Chibchan languages

Chibchan languages

      a group of South American Indian languages that were spoken before CE 1500 in the area now comprising Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, western Colombia, and Ecuador. A now extinct Chibchan language sometimes known as Muisca was the language of a powerful Indian empire with its centre near Bogotá. Important present-day Chibchan languages include Guaymí and Move in Panama, Kuna and Páez in Colombia, and Chachi and Tsáchila in Ecuador. Some scholars classify a number of minor languages of Central and South America together with Chibchan in a Macro-Chibchan stock.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Chibchan languages — For other uses, see Chibcha language (disambiguation). Chibchan Geographic distribution: Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia Linguistic classification: primary family or perhaps Macro Chibchan Chibchan Subdivisions …   Wikipedia

  • Languages of North America — The languages of North America reflect not only that continent s indigenous peoples, but the European colonization as well. The most widely spoken languages in North America (which includes Central America and the Caribbean islands) are English,… …   Wikipedia

  • chibchan — chən adjective Usage: usually capitalized 1. : of or relating to a language stock of Colombia and Central America including Andaki, Barbacoa, Bribri, Cabecar, Cágaba, Chibcha, Coiba, Colima …   Useful english dictionary

  • Languages of Costa Rica — The official and predominant language of Costa Rica is Spanish; the variety spoken there is a form of Central American Spanish. In addition, several Chibchan languages, including Boruca and Bribri, are spoken there. The Oto Manguean language… …   Wikipedia

  • Chibchan — [chib′chən] adj. designating or of various linguistic groups of South and Central American Indians: some of the languages are still spoken today …   English World dictionary

  • Languages of Nicaragua — The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish; however, Nicaraguans on the Caribbean coast speak indigenous languages and also English. The communities located on the Caribbean coast also have access to education in their native… …   Wikipedia

  • Chibchan — /chib cheuhn/, n. a family of languages indigenous to Central America, Colombia, and Ecuador. [1905 10; CHIBCH(A) + AN] * * * …   Universalium

  • Chibchan — Chib•chan [[t]ˈtʃɪb tʃən[/t]] n. peo a family of American Indian languages, varying in number according to the system of classification, spoken or formerly spoken in Central America and W Colombia • Etymology: 1905–10 …   From formal English to slang

  • South American Indian languages — Introduction       group of languages that once covered and today still partially cover all of South America, the Antilles, and Central America to the south of a line from the Gulf of Honduras to the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. Estimates of… …   Universalium

  • Classification schemes for indigenous languages of the Americas — This article is a list of different language classification proposals developed for indigenous languages of the Americas. The article is divided into North, Central, and South America sections; however, the classifications do not always neatly… …   Wikipedia

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