Sechura language

Sechura
Sechura
	Description of the image.Description of the image.
Native to	Peru
Region	Piura Region
Extinct	late 19th Century?
Language family	Sechura-Catacao Sechura;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
	File:Image name.pngDescription of the image.

The Sechura language, also known as Sek, is an extinct language (or possibly two languages) spoken in the Piura Region of Peru, near the port of Sechura. It appears to have become extinct by the beginning of the 20th Century^[1].

Classification

Sechura, along with its dialect or sister language Tallán are too poorly known to be definitively classified. Greenberg and Ruhlen place Sechura in the Northern branch of an Andean language family, along with the Catacaoan languages, the Culle language, the Leco language, and the Hivito-Cholon languages^[2]. While Greenberg's Amerind proposal is quite controversial, Kaufman notes that a connection between Sechura and the Catacaoan languages is likely and is supported by lexical evidence^[3].

Dialects/Varieties

It is unclear whether or not the two varieties classed together as Sechura (Sechura and Tallán) are merely dialects of the same language. Rivet groups the two together, calling them the Sek language, when he compares them to the Catacaoan languages^[4]. In comparing wordlists from Sechura and Tallán, Torero finds six likely cognates between the two^[5]:

Tallán		Sechura
water	xoto	tujut	river
son/daughter	ños-ma	ños-ñi	son/daughter
light	yura	yoro	sun
beach	coyu roro	roro	sea
woman	cucatama	cuctum	woman
fish	xuma	jum	fish

References

^ Adelaar, Willem F. H. (2004). The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 398–401. ISBN 052136275X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Greenberg, Joseph; Ruhlen, Merritt (2007-09-04), An Amerind Etymological Dictionary (pdf) (12 ed.), Stanford: Dept. of Anthropological Sciences Stanford University, retrieved 2008-06-27
^ Kaufman, Terrence (1990), "Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more", in Payne, D.L. (ed.), Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages, Austin: University of Texas Press, pp. 13–67, ISBN 0-292-70414-3
^ Rivet, Paul (1949). "Les langues de l'ancien diocèse de Trujillo". Journal de la Société des Américanistes de Paris (in French). 38. Paris: 1–51.
^ Torero Fernández de Córdova, Alfredo A. (1986). "Deslindes lingüísticos en la costa norte peruana". Revista Andina (in Spanish). 4. Cuzco: Centro Bartolomé de Las Casas: 523–48.

[Andean-1] Adelaar, Willem F. H. (2004). The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 398–401. ISBN 052136275X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[2] Greenberg, Joseph; Ruhlen, Merritt (2007-09-04), An Amerind Etymological Dictionary (pdf) (12 ed.), Stanford: Dept. of Anthropological Sciences Stanford University, retrieved 2008-06-27

[3] Kaufman, Terrence (1990), "Language history in South America: What we know and how to know more", in Payne, D.L. (ed.), Amazonian linguistics: Studies in lowland South American languages, Austin: University of Texas Press, pp. 13–67, ISBN 0-292-70414-3

[4] Rivet, Paul (1949). "Les langues de l'ancien diocèse de Trujillo". Journal de la Société des Américanistes de Paris (in French). 38. Paris: 1–51.

[5] Torero Fernández de Córdova, Alfredo A. (1986). "Deslindes lingüísticos en la costa norte peruana". Revista Andina (in Spanish). 4. Cuzco: Centro Bartolomé de Las Casas: 523–48.

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