 | It has been suggested that portions of this article besplit out into another article titledLenmichí languages. (Discuss)(October 2025) |
| Macro-Chibchan | |
|---|---|
| Lenmichí | |
| (controversial) | |
| Geographic distribution | Central America and Colombia |
| Linguistic classification | Proposedlanguage family |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | None |
 The Chibchan, Misumalpan, and Lencan languages | |
Macro-Chibchan is a proposed grouping of the languages of theLencan,Misumalpan, andChibchan families into a single large phylum (macrofamily).
The Lencan and Misumalpan languages were once included in theChibchan family proper, but were excluded pending further evidence as that family became well established. Kaufman (1990) finds the Chibchan–Misumalpan connection convincing, if as yet unsubstantiated, though Campbell (1997) finds it doubtful. TheXincan family was once included in Macro-Chibchan, but this is now doubtful.
Constenla (2005) calls this proposed phylumLenmichí (Lencan–Misumalpan–Chibchan) and provides 85 cognate sets which exhibit regular sound correspondences among the three families. He suggests thatChocoan may be related as well.
Greenberg proposed a broader conception of Macro-Chibchan, one dismissed by linguists working on the families in question. It includedYanomam,Purépecha, andCuitlatec in addition to Chibchan–Misumalpan–Xinca–Lenca. Greenberg (1987) includedPaezan languages in a Chibchan-Paezan stock withBarbacoan, Chibchan,Chocoan,Jirajaran, and the isolatesBetoi,Kamsá (Sibundoy),Yaruro,Esmeraldeño,Mochica,Cunza,Itonama,Timucua andYurumanguí.
An automated computational analysis (ASJP 4) by Müller et al. (2013)[1] also found lexical similarities betweenChibchan andMisumalpan. However, since the analysis was automatically generated, the grouping could be either due to mutual lexical borrowing or genetic inheritance.
Constenla (2005) reconstructed five vowels and eleven consonants for Proto-Lenmichian, with the following reflexes:
| Proto-Lenmichian | *a | *e | *i | *o | *u |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proto-Chibchan | *a | *e | *i | *o | *u |
| Proto-Lencan | *a *e | *e | *i | *o *u | *u |
| Proto-Misumalpan | *a | *i | *i | *u | *u |
There are also a series[clarification needed] of nasal vowels.
| Proto-Lenmichian | *b | *d | *t | *k | *ʔ | *ts | *s | *h | *l | *ɾ | *w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proto-Chibchan | *b | *d | *t | *k | *ʔ | *ts | *s | *h | *ɾ | ∅ | |
| Proto-Lencan | *p *m | *l *n | *t | *k | ∅ | *ts' | ∅ | *l | *w | ||
| Proto-Misumalpan | *b *p *m | *d *n | *t | *k | ∅ | *s | ∅ | *l | *ɾ | *w | |
Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items.[2]
| gloss | Xinca (Guazacapán)[3] | Lenca (Chilanga)[4] | Proto-Lencan[5] | Proto-Misumalpan[6] | Proto-Chibchan[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | húš̱i | oso | |||
| hair | múti | alah | *asak | *ʦa | |
| eye | hurayí | sap | *uᵐba | ||
| ear | mánka | tokoro | *tupal | ||
| nose | narí | nepkuru | *nep | *nam | *ⁿdii(k) |
| tooth | rajáj (Chiquimulilla)[8] | neh | *nek | *ⁿduʔ | |
| tongue | elahá | nepal | *tu | *kuʔ(-Ba) | |
| mouth | š̱ahá | iɴ-ts’ats’a | *in | *ta | *kah-ka |
| hand | pu | koʃaka | *kuuʔ; *haⁿd- ~ *hat- | ||
| foot | wapilí | waʃaka | *kihʦa ~ *kihsa | ||
| breast | šéke | ts’ukiɴ 'nipple' | *kãʔ; *ʦuʔ | ||
| meat | uwí | waʃa | *ᵑgaʔⁿda ~ *ᵑgaʔta; *sih | ||
| blood | káma | ala | *a | *hapi ~ *apiʔ | |
| bone | hararí | ʃila-ts’e | *ts’ek | *kãⁿd-, *ⁿdaⁿdi ~ *ⁿdaiⁿd- / *saⁿdi ~ *saiⁿd- | |
| person | šurúmu, hurákɨ | iʃko | *ᵐbaⁿdi ~ *ᵐbaiⁿd | ||
| name | š̱a | *haka ~ *akaʔ | |||
| dog | čúčo (Chiquimulilla)[9] | ʃuʃu | *su | *tau | |
| fish | séma | ʃok’ín | *ᵑgwa ~ *uᵑg | ||
| louse | tɨmáƚi | tem | *tem | *kũʔ | |
| tree | hútu | suɴ | *ban | *ˈkàr; *kaˈri (C) | |
| leaf | píya | aw | *ka | ||
| flower | túƚu | ʃila | *sula | ||
| water | uy | *was | *li | *ⁿdiʔ | |
| fire | uráy | ik’aɴ | *juk’a | *ᵑgi 'firewood' | |
| stone | híš̱i | ke | *ke | *walpa | *hak ~ *kaʔ |
| earth | náru | omoɴ | *taB(a) | ||
| salt | tíʔla | ts’epe | *ⁿdaᵑg | ||
| road | táƚma | k’iɴ | *k’in | *hi | |
| eat | rúka | rom- | *kuⁿdi ~ *kuiⁿd | ||
| die | teró | ʃil- | |||
| I | nin | unani | *unani | *jam | *ⁿdaH(ⁿd) |
| you | náka | manani | *amanani | *man | *ᵐbaʔ |