Native to Amazonas State, Brazil Language family Arawan
Madí | Native speakers 800 (2006) ISO 639-3 jaa | |
Ethnicity Jamamadi, Banawá, Jarawara Dialects Jarawara
Banawa
Jamamadi | ||
Madí—also known as Jamamadí (Yamamadí, Yamamandi, Yamadi) after one of its dialects, and also Kapaná or Kanamanti (Canamanti)—is an Arawan language spoken by about 800 Jamamadi, Banawá, and Jarawara people scattered over Amazonas, Brazil.
Contents
The language has an active–stative clause structure with an agent–object–verb or object–agent–verb word order, depending on whether the agent or object is the topic of discussion (AOV appears to be the default).
The dialects of Jamamadi that are or were once spoken include Bom Futuro, Pauini, Mamoria, Cuchudua, Jaruára (Jarawara, Yarawara), Kitiya (Banawá, Banawa Yafi, Jafí), and Tukurina. Pama, Sewacu, Sipo, and Yuberi were either dialects or closely related languages.
Phonology
The phonology is illustrated here with the Jarawara dialect:
Consonants
The glottal stop [ʔ] has a limited distribution.
The liquid /r/ may be realized as a trill [r], flap [ɾ], or lateral [l]. The palatal stop /ɟ/ may be realized as a semivowel [j].
The glottal fricative /h̃/ is nasalized. See rhinoglottophilia.