Maxakalían
Mashakalian
Geographic distribution	Brazil
Linguistic classification	Macro-Jê Trans-São Francisco[1] Maxakalían
Subdivisions	Nuclear Maxakalí Maxakali Kapoxó† Kumanasho [hr] / Cumanaxo† Panháme [hr]† Monoxo/ Monachobm/Menacho† Makoni† Pataxó† Hahaháy† Koropo† Malali†
Language codes
Glottolog	maxa1246
Distrubution of Maxakalian languages among the Macro-Jê family
Map of the Maxakalian languages (excluding Koropo)

TheMaxakalían languages (alsoMashakalían) are a group of related indigenous languages of Brazil, named afterMaxakalí, the one surviving language in the group. Many of the other, extinct, languages are poorly attested and linguists differ in the languages they identify as part of the group. The Maxakalían group is today usually considered part of theMacro-Jê language family.

Maxakalían languages were first classified into theJê languages. It was only in 1931 thatČestmír Loukotka separated them from the Jê family.Alfred Métraux andCurt Nimuendajú considered the Maxakalían family isolated from others.John Alden Mason suggests a connection with theMacro-Jê stock, confirmed byAryon Rodrigues.

Apart from extinct varieties generally seen as dialects of Maxakalí,^[2] Mason noted resemblances with a few other extinct languages of the area:Pataxó,Malalí andCoropó. However, Coropó is sometimes thought to be aPurian language. Campbell (1997) therefore lists the Maxakalian languages as:

1. Malalí(†)
2. Pataxó (Patashó)(†) (retain some words, revival movement)
3. Maxakalí (Mashacalí) (1,270 speakers)

Glottolog (2016) restoresCoropó (Koropó) as a Maxakalían language.

Nikulin (2020) proposes the following internal classification of the Maxakalían languages:^[1]

Maxakalí

• Malalí
• Nuclear Maxakalí
  • Maxakalí
  • Ritual Maxakalí;Makoní
  • Pataxó;Pataxó-Hãhãhãe
  • Koropó

Maxakalí is a sister ofKrenák and possibly alsoKamakã. Together, they form a Trans-São Francisco branch within theMacro-Jê language phylum in Nikulin's (2020) classification.^[1]

Internal classification of the Maxakali languages according to Ramirez, et al. (2015):^[3]

• Malali
• Maxakali-Pataxó
  • (?)Koropó
  • Maxakali proper
    • Maxakali
    • Old Machacari (including: Monoxó,Makoni,Kapoxó, Kumanaxó, Panhame, etc.)
  • Pataxó ofWied^[4]
  • Pataxó-Hãhãhãe

Currently,Maxakali (excluding Old Machacari) is the only living language, while all other languages are extinct.

Pataxó as documented byPrince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (1989: 510–511) in 1816^[4] is distinct from Pataxó-Hãhãhãe. Pataxó-Hãhãhãe was spoken into the 20th century and has been documented by Meader (1978: 45–50),^[5] Loukotka (1963: 32–33),^[6] and Silva & Rodrigues (1982).^[7]

Many Maxakalian varieties are attested only from 19th-century word lists, some of which are:^[3]

• Mashacari (A.St-Hil, 2000: 274;^[8] Wied, 1989: 509–510^[4]) [collected in 1816–1817]
• Kapoxó (Martius, 1863: 170–172^[9]) [collected in 1818]
• Monoxó (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 181^[10]) [collected in 1817]
• Makoni (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 212; Martius, 1863: 173–176; Wied, 1989: 512–513) [collected in 1816–1818]
• Malali (Saint-Hilaire, 2000: 181; Martius, 1863: 207–208; Wied, 1989: 511–512) [collected in 1816–1818]

Below is a full list of Mashakali languages and dialects listed byLoukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.^[11]

Western

• Mashakali /Maxacari – language once spoken in the state of Minas Gerais on theMarucí River andJucurucu River, later on theBelmonte River.
• Kaposho /Capoxo – once spoken on theAraçuaí River.
• Kumanasho /Cumanaxo – extinct language originally spoken on theSuaçuí Grande River, state of Minas Gerais, later at the sources of theGravatá River, state of Bahia.
• Moakañi – once spoken on theFanado River (Panado River) nearConceição, later on theCaravelas River. (Unattested)
• Pañáme – once spoken on theSuaçuí Pequeno River, Minas Gerais.
• Monoxo /Monachobm /Menacho – originally spoken on theItanhaém River and now on the PostoParaguaçu, state of Bahia.
• Makoni – formerly spoken on theCaravelas River and nearAlto dos Bois.
• Paraxirn – once spoken on theSuaçuí Pequeno River. (Unattested)
• Bonitó – once spoken on theSuaçuí Grande River nearPeçanha and Bonito. (Unattested)
• Goaña – once spoken on theCorrente River andGuanhães River. (Unattested)
• Malacaxi – extinct language betweenMalacacheta andUrupuca (nearÁgua Boa, Minas Gerais). (Unattested)
• Mapoxo – formerly spoken on theSuaçuí Grande River. (Unattested)
• Xonin – once spoken between thePeçanha River,Figueira River, andDoce River. (Unattested)
• Moxotó – extinct language once spoken on theSuaçuí Grande River andSuaçuí Pequeno River nearPeçanha. (Unattested)
• Toréjicana – once spoken between theAraçuaí River andFanado River. (Unattested)
• Vocoin – once spoken between theAraçuaí River andJequitinhonha River. (Unattested)
• Batum – once spoken between theDoce River andConceição River. (Unattested)

Eastern

• Patasho – originally spoken between theJequitinhonha River andSão Francisco River in the state of Minas Gerais; the last survivors became extinct on the right shore of theJequitinhonha River, Espirito Santo.
• Tocoyó – extinct language originally spoken in the valley of theAraçuaí River and nearMinas Novas de Fanado in the state of Minas Gerais, later on the right bank of theJequitinhonha River in the state of Espirito Santo. (Unattested)
• Maquinuca – once spoken near the Salto Grande on theJequitinhonha River. (Unattested)
• Canarin – once spoken on theCaravelas River andMucuri River, state of Espirito Santo. (Unattested)
• Tucanuçú – once spoken south of theJequitinhonha River near Campos deCaatinga. (Unattested)
• Aboninim – once spoken in the state of Minas Gerais in theSerra Geral do Espinhaço. (Unattested)
• Catiguasú – once spoken in the state of Minas Gerais between theJequitinhonha River andSão Francisco River. (Unattested)
• Hahaháy – spoken in the state of Bahia on theCachoeira River.

Southern

• Malali – extinct language formerly spoken in theSerra Redonda and on theSuaçuí Pequeno River, Minas Gerais.
• Zamplan – once spoken on theDoce River and at the sources of thePiracicaba River. (Unattested)

Mason (1950) lists:^[12]

Mashacalí

• Caposhó (Koposǒ)
• Cumanashó (Kumanaxó)
• Macuní (Makoni)
• Mashacalí (Maxakarí)
• Monoshó (Monoxó)
• Panyame (Paname)

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Mashakali languages.^[11]

Wiktionary has a word list atAppendix:Maxakali word lists

• Campbell, Lyle. (1997).American Indian languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
• Kaufman, Terrence. (1990). Language history in South America: What We Know and How to Know More. In D. L. Payne (Ed.),Amazonian Linguistics: Studies in Lowland South American Languages (pp. 13–67). Austin: University of Texas Press.ISBN 0-292-70414-3.
• 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.

• Maxakalían languages
• Nuclear Macro-Jê languages
• Indigenous languages of South America (Central)
• Indigenous languages of Eastern Brazil

• CS1 Portuguese-language sources (pt)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata