá || maraca || káma/kabá eyá |- | pinheiro || pine || burúti |- | menino || boy || jorã/óibo |- | parente || relative || gôyáji |- | irmã e prima || sister and cousin || dakatái |- | onça preta || black jaguar || tupé |- | maracajá || margay || gwariatã |- | porco || pig || tarací |- | mocó || rock cavy (Kerodon rupestris) || kewí |- | tatu-peba || six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus) || kuriépe |- | boi || ox || kanarí |- | vaca || cow || tú |- | ovelha || sheep || pusharé; sumui íra |- | passarinho || small bird || iushií |- | pena || feather || tik |- | ovo || egg || aji |- | papagaio || parrot || umaiatá |- | periquito || parakeet || glyglilin |- | peixe || fish || kamijo |- | abelha || bee || axxaó |- | madeira, pau || wood, tree || dáka |- | flor || flower || barkíra |- | milho || corn || ta/mõni |- | tabaco, fumo || tobacco, smoke || põi; ajó |- | bonito || beautiful || limin
Carneiro ms. Raimundo Dantas Carneiro included the following "Pankarurú" words in his manuscript, which were published by Čestmír Loukotka (1963). Cildo Meireles also collected some words around 1915; these were published by . {| class="wikitable sortable" !gloss !Carneiro in Loukotka !Meireles in Pinto |- |fermented beverage |ažuka |ajucá |- |ritual dance |toré |toré |- |ritual garment |tunã |tunã |- |mask |mumukabo |mumucabo 'part of the costume of praiás' |- |large clay pipe |kakikiá |quaquiquá |- |small clay pipe | |quaqui |- |place for parties |pôrô |pôrô |- |name of a river |maranga |Maranga |- |sorcerer |praias |praiá |- |sorcerer title |šupuñum |xupunhum |- |sorcerer title |bôkôdô |pôcôdô |- |sorcerer title |andaruré |andaruré |- |sorcerer title |tita |tita |- |sorcerer title |pankaré |pancaré |- |Brejo dos Padres |Žeripankó |Jeripancó |- |Tacaratu |Takaikó |Tacaicô |- |Agua Maria Pedra |Žakuasí
|name of a stream |Žitó |Gitó |- |territory of the Pankararu |Kankalangó |Cancalangó |- |name of a hamlet |Ikó |Icó |- |name of a hamlet |Pákiu |Paquiú |- |name of a hamlet |Sôrôngo |Sorongo
Meader (1978) Below is a 1961 word list of Pankarú (Pankararú) recorded in Brejo dos Padres by Wilbur Pickering from his informant João Moreno. The list is published in Meader (1978).
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Portuguese gloss (original) !! English gloss (translated) !! Pankarú (Pankararú) |- | amarelo || yellow || ˈžúbʌ̀ |- | pedra amarela || yellow stone || itapurʌŋga |- | boca || mouth || ūːřú kàˈtiŋ̄ |- | minha boca || my mouth || sɛ̄ ūˈřú |- | bom || good || kátù |- | ele é bom || He is good. || ayɛ katu |- | o olho é bom || The eye is good. || sảːkàtú kʸả̀ |- | vocês são bons || You (plural) are good. || pɛ̄ñékātù / pɛ̃ñékátù |- | branco || white || ˈtíŋgʌ́ |- | buraco || hole || kʷàřà |- | cabeça || head || uukà |- | a cabeça é redonda || The head is round. || muukɩ̀(ː) |- | cabelo || hair || uŋkʸò |- | o cabelo é preto || The hair is black. || uŋkʸò àlóːkià |- | cachorro || dog || ítōˈlókʸà |- | caminho || road || pɛ |- | carne || meat || sóːō |- | casa || house || ókʰà |- | céu || sky || tšᶦakɩ / aʌ̨nsɛ |- | cobra || snake || fítš̭ˈàká / fítš̭iākà |- | coração || heart || (úpíˈá) ūpia kàtú asu |- | corda || rope || ˈmúsúřʌ̨̀nʌ̨̀ |- | dedo grande || big finger || kų̀ʌ̨́ kàtέ gàsú |- | dente || tooth || (tʌ̨̄ˈíŋkàtī) |- | dia || day || ˈářà |- | ele / ela || he / she || àyέ |- | eles, elas || they || āìˈtá |- | este, esta || this || kʷa |- | eu || I || šɛʔ |- | faca || knife || kⁱsɛ |- | fogo || fire || ˈpo |- | fumo (tabaco) || smoke (tobacco) || pɔi |- | pedra furada || pierced stone || ítákʷàřà |- | ele furou a orelha || He pierced his ear. || oː màlɩ́ ásò |- | homem || man || aba |- | homem velho || old man || ábá ùmʌ̨̀ |- | joelho || knee || àˈlų́ |- | o joelho está mau || The knee is bad. || sātkālɩ́ ˈʔų́ː |- | língua || tongue || (mɛ̄āŋˈgā) |- | lua || moon || ˈžasì |- | lua cheia || full moon || kaiřɛ |- | lua nova || new moon || katiti |- | mãe || mother || sέʔžàʔ |- | mandioca || cassava || mʌ̨̀nˈdī |- | mão || hand || pɔ̄pitέkàí |- | mar || sea || pᵊřᵊˈnà |- | mau || bad || pùší |- | menina || girl || mítákų̄įˈʌ̨̀ / íādɛ̄doŋ̄kīˈà |- | menino || boy || íādɛ̄dùˈà |- | milho || maize || ávātì |- | moça || girl || kų̀įʌ̨̀ mùkú |- | moça velha || older girl || kų̀įʌ̨̀ fìlìwà |- | mulher || woman || kų̀įʌ̨̄ |- | não || no || ų́hų̄ |- | nariz || nose || tákʷí |- | meu nariz || my nose || séˈtį̀ |- | nossos narizes (meu e seu) || our noses (inclusive) || iānέʔtį̀ |- | seu nariz (de você) || your nose || šέˈtį́ |- | seu nariz (dele) || his nose || sέˈtį́ àyὲ |- | noite || night || pīˈtų̀ |- | nós, nosso || we, our || ìànέʔ |- | olho (pavɛořukya) || eye || (pavɛořᴜkʸa) sả̀ː |- | onça || jaguar || žáˈgʷà |- | orelha || ear || mōːkìhkʸà |- | pai (meu pai) || father (my father) || sέʔpāià |- | pedra || stone || ítà |- | pedra branca || white stone || itatiŋga |- | pedra preta || black stone || ítáʔų̀na |- | perna || leg || kóškì |- | preto || black || ʔų́nʌ̨̄ |- | redondo || round || púʌ̨̄ |- | sol || sun || kʷářásí |- | velho || old || ùmʌ̨̄ |- | homem velho || old man || ábá úmʌ̨̀ |- | moça velha || older girl || kų̀iʌ̨̀ fìlìwà |- | vós (vocês) || you || pὲˈñɛ̄ |- | açúcar || sugar || dódᵊsākà |- | cabra || goat || kářkíá |- | camaleão || chameleon || fìˈkíˈá |- | canela || cinnamon || (kālɛ̄ˈʔί̨ʌ) kia |- | coxo || lame || kóš |- | dedo || finger || kų̄nˈkàtέ |- | farinha || flour || kítsʰià |- | feijão || bean || nátsākā |- | garganta || throat || gāɛ̄òˈŋkʸà |- | grosso || thick || sábóó |- | lagarto || lizard || šōá |- | macaxeira || cassava || aipį́ |- | moreno || dark-skinned || pìˈtùnà |- | queixo || chin || tʔíŋkʷˈí |- | sim || yes || ʌ̨̅hʌ̨́ |- | ? || ? || (pʌ̨̅ŋkārὲː)
References
Fabre, Alain (2005): Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: PANKARARU / PANKARARÉ Meader, Robert E. (1976): Índios do Nordeste: Levantamento sobre os Remanescentes Tribais do Nordeste Brasileiro