The Timotean languages were spoken in the Venezuelan Andes around what is now Mérida. It is assumed that they are extinct. However, Timote may survive in the so-far unattested Mutú (Loco) language, as this occupies a mountain village (Mutús) within the old Timote state.[1][2]
Genetic relations
There is no apparent connection to the Chibchan, Arawakan, or Cariban families, apart from sporadic resemblances with Paez and some divergent Chibchan languages, so Timotean appears to be an independent family.
Jolkesky (2016) also notes that there are lexical similarities with the Jirajaran languages.[3]
Languages
There were two closely related languages, each a pair of dialects:
Traditionally, Mucuchí and Mirripú have been classified as dialects of Timote, with Cuica as a distinct language, but the data in Loukotka (1968)[4] indicates that Cuica is a dialect of Timote, and that Mucuchí–Mirripú are a separate language (Kaufman 2007; Campbell 1997, 2012).
Vocabulary
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Timotean languages.[4]
gloss
Timote
Cuica
Mocochi
Mirripú
one
kári
karí
karí
karí
two
gem
xem
xem
xem
three
shuént
shuent
shut
sut
head
ki-kushám
ki-kushan
kisham
ear
ki-kumeu
ki-kumeu
ti-subú
tooth
ki-kunñuch
chi-runch
man
kiukiai
kiukiai
kaʔak
kage
water
shömpú
shombuch
shimpué
shimpú
fire
shirup
shnopa
churup
chirup
sun
nareúpa
nareupa
umpú
maize
chxá
chxa
chixsak
chipxak
bird
kiukchú
kchu
house
kurakata
kfok
shimanakot
sharakot
References
^Lyle Campbell, 2000. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America.
^Willem Adelaar with Pieter Muysken, The Languages of the Andes, CUP, 2004:124–125