Maya–Yunga–Chipayan languages explained

The Maya–Yunga–Chipayan languages are a proposed macrofamily linking the Chimuan, Uru–Chipaya, and Mayan language families of the Americas. The macrofamily was proposed by Stark (1972). However, it has not gained widespread acceptance among linguists.

Classification

Stark's (1972) classification is as follows.

• Maya–Yunga–Chipayan
  • Mayan
  • Chimu–Chipayan
    • Uru–Chipaya
    • Chimuan
      • Yunga (Mochica)
      • Cañari–Puruhá
      • ? Sechura–Catacao (Tallán)

Tovar (1961),^[1] partly based on Schmidt (1926),^[2] adds Tallán (Sechura–Catacao) to Chimuan (which he calls Yunga-Puruhá). Tovar's (1961) classification below is cited from Stark (1972).

Lexical comparisons

Stark (1972) proposed a Maya–Yunga–Chipayan macrofamily linking Mayan with Uru–Chipaya and Yunga (Mochica), based on the following lexical comparisons.^[3]

gloss			Proto-Mayan
to remember	kon-	khuñ-	k(’)an
string (twisted)	pal	pari	b’əl
flea	čuka	čowksmari	k’əq
to kill	jum	kan	kəm
fire	ox	uh	q’aːq’
foot	xok	kxohča	ʔoːq
to come	ta(n)-	thon-	t̪əːl
(old) woman	šonøŋ	šon	ʔišnam
beard	sap	sip(s)	šob
white	šiku	sḳo ‘white, salty residue, on ground’	saq
to spin thread	paṣ̌-	spahtš	bač’
water	xa	kxaʔ	həʔ
bone	ko¢ike	khoči	b’a.q
to feel, hear	nøm-	non	ʔabiy, *ʔubiy
sun, time, day	tuni	thuñi	q’i.ŋ
father	ef	ehp	mam, *tat
to want, love, present	pik-	pek	q’an, *ʔax
ripe, old	čuk	čakwa	yix
toad	xok	šḳoḳa	š-k’yuk’y
to spin thread	paṣ̌-	spahtš	š-bač’
jaw	kaŋ	škeña	š-kahlam
cornfield		škala ~ ṣkala	š-k’wal; *š-kol

See also

• Macro-Mayan languages

Notes and References

1. Tovar, Antonio (1961). Catálogo de las lenguas de América del Sur, pp. 162-165. Buenos Aires.
2. Schmidt, Wilhelm (1926). Die Sprachfamilien und Sprachenkreise der Erde, p. 214. Heidelberg.
3. Stark. Louisa R.. Maya-Yunga-Chipayan: A New Linguistic Alignment. International Journal of American Linguistics. 38. 2. 1972. 119–135. 0020-7071. 10.1086/465193. 145380780 .