Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Williche, Veliche, Huiliche, Beliche, Huilche, Mapuche, Chesungun, Chedungun, Tsesungun, Chesumun, Tsesumun,
CLASSIFICATION		Araucanian
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		huh
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Tsesungún
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Campbell (2012:97): Willem Adelaar (personal communication) points out that Huilliche (“Beliche”, Veliche, Huiliche), often considered a dialect of Mapudungun, is likely a separate language. Crevels (2012:190): Huilliche is related to Mapuche, but barely intelligible with it. Although they appear in some Colonial texts, the alternate names Huilche and Huiliche are deemed incorrect by some, as the graphemes "l" and "ll" represent distinct phonemes in this language. Writing the name of the language as "Huiliche" rather than "Huilliche" changes the meaning of the term substantially, signifying something like "people of the nail" rather than "people of the south."

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Information from: “South America” (103-196) . Mily Crevels (2007) , C. Moseley · London & New York: Routledge

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
"Several thousand"
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 1982

DOMAINS OF USE

MORE ON VITALITY

Huilliche is mainly used among friends and for ceremonial purposes. Most speakers are over sixty years old.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Spanish

PLACES: Chile

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Chile, X Region (south of the Mapuche), from Valdivia to Chiloe, mountain valleys, San Juan de la Costa area in the Province of Osorno.

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
2,000 (1982 SIL). Ethnic population: 17,000. On the outer Island of Cholé.
(2016 unchanged.)

DATE OF INFO: 1982

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Most of the ethnic group speaks Spanish [spa] as L1. Some youth using the language in rap music. Few domains. Older adults.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Spanish

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Most of the ethnic group speaks Spanish [spa] as L1. Some youth using the language in rap music. Few domains. Older adults.

PLACES: Chile;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: South of Mapuche, Tenth region, Valdivia to Chiloé.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: South of Mapuche, Tenth region, Valdivia to Chiloé.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide

3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing	Paris	http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub	2,000		1000-9999					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								-40.4803,-73.5424
	2007	South America	Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages	103-196	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge			Mily Crevels	Crevels, Mily. 2007. "South America." In Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 103-196. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD	"Several thousand"	1982	1000-9999		Spanish		Most speak Spanish as a first language.	Severely Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Huilliche is mainly used among friends and for ceremonial purposes. Most speakers are over sixty years old.	15			Chile	Chile, X Region (south of the Mapuche), from Valdivia to Chiloe, mountain valleys, San Juan de la Costa area in the Province of Osorno.
		World Oral Literature Project						http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		2,000		1000-9999					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	2,000	1982	1000-9999	2,000 (1982 SIL). Ethnic population: 17,000. On the outer Island of Cholé. (2016 unchanged.)	Spanish	Most of the ethnic group speaks Spanish [spa] as L1. Some youth using the language in rap music. Few domains. Older adults.		Severely Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	Most of the ethnic group speaks Spanish [spa] as L1. Some youth using the language in rap music. Few domains. Older adults.	14	15	South of Mapuche, Tenth region, Valdivia to Chiloé.	Chile;	South of Mapuche, Tenth region, Valdivia to Chiloé.

Huilliche

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

"Several thousand"

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Discussion

Huilliche

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

"Several thousand"

Severely endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Discussion

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