Mapoyo language

Mapoyo
Native toVenezuela
RegionSuapure River
Ethnicity520 Mapoyo & Yabarana (2007)[1]
Native speakers
3? (2014)[2]
Carib
Language codes
ISO 639-3mcg
Glottologmapo1246
ELP

Mapoyo is a Carib language spoken along the Suapure and Parguaza Rivers, Venezuela. The ethnic population of Mapoyo proper is about 365.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop p t k ʔ
Nasal m n ɲ
Fricative β s h
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant w j
  • /h/ can be heard as a palatal [ç] when preceding a voiceless plosive.
  • /n/ can be heard as a velar [ŋ] when preceding a velar /k/.
  • /β/ can be heard as a voiced stop [b], when after a voiceless plosive or glottal /ʔ/.
  • /s/ can be heard with an allophone of [ts] when word-initially, or after a glottal /ʔ/.
  • /j/ can be heard as a voiced fricative [ʝ], when before a back vowel.

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i ɨ u
Mid e ɘ o
Low a
  • Sounds /i, u/ are reduced to [ɪ, ʊ] in syllable-final position.
  • /ɘ/ is heard as a lower [ə] sound when preceding /h/, or following /β/.
  • /a/ is heard as [ɑ] when occurring after an initial bilabial sound.[3]

References

  1. ^ Mapoyo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Context 30317: Mapoyo (Source: Personal communication about Mapoyo, Yawarana, Pémono, and Tamanaku) | Endangered Languages Project". www.endangeredlanguages.com. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
  3. ^ Medina, Francia (1997). Introducción a la Fonética y a la Fonología Mapoyo (Caribe). Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)


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