Akurio language
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| Akuriyó | |
|---|---|
| Akurio | |
| Native to | Suriname |
| Region | Sipaliwini District |
| Ethnicity | 40 Akurio people (2012)[1] |
| Extinct | 2000s[1] 2 semi-speakers (2012) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ako |
| Glottolog | akur1238 |
| ELP | Akuriyo |
 Akuriyo is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
  Akuriyó | |
| Coordinates: 3°12′N 55°38′W / 3.200°N 55.633°W | |
Akurio, also known as Akuriyó, is an endangered Cariban language. It was used by the Akurio people in Suriname until the late 20th century. The group then began using the Trío language. Akuriyo does not have a writing system.
Status
[edit]The last native speaker is believed to have died in the 2000s. During this period, only ten people were estimated to have Akuriyó as a second language. By 2012, only two semi-speakers remained.[1] There may still be speakers in uncontacted groups, while the language has been replaced by closely related Tiriyó among contacted groups.[2]
Sepi Akuriyó, one of the last surviving speakers of Akuriyó, went missing 2 December 2018, when a small plane carrying eight people disappeared during a flight over the Amazon rainforest. The search and rescue operation was called off after two weeks.[3]
Phonology
[edit]The following phonology is preliminary and derived from fieldwork with non-native speakers over a short period of time.[2]
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | k | (ʔ) | |
| Affricate | t̠ʃ | ||||
| Nasal | m | n | |||
| Tap or Flap | ɾ1 | ||||
| Approximant | j | w |
- The flap is slightly retroflex with some lateral release.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | ɨ | u |
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| Open | a |
Vowel length is apparently phonemic.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Akuriyó at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b c d Meira, Sérgio (1998). A Reconstruction of Proto-Taranoan: Phonology and Morphology (PDF) (masters thesis). Rice University.
- ^ "A scandal in the Amazon - where pilots are forced to lie". BBC News. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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