RECONSIDERING THE "MAKÚ" LANGUAGE FAMILY OF NORTHWEST AMAZONIA.

COLOMBIA; AMAZON River Region

The so-called Makú or Makú-Puinavean language family of the Northwest Amazon has long been assumed to include the languages Hup, Yuhup, Dâw, and Nadëb (the "Naduhupan" group), the sisters Kakua and Nukak, and the language Puinave (or Wã nsöjöt). Here we evaluate these putative relationships, drawing on a range of newly available lexical and grammatical data. We argue that, although there is solid linguistic evidence of genetic relationship among the four Naduhupan languages, as between Kakua and Nukak, the association between these two groups is unfounded. A distant relationship between Kakua-Nukak and Puinave is more plausible but cannot at this point be confirmed. Many of the shared lexical and grammatical features that do exist among these languages are more easily attributed to contact than genetic inheritance. We conclude with a discussion regarding the choice of names for the distinct family groupings established here and urge the abandonment of the name "Makú." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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