| Arutani | |
|---|---|
| Uruak, Awake | |
| Arutani | |
| Native to | Brazil,Venezuela |
| Region | Roraima (Brazil); Karum River area,Bolivar State (Venezuela) |
| Ethnicity | 20Auaké |
Native speakers | 5–6 (2020)[1] |
Arutani–Sape ?
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | atx |
| Glottolog | arut1244 |
| ELP | Arutani |
 Arutani is classified as Critically Endangered by theUNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
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Arutani (Orotani, Urutani, also known asAwake, Auake, Auaqué, Aoaqui, Oewaku, ethnonymUruak) is a nearly extinct language spoken inRoraima,Brazil and in the Karum River area ofBolivar State,Venezuela. There are only around 6 speakers left.[2][3]
Arutani is one of the most poorly attested extant languages in South America, and may be alanguage isolate.[4][5]
Existing data is limited to a 1911 word list by Koch-Grünberg (1928: 308-313),[6] a 1940 word list by Armellada & Matallana (1942: 101-110),[7] and a 100-itemSwadesh list by Migliazza (1978).[8] There is also an unpublished Swadesh list byFèlix Cardona i Puig from the 1930s-1940s, as well as an unpublished 200-item Swadesh list by Walter Coppens from 1970.[9]
Traditionally, Arutani was spoken along theParagua River andUraricaá River in southern Venezuela and the northern tip ofRoraima, Brazil.[2]
Ethnic Arutani also speakNinam (Shirián), since they now mostly live in Ninam villages. The remaining speakers of Arutani are found in the following Ninam villages.[2]
According to Loukotka (1968), it was once spoken on the southern banks of Maracá Island in theRio Branco area.[10]
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with theMáku,Sape,Warao,Tikuna-Yuri, andTukano language families due to contact.[11]
Lexical similarities withTucanoan languages are mostly cultural loanwords. Arutani and Tucanoan languages also have completely different pronominal systems, and sound correspondences are irregular. Thus, similarities between them can be attributed to contact with Eastern Tucanoan.[11]: 527
Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Auaké.[10]
| gloss | Auaké |
|---|---|
| one | kiuaná |
| two | kiuañéke |
| three | uatitimitilíake |
| head | ki-kakoáti |
| eye | ki-gakoá |
| tooth | ki-aké |
| man | madkié |
| water | okoá |
| fire | ané |
| sun | nizyí |
| manioc | mokiá |
| jaguar | kaiyá |
| house | iméd |
