Araona language

Araona or Cavina is an indigenous language spoken by the South America Araona people; about 90% of the 90 Araona people are fluent (W. Adelaar). Use of the language amongst the tribe is considered vigorous although Spanish knowledge is increasing. The Araonans live in the headwaters of the Manupari river in northwest Bolivia. Their language has a dictionary and portions of the Bible have been translated into Araona.

Capachene and Machui are dialects of either Araona or of Cavineña.

History

The Araona people and their language were long ignored in the written, European-based historical traditions, long after the Conquest of the Americas and what is now Bolivia. The first written historical mention of the Araona people and their language comes from the Franciscan missionaries Manuel Mancini and Fidel Codenach in the late 1800s, were unable to found any sort of mission in this area of the La Paz department because of the conditions on the ground. The Araona were the most populous ethnic group in the region of Colonia Nacional, and where one of the many indigenous groups who were displaced from their villages and used as slaves for the rubber industry at the end of the 19th century. Those who managed to survive and escape from servitude went on to establish themselves in various settlements in the area between the Manorimi and Monopare Rivers. In 1965, Protestant Evangelical activists and missionaries from the Instituto de Lingüístico Verano created a permanent settlement and cooperated with the Araona communities to establish links with other indigenous groups.

Phonology

The Araona phonemic inventory consists of four vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/), and 19 consonants.^[3][4]

References

Languages of Bolivia
National language	Spanish
Indigenous languages	Arawakan Baure Iñapari Moxo Pauna Reyesano Yine Pano–Tacanan Araona Cavineño Chácobo Ese Ejja Tacana Toromona Yaminawa Quechua Cusco–Collao Quechua North Bolivian Quechua South Bolivian Quechua Tupian Guaraní Eastern Bolivian Guarayu Sirionó Yuki Other Aymara Ayoreo Chiquitano Canichana Cayubaba Chimán Chipaya Itonama Leco Kallawaya Moré Movima Pauserna Puquina Weenhayek Yuracaré
Sign languages	Bolivian Sign Language
Italics indicate extinct languages still recognized by the Bolivian constitution.

External links

Araona language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator

• Lenguas de Bolivia (online edition)