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Ninam language

Ninam, or Yanam, is a Yanomaman language spoken in Roraima, Brazil (800 speakers) and southern Venezuela near the Mucajai, upper Uraricaá, and Paragua rivers.

Synonymy

Yanam is also known by the following names: Ninam, Yanam–Ninam, Xirianá, Shiriana Casapare, Kasrapai, Jawaperi, Crichana, Jawari, Shiriana, Eastern Yanomaman.

Regional variation

Gordon (2009) reports 2 main varieties (Northern, Southern). Kaufman (1994) reports 3:

  1. Yanam ( Northern Yanam/Ninam (Xiliana, Shiriana, Uraricaa-Paragua))
  2. Ninam ( Southern Yanam/Ninam (Xilixana, Shirishana, Mukajai))
  3. Jawarib

The name Jawari is shared with Ỹaroamë.

There are three dialects spoken in Roraima, Brazil according to Ferreira, et al. (2019):

The remaining speakers of Arutani and Sapé also speak Ninam (Shirián), since they now mostly live in Ninam villages.

Mason (1950)

Dialects listed by Mason (1950):

  • Waharibo (Guaharibo)
  • Shirianá
  • Waicá (Guaica, Vaica)
  • Carimé (Karimé)

Phonology

Yanam has seven base vowels. Yanam has both vowel length and nasalization, and both features can occur simultaneously, for all vowels except for /ɨ/.

References

  • Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. .
  • Kaufman, Terrence. (1994). The native languages of South America. In C. Mosley & R. E. Asher (Eds.), Atlas of the world's languages (pp. 46–76). London: Routledge.
  • Migliazza, Ernest; & Grimes, J. E. (1961). Shiriana phonology. Anthropological Linguistics. (June).

External links