Mataco-Guaicuru languages

Mataco-Guaicuru
Basic information
Countries	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Paraguay
Number of speakers	100,000
Language family	Mataco-Guaicuru Charruan Guaicuruan Mascoian Matacoan
Language codes

Mataco-Guaicuru or Macro-Waikurúan is a proposed language phylum consisting of the Guaicuruan, Matacoan, and sometimes the Mascoian and Charruan language families. The languages are spoken in the South American countries, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Language genetics

Language distribution.

There is no convincing demonstration that the Mataco-Guaicuru languages are related to any of the indigenous languages of the Americas. Viegas Barros, however, has discovered a number of similarities between the pronomial system of these languages and those of the Macro-Je languages. Previously, Joseph Greenberg had suggested the possible existence of a genetic relationship between the Mataco-Guaicuru and Pano-Tacana languages, but this proposal is generally not accepted.

Phonology

This table compares the personal pronouns of languages in the Guaicuruan and Matacoan language families.

	Guaicuruan				Matacoan
	Kadiweu	Toba	Abipón	Mocoví	Wichí
1st person singular	èé	hayem	aym	aym	olam
2nd person singular	akáme	ʔam	akami	akami	am
3rd person singular	iddoatte	-mari	iñi (m.) añi (f.)	ini (m.) ani (f.)	lam
1st person plural	okó	qomi	akam	okom	olamel
2nd person plural	okami	qami	akamii	akami	amel
3rd person plural	iddá	-mari	hiniha (m.) añija (f.)	inisó (m.) anisó (f.)	lamel

References

• http://www.answers.com/topic/language-family
• http://www.loc.gov/marc/classification/ddc06.html