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| Chaná | |
|---|---|
| Lanték Yañá | |
| Native to | Uruguay,Argentina |
| Region | AroundUruguay River andParaná River andRío de la Plata |
| Ethnicity | Chaná people |
Native speakers | 1 rememberer (2024)[1] |
| Revival | 2005; several students in both Uruguay and Argentina |
Mataco–Guaicuru?
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
qsi | |
| Glottolog | chan1296 |
| Linguasphere | 85-DCA-d(a) |
 Chaná | |
 Chaná is classified as Critically Endangered by theUNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
TheChaná language (Chaná:Lanték 'speak' or 'language'; fromlan, "tongue" andtek a communicative suffix)[2][3] is one of theCharruan languages, spoken by theChaná people in what is nowArgentina andUruguay along theUruguay andParaná Rivers on the margins of theRío de la Plata.[4][5] It was spoken by theChaná from pre-Columbian times in the vast region that today is betweenEntre Ríos Province,Argentina andUruguay, and theUruguay andParaná Guazú Rivers. According to recent oral memory narratives,[6] in ancient times, they inhabited territories around the currentBrazilian margin of theUruguay River. They later migrated from this location along the Uruguay andParaná Rivers from the outfall of theIguazú River and from theParaguay River to the current location ofAsunción.[7] Today, there is only one person who can speak Chaná, Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime, and prior to his discovery of the fact that he was the last speaker, he had not used Chaná for many decades, eroding his memory of the language. UNESCO recognizes it as aliving language but also as"extremely endangered" because it has only one native speaker.[8] TheChamber of Deputies of theEntre Ríos Province recently recognized the necessity for the government to recognize and protect the language.[9]
Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime (Agó Acoé Inó, 'dog without owner';Nogoyá,Entre Rios,(1934-02-02)February 2, 1934), anArgentine, is the only native speaker of Chaná. He is now referred to as Tató Oyendén, or custodian of the ancestral memory.
The language, which Blas learned from his female ancestors, considered unique by academics, was consideredextinct before he was interviewed by the linguistJosé Pedro Viegas Barros.[10][11][12][13] The two men together authored the bookLa Lengua Chaná. Patrimonio Cultural de Entre Ríos published by the official communications department of the provincial government of Entre Ríos.[14] The department published the book in recognition of "Lanték" (the Chaná language) to support the cultural heritage of the province.[15]
The following are the phonemes of the Chaná language:[16][17]
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ||
| Stop | p b | t d | tʃ | k g | ʔ |
| Fricative | s | ʃ ʒ | (x) | h | |
| Glide | w | j | |||
| Lateral | l | ||||
| Trill | r | ||||
| Flap | ɾ |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
Lanték has been recognized as a part of the "Cultural Heritage of the Entre Ríos Province." Thefirst dictionary of the language was published by theProvincial Publishing House of Entre Ríos.[18] The publication contained a dictionary compiled via Don Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime and an encyclopedic study of Chaná culture. There were also several chapters on the linguistics of Chaná by Viegas Barros.[19]
The Chaná cultural study encompassed the fourth and last section of the book. A great deal of Chaná ethnoliterature was obtained during elicitation sessions with Viegas Barros during the seven years prior to the publication of the volume. It also has an audio CD which includes recordings of Don Blas speaking hisLanték.
