Jirajaran
Hiraháran
Geographic distribution	WesternVenezuela
Extinct	early 20th century
Linguistic classification	One of the world's primarylanguage families
Subdivisions	Jirajara† Ayomán† Gayón†
Language codes
Glottolog	jira1235
Pre-contact distribution of the Jirajaran languages

TheJirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spoken in westernVenezuela in the regions ofFalcón andLara. All of the Jirajaran languages appear to have become extinct in the early 20th century.^[1] According to Glottolog, its languages constitute a language isolate.

Based on adequate documentation, three languages are definitively classified as belonging to the Jirajaran family:^[1]

• Jirajara, spoken in the state ofFalcón
• Ayomán, spoken in the village ofSiquisique in the state ofLara
• Gayón, spoken at the sources of theTocuyo River in the state ofLara

Loukotka includes four additional languages, for which no linguistic documentation exists:^[2]

• Coyone, spoken at the sources of thePortuguesa River in the state ofPortuguesa, sometimes considered a synonym for Gayon
• Cuiba, spoken near the city ofAricagua
• Atatura, spoken between the Rocono and Tucupido rivers
• Aticari, spoken along theTocuyo River

Mason (1950) lists:^[3]

• Gayón (Cayon)
• Ayomán
• Xagua (not to be confused withAchawa language)
  • Cuiba (?)
• Jirajara

The Jirajaran languages are generally regarded as isolates. Adelaar and Muysken note certain lexical similarities with theTimotean languages and typological similarity to theChibchan languages, but state that the data is too limited to make a definitive classification.^[1] Jahn, among others, has suggested a relation between the Jirajaran language and theBetoi languages, mostly on the basis of similar ethnonyms.^[4] Greenberg and Ruhlen classify Jirajaran as belonging to the Paezan language family, along with theBetoi languages, thePáez language, theBarbacoan languages and others.^[5]

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with theSape,Timote-Kuika, andPuinave-Kak language families due to contact.^[6]

Based on the little documentation that exists, a number oftypological characteristics are reconstructable:^[7]

1.VO word order intransitive clauses

2.Subjects precede verbs

3. Possessors which precede the possessed

4. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify

5. Numerals precede the nouns they quantify

6. Use ofpostpositions, rather than prepositions

Jahn (1927) lists the following basic vocabulary items.^[4]

Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Jahn (1927)

English	Ayomán	Gayón	Jirajara
fire	dug	dut, idú	dueg
foot	a-sengán	segué	angán
hen	degaró	digaró	degaró
house	gagap	hiyás	gagap
snake	huhí, jují	jují	túb
sun	iñ	yivat	yuaú

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.^[2]

Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Loukotka (1968)

gloss	Jirajara	Ayomán	Gayón
one		bógha
two		auyí
three		mongañá
head	a-ktegi	a-tógh	is-tóz
ear	a-uñán	a-kivóugh	himigui
tooth		a-king
man	iyít	yúsh	yus
water	ing	ing	guayí
fire	dueg	dug	dut
sun	yuaú	iñ	yivat
maize	dos	dosh	dosivot
bird		chiskua	chiskua
house	gagap	gagap	hiyás

• Oramas, L. (1916). Materiales para el estudio de los dialectos Ayamán, Gayón, Jirajara, Ajagua. Caracas: Litografía del Comercio.
• Querales, R. (2008). El Ayamán. Ensayo de reconstrucción de un idioma indígena venezolano. Barquisimeto: Concejo Municipal de Iribarren.

Wiktionary has word lists atAppendix:Jirajaran word lists

• Jirajaran languages
• Languages of Venezuela
• Extinct languages of South America
• Language families

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata