Esmeralda–Yaruroan languages

Esmeralda–Yaruro
(proposed)
Geographic distribution	Venezuela
Linguistic classification	Proposed language family
Subdivisions	Esmeralda Yaruro
Language codes
Glottolog	None

Esmeralda–Yaruro or Takame–Jarúroan, is a proposed connection between two unclassified languages of Venezuela and Ecuador: Yaruro (Llaruro, Pumé, Yuapín), 6000 speakers, and the extinct Esmeralda (Esmeraldeño, Takame). They would be only distantly related, but Kaufman (1990) finds the connection convincing, and Campbell (2012) believes the connection is promising.^[1]

Vocabulary

Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Esmeralda and Yaruro.

gloss	Esmeralda[2]	Yaruro[3]
hair	rarapo	kü̃́
eye	mula	dachó
nose	ra-ausa (my)	ĩbupuȩ́
tooth	ra-ha, ra-ka	jõdȩ́
mouth	bassa	dyá
hand	disa (my)	ichí
foot	taha	tá
blood	kar(k)a	gué
bone	mu-kilsa	jú
person	ilon	o̧ãĩ́
name	chinto	kẽ́
dog	kine	(a)oré
fish	ki	chṍ
tree	tá(k)te	tó
leaf	rampide (?)	to pjü̃dá
water	uivi, úvoi	uí
fire	muka (with)	kjõdȩ́
earth	dó; dula	dabú
road	dire	nṍ
eat	enima	jurá
die	ubale, ybale (dead)	jãbó

References

1. Campbell, Lyle (2012). "Classification of the indigenous languages of South America". In Grondona, Verónica; Campbell, Lyle (eds.). The Indigenous Languages of South America. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 2. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 59–166. ISBN 978-3-11-025513-3.
2. Jijón y Caamaño, Jacinto. 1941. El Ecuador interandino y occidental antes de la conquista castellana, vol. 2. Quito: Editorial Ecuatoriana
3. Mosonyi, Esteban Emilio and Jorge Ramón García. 2000. Yaruro (Pumé). In Mosonyi, Esteban Emilio and Jorge Carlos Mosonyi (eds.), Manual de Lenguas Indígenas de Venezuela, 544-593. Caracas: Fundación Bigott.

• Kaufman, Terrence (1990). "Language History in South America: What we know and how to know more". In Doris L. Payne (ed.). Amazonian Linguistics. Austin: University of Texas Press.