Did you know Cocama-Cocamilla is critically endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Cocama, Kokama, Kukama-Kukamiria, Ucayali, Xibitoana, Huallaga, Pampadeque, Pandequebo, Xibitaona, Kokama-Kokamilya, Kokáma-Omágwa, Kukama Kukamiria, Cocama Cocamilla
CLASSIFICATION		Tupian, Tupi-Guaranian, Tupi
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		cod
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Cocamilla Cocama
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Cabral (2007:375) argues that Kokáma/Omágwa (Cocama-Omagua) is not a Tupí-Guaranían language, that it cannot be classified at all, and is rather a mixed language to which at least four different languages contributed, though “most of the basic vocabulary of Kokáma/Omágwa is of Tupí-Guaraní[an] origin.”

Compare Sources (10)

Information from: “Integrating Language Documentation, Language Preservation, and Linguistic Research: Working with the Kokamas from the Amazon” . Rosa Vallejos (2015)

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~1,000
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
20,000-25,000
CHILDREN
0
YOUNG ADULTS
0
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"Perhaps the most reasonable calculation for today’s total Kokama population would be between 20,000
and 25,000, including people who no longer speak the language... only about 5% (an estimated 1,000 individuals) of the total population speaks the language; the majority have already shifted to Spanish."

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"The remaining speakers are elderly people spread across small villages. Adults in their 40s and 50s show only passive knowledge: they are able to understand what is being said in the language, but are not able to produce
even simple messages. [The] remaining speakers use the language to speak amongst themselves, but only in very restricted situations, such as traditional events and intimate meetings."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

"In Peru, there is a stigma attached to being part of an indigenous group, which generates unfavorable conditions for people to identify themselves as members of such groups... the low social prestige of Kokama together with its use for limited communicative purposes provides little motivation for younger people to learn the language."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

None

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

FORMABIAP

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Spanish

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"So far, only a few materials for language education have been produced in Kokama by institutions like
FORMABIAP [Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingues de la Amazonía Peruana], but this initiative is by no means part of a plan by the government to protect endangered languages."

PLACES: Peru

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "The Kokama people live in the Peruvian Amazon, approximately between 3 ̊ to 5 ̊ south latitude, and 73 ̊ to 76 ̊ west longitude. Kokama communities are located on the upper Amazon River and several of its major tributaries, including the Huallaga, Marañon, Ucayali, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. The estimated 120 Kokama villages are located in the Peruvian department of Loreto, specifically in the provinces of Maynas, Alto Amazonas, Requena, Maquia and Ucayali. A considerable number of Kokamas now reside in cities within Loreto, such as Iquitos and Yurimaguas, and midsize towns like Lagunas, Nauta, Requena, among others."

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~250
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
~15,770 in Peru and Colombia
SEMI SPEAKERS
~3
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
~250 speakers in Peru and Colombia. There may be more speakers in Brazil

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

In Colombia, the language is moribund. In Peru, the youngest speakers are over 40 years old.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Castellano Sharapa

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Most members of the Cocama-Cocamilla group have switched to Castellano Sharapa.

PLACES: Colombia, Peru, possibly Brazil

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Peru: along the Huallaga, Lower Maranon, Lower Ucayali, Amazonas, and Lower Nanay rivers.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,050
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
250
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
15,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
250 in Peru (Crevels 2007); ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007).

DATE OF INFO: 2007

PLACES: Peru, Colombia, Brazil

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Loreto Region, northeast lower Ucayali, lower Marañon, and Huallaga rivers area.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,050
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
There are 2,000 speakers in Peru (W. Adelaar 2000). Few are monolinguals. The ethnic population in Peru is 15,000 (W. Adelaar 2000).

250 in Peru (Crevels 2007). Few monolinguals. Ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007) (2013).

PLACES: Colombia; Brazil; Peru;

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,500
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Peruvian Amazon

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,005
Native speakers worldwide

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

TRANSMISSION

PLACES: Peru

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken in the basins of the Marañón, Tigre, Urituyacu, and Huallaga rivers, in the provinces of Alto Amazonas, Requena, and Loreto, in the region of Loreto, Peru.

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
850
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
16,320
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
250 Peru; 620 Brazil; possibly a few semi-speakers Colombia.

DATE OF INFO: 2007 (Peru, Colombia); 2006 (Brazil)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION

PLACES: Peru, Brazil, Colombia

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: In Peru: Loreto region: Huallaga, lower Marañon, and northeast lower Ucayali rivers’ area.
In Brazil: Amazonas state: Rio Solimões region, Terra Indígena Acapuri de Cima, Terra Indígena Espírito Santo, Terra Indígena Evaré I, Terra Indígena Kokama.
In Coplombia: Amazonas department: Ronda Island in Amazon River opposite Leticia city, and in Naranjales, Palmeras, and San José villages.

		2015	Integrating Language Documentation, Language Preservation, and Linguistic Research: Working with the Kokamas from the Amazon						Language Documentation & Conservation	9		http://hdl.handle.net/10125/4609	Rosa Vallejos			20,000-25,000	0	~1,000		100-999	"Perhaps the most reasonable calculation for today’s total Kokama population would be between 20,000 and 25,000, including people who no longer speak the language... only about 5% (an estimated 1,000 individuals) of the total population speaks the language; the majority have already shifted to Spanish."		Spanish	"In Peru, there is a stigma attached to being part of an indigenous group, which generates unfavorable conditions for people to identify themselves as members of such groups... the low social prestige of Kokama together with its use for limited communicative purposes provides little motivation for younger people to learn the language."	"So far, only a few materials for language education have been produced in Kokama by institutions like FORMABIAP [Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingues de la Amazonía Peruana], but this initiative is by no means part of a plan by the government to protect endangered languages."	FORMABIAP	All	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	"The remaining speakers are elderly people spread across small villages. Adults in their 40s and 50s show only passive knowledge: they are able to understand what is being said in the language, but are not able to produce even simple messages. [The] remaining speakers use the language to speak amongst themselves, but only in very restricted situations, such as traditional events and intimate meetings."	15	15		Peru	"The Kokama people live in the Peruvian Amazon, approximately between 3 ̊ to 5 ̊ south latitude, and 73 ̊ to 76 ̊ west longitude. Kokama communities are located on the upper Amazon River and several of its major tributaries, including the Huallaga, Marañon, Ucayali, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. The estimated 120 Kokama villages are located in the Peruvian department of Loreto, specifically in the provinces of Maynas, Alto Amazonas, Requena, Maquia and Ucayali. A considerable number of Kokamas now reside in cities within Loreto, such as Iquitos and Yurimaguas, and midsize towns like Lagunas, Nauta, Requena, among others."	-4.000000, -74.000000
			Base de Datos de Pueblos Indígenas u Originarios								Lima, Peru	http://bdpi.cultura.gob.pe/	Ministerio de Cultura															Severely Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14					Peru	Spoken in the basins of the Marañón, Tigre, Urituyacu, and Huallaga rivers, in the provinces of Alto Amazonas, Requena, and Loreto, in the region of Loreto, Peru.
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.																						-5.0,-74.5
	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			2,050		1000-9999	There are 2,000 speakers in Peru (W. Adelaar 2000). Few are monolinguals. The ethnic population in Peru is 15,000 (W. Adelaar 2000). 250 in Peru (Crevels 2007). Few monolinguals. Ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007) (2013).							Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Colombia; Brazil; Peru;
		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.		16,320		850	2007 (Peru, Colombia); 2006 (Brazil)	100-999	250 Peru; 620 Brazil; possibly a few semi-speakers Colombia.							Severely Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14			15	In Peru: Loreto region: Huallaga, lower Marañon, and northeast lower Ucayali rivers’ area. In Brazil: Amazonas state: Rio Solimões region, Terra Indígena Acapuri de Cima, Terra Indígena Espírito Santo, Terra Indígena Evaré I, Terra Indígena Kokama. In Coplombia: Amazonas department: Ronda Island in Amazon River opposite Leticia city, and in Naranjales, Palmeras, and San José villages.	Peru, Brazil, Colombia
	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			1,005		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)								-4.8282,-74.2565
		2006	"Kokama-Kokamilla: texts, grammar and lexicon" HRELP Abstract									http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=90	Rosa Vallejos	Vallejos, Rosa. 2006. ""Kokama-Kokamilla: Texts, Grammar and Lexicon" HRELP Abstract." Online: http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=90.				1,500		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Peruvian Amazon
		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	~15,770 in Peru and Colombia		~250		100-999	~250 speakers in Peru and Colombia. There may be more speakers in Brazil	~3	Castellano Sharapa		Most members of the Cocama-Cocamilla group have switched to Castellano Sharapa.			Severely Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	In Colombia, the language is moribund. In Peru, the youngest speakers are over 40 years old.		14		Colombia, Peru, possibly Brazil	Peru: along the Huallaga, Lower Maranon, Lower Ucayali, Amazonas, and Lower Nanay rivers.
	17th	2013	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th Edition (2013)			Paul M. Lewis; Gary F. Simons; and Charles D. Fennig		Dallas, Texas: SIL International				http://www.ethnologue.com Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th Edition (2013)		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.), 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		15,000		250	2007	100-999	250 in Peru (Crevels 2007); ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007).							Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Loreto Region, northeast lower Ucayali, lower Marañon, and Huallaga rivers area.	Peru, Colombia, Brazil
			World Oral Literature Project									http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.				2,050		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Cocama-Cocamilla

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1,000

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~250

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,050

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

250

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,050

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,005

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

850

Discussion

Cocama-Cocamilla

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~1,000

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~250

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,050

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

250

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,050

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,005

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

850

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

Compare Sources