Duho languages

Duho is a proposed language family of South America, uniting two proposed genetic groupings, Hodi–Saliban and Ticuna–Yuri. This language family was proposed by Marcelo Jolkesky (2016), based on his previous but now disclaimed Macro-Daha family which had also included the Andoque–Urequena languages.

Zamponi (2017) concludes that the similarities between Saliban and Hodɨ appear to be due to contact, but that a distant genealogical relationship between Betoi and Sáliban is plausible though not demonstrated. He does not address Ticuna–Yuri.

Prehistory

Jolkesky (2016) suggests that the homeland of Proto-Duho was in the Serranía de Chiribiquete.

Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with Chibchan languages due to contact, which may point to the earlier presence of Chibchan speakers in the Orinoco basin.

Classification

Internal classification of the Duho language family by Jolkesky (2016):

• Duho
• Tikuna-Yuri
• Karabayo
• Tikuna
• Yuri
• Saliba-Hodi
• Hodi
• Saliba-Betoi
• Betoi
• Saliba-Piaroa
• Saliba
• Piaroa-Mako
• Ature
• Wirö (Maco)
• Piaroa

Pronouns

Jolkesky's Duho languages have shared forms in *ʧ for "I", *kʷ for "you" and *t for "we", which are found in all languages.

Lexicon

Several basic words in Duho languages appear to be related. The following examples are given, with further parallels in Sape:

References