Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Kapon, Ka'pong,
CLASSIFICATION		Cariban, Venezuelan
LANGUAGE CODE		ake, pbc
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Akawayo Ingarikó Patamuna Purukotó
DOWNLOAD		As csv
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		In the principal sources there are considerable differences concerning which entities are considered separate languages and which are dialects, and especially about to which language different varieties should be assigned. Gildea (2012) has Kapong as single language to which Akawayo, Patamona, and Ingarikó belong. Gildea (personal communication, Nov. 2014) clarifies this: "Patamuna, Arekuna, Akawaio, and Makushi are very similar, and all of them may be mutually intelligible with just a bit of exposure (like Spanish and Portuguese). I found nothing to suggest rethinking Migliazza's (18985) explanation of the "dialect area" (repeated in Gildea 1998, 2012). My subjective impressions (in the absence of detailed comparisons of wordlists) is that Patamuna and Akawaio have phonological differences, but Desrey Fox (native speaker of Akawaio) said they are the "same" language, Ka'pong (sky people), and I had no reason to doubt her; she also said that Patamuna (Guyana) and Ingarikó (Brazil) are pretty much identical, just spoken on different sides of the border. Makushi is clearly a different language."

Compare Sources (6)

Information from: “Language endangerment in South America: The clock is ticking” (167-234) . Crevels, Mily (2012) , Lyle Campbell and Veronica Grondona · Mouton de Gruyter

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<11,550
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
11,615
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ingarikó (Akawayo, Kapon) 1,170 speakers and population in Brazil (2007);
Akawayo (Kapon) <5,000 speakers, 5,000 population in Guayana (2000);
Akawayo (Kapon) 180 speakers, 245 population Venezuela (2001);
Patamona (Kapon, Akawayo) ? speakers, 87 population in Brazil (2006);
Patamona (Kapon) 5,000 speakers and population Guayana (2000);
Patamona (Kapon) 200 speakers and population Venezuela.

DATE OF INFO: 2007; 2006; 2001; 2000

PLACES: Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,350
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ethnologue distinguishes Akawaio [ake] and Patamona [pbc] as separate languages:
Akawaio [ake]: 4,500 in Guyana (2002 SIL).

Patamona [pbc]: 4,700 in Guyana (Forte 1990). Ethnic population: 5,000 (2000 J. Forte)

DATE OF INFO: 2002, 1990, 2000

PLACES: Venezuela; Brazil; Guyana;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Kapong language area (Capón, Akawayo, Akawaio, Acahuayo, Acewaio,
Akawai, Acawayo, Acahuayo, Waicá, Ingaricó, Patamona,)
Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Mazaruni River basin, north of Patamona.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,000
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
10,300?
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
11,730?
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ethnologue distinguishes Akawaio [ake] and Patamona [pbc] as separate languages:
Akawaio [ake]: 5350 total. In Guyana: 4500 (2002 SIL), ethnic population 5000 (Crevels 2007); in Brazil: 670 (Moore 2006); in Venezuela 180 (2001 census), 810 ethnic populations (1993 OCEI).

Patamona [pbc]: 4950? total. In Guyana: 4700 (Forte 1990), ethnic population 5000 (2000 J. Forte); in Brazil 50 ?, ethnic population: 50 (Crevels 2007); in Venezuela: 200?, ethnic population 200 (Crevels 2007).

DATE OF INFO: 2002, 2006, 2001; 1990, 2007, 2007

PLACES: Guayan, Brazil, Venezuela

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6,970
Native speakers worldwide

0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.											6.0,-59.5
	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		5,350	2002, 1990, 2000	1000-9999	Ethnologue distinguishes Akawaio [ake] and Patamona [pbc] as separate languages: Akawaio [ake]: 4,500 in Guyana (2002 SIL). Patamona [pbc]: 4,700 in Guyana (Forte 1990). Ethnic population: 5,000 (2000 J. Forte)	Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	Mazaruni River basin, north of Patamona.	Venezuela; Brazil; Guyana;	Kapong language area (Capón, Akawayo, Akawaio, Acahuayo, Acewaio, Akawai, Acawayo, Acahuayo, Waicá, Ingaricó, Patamona,) Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas	http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		11,730?	10,300?	2002, 2006, 2001; 1990, 2007, 2007	10000-99999	Ethnologue distinguishes Akawaio [ake] and Patamona [pbc] as separate languages: Akawaio [ake]: 5350 total. In Guyana: 4500 (2002 SIL), ethnic population 5000 (Crevels 2007); in Brazil: 670 (Moore 2006); in Venezuela 180 (2001 census), 810 ethnic populations (1993 OCEI). Patamona [pbc]: 4950? total. In Guyana: 4700 (Forte 1990), ethnic population 5000 (2000 J. Forte); in Brazil 50 ?, ethnic population: 50 (Crevels 2007); in Venezuela: 200?, ethnic population 200 (Crevels 2007).	Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Guayan, Brazil, Venezuela
	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		6,970		1000-9999		Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				5.3753,-60.5126
			World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			5,000		1000-9999		Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		2012	Language endangerment in South America: The clock is ticking	The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide	167-234	Lyle Campbell and Veronica Grondona		Mouton de Gruyter	Berlin		Crevels, Mily	Crevels, Mily. 2012. "Language Endangerment in South America: The Clock Is Ticking." In The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide, edited by Hans Henrich Hock et al.. 167-234. Mouton de Gruyter.		11,615	<11,550	2007; 2006; 2001; 2000	10000-99999	Ingarikó (Akawayo, Kapon) 1,170 speakers and population in Brazil (2007); Akawayo (Kapon) <5,000 speakers, 5,000 population in Guayana (2000); Akawayo (Kapon) 180 speakers, 245 population Venezuela (2001); Patamona (Kapon, Akawayo) ? speakers, 87 population in Brazil (2006); Patamona (Kapon) 5,000 speakers and population Guayana (2000); Patamona (Kapon) 200 speakers and population Venezuela.	Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela

Kapong

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<11,550

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,350

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,300?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,970

Discussion

Kapong

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<11,550

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,350

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,000

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,300?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6,970

Discussion

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