Jirajaran languages

The Jirajaran languages are group of extinct languages once spoken in western Venezuela in the regions of Falcón and Lara. All of the Jirajaran languages appear to have become extinct in the early 20th century.

Languages
Based on adequate documentation, three languages are definitively classified as belonging to the Jirajaran family:


 * Jirajara, spoken in the state of Falcón
 * Ayomán, spoken in the village of Siquisique in the state of Lara
 * Gayón, spoken at the sources of the Tocuyo River in the state of Lara

Loukotka includes four additional languages, for which no linguistic documentation exists:


 * Coyone, spoken at the sources of the Portuguesa River in the state of Portuguesa
 * Cuiba, spoken near the city of Aricagua
 * Atatura, spoken between the Rocono and Tucupido rivers
 * Aticari, spoken along the Tocuyo River

Mason (1950) lists:


 * Gayón (Cayon)
 * Ayomán
 * Xagua
 * Cuiba (?)
 * Jirajara

Classification
The Jirajaran languages are generally regarded as isolates. Adelaar and Muysken note certain lexical similarities with the Timotean languages and typological similarity to the Chibchan languages, but state that the data is too limited to make a definitive classification. Jahn, among others, has suggested a relation between the Jirajaran language and the Betoi languages, mostly on the basis of similar ethnonyms. Greenberg and Ruhlen classify Jirajaran as belonging to the Paezan language family, along with the Betoi languages, the Páez language, the Barbacoan languages and others.

Language contact
Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Sape, Timote-Kuika, and Puinave-Kak language families due to contact.

Typology
Based on the little documentation that exists, a number of typological characteristics are reconstructable:

apasi mamán
 * 1. VO word order in transitive clauses

I.cut my.hand

'I cut my hand'

depamilia buratá
 * 2. Subjects precede verbs

the.family is.good

'The family is good'

shpashiú yemún
 * 3. Possessors which precede the possessed

arc its.rope

'the arc of the rope'

pok diú
 * 4. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify

hill big

'big hill'

boque soó
 * 5. Numerals precede the nouns they quantify

one cigarette

'one cigarette'

angüi fru-ye
 * 6. Use of postpositions, rather than prepositions

I.go Siquisique-to

'I go to Siquisique.'

Vocabulary comparison
Jahn (1927) lists the following basic vocabulary items.


 * {|class="wikitable sortable"

!width="75"|English !width="75"|Ayomán !width="75"|Gayón !width="75"|Jirajara
 * +Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Jahn (1927)
 * 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
 * }
 * house||gagap||hiyás||gagap
 * snake||huhí, jují||jují||túb
 * sun||iñ||yivat||yuaú
 * }
 * sun||iñ||yivat||yuaú
 * }

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items.


 * {|class="wikitable sortable"

! gloss !! Jirajara !! Ayomán !! Gayón
 * +Comparison of Jirajaran vocabulary, based on Loukotka (1968)
 * 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
 * }
 * water || ing || ing || guayí
 * fire || dueg || dug || dut
 * sun || yuaú || iñ || yivat
 * maize || dos || dosh || dosivot
 * bird || || chiskua || chiskua
 * house || gagap || gagap || hiyás
 * }
 * maize || dos || dosh || dosivot
 * bird || || chiskua || chiskua
 * house || gagap || gagap || hiyás
 * }
 * house || gagap || gagap || hiyás
 * }