Also Known As:
Kofane, Cofán, Kofán, A'i, A'ingaé, Colin, Kofan, A'ingae
Dialects & Varieties
A'ingae (Ecuador and Colombia) - Language Snapshot
: Dąbkowski, Maksymilian. 2021. A’ingae (Ecuador and Colombia) - Language Snapshot. Language Documentation and Description 20, 1-12. Link to this article: http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/223
Vulnerable
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,500
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 1
Most members of the community or ethnic group speak the language. Speaker numbers may be decreasing, but very slowly.
1
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 2
Used in some non-official domains along with other languages, and remains the primary language used in the home for many community members.
2
Transmission
Transmission -1
All members of the community, including children, speak the language.
-1
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
Originating in the Eastern Andean Cordilleras, the Cofan people migrated through the Ecuadorian and Colombian Amazon. They now inhabit the communities of Sinangoe, Rio Cofanes, Dovuno, Dureno, and Zabalo in the northeast Ecuadorian province of Sucumbios, and communities in the southern Colombian department of Putumayo, with different dialects in each country.
Location Description
No results found.
Government Support
none
Institutional Support
Alianza Ceibo (Ecuador)
Speakers' Attitude
A'ingae is a cornerstone of Cofán ethnic identity, and has helped them withstand assimilation and preserve their traditional way of life. They play a prominent role in the Indigenous political movement of Ecuador. A'ingae-based education is available in elementary schools, though these lack teacher and materials, so many children attend Kichwa or Spanish schools instead. Ecological and economic pressures are endangering their way of life and language.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Spanish
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
Developed by Marlytte 'Bub' Borman & Roberta 'Bobbie' Borman in the 1950s
Other writing systems used:
Revised later to better represent aspirated consonants and the glottal stop.
Comments on writing systems:
A'ingae media include mythological accounts, descriptions of traditional activities, and programs on one local radio station. An estimated 2/3 of A'ingae speakers are literate in that language as well as Spanish.
Recent Resources
This project documents A’ingae (also known as Kofán and Cofán), a linguistic isolate spoken by appro
An English only free translation of legends extracted from an earlier interlinear work: ref.
Cofán Dictionary with 1,467 entries