Native speakers 2,700 (2004) ISO 639-3 yuz | ||
Ethnicity 3,300 Yuracaré people (2004) 3,394 Yuracaré people (2012) (INE Census) | ||
Yuracaré (also Yurakaré, Yurakar, Yuracare, Yurucare, Yuracar, Yurakare, Yurujuré, Yurujare) is an endangered language isolate of central Bolivia in Cochabamba and Beni departments spoken by the Yuracaré people.
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There are approximately 2,500 speakers. These numbers are in decline as the youngest generation no longer learns the language. (See Language death.)
Yuracaré is documented with a grammar based on an old missionary manuscript by de la Cueva (Adam 1893). The language is currently being studied by Rik van Gijn. A Foundation for Endangered Languages grant was awarded for a Yuracaré–Spanish / Spanish–Yuracaré dictionary project in 2005.
Genealogical relations
Suárez (1977) suggests a relationship between Yuracaré and the Mosetenan, Pano–Tacanan, Arawakan, and Chon families. His earlier Macro-Panoan proposal is the same minus Arawakan (Suárez 1969).