Maxakalí language
| Maxakalí | |
|---|---|
| Tikmũũn yĩy ax Mãxakani yĩy ax | |
| Pronunciation | [tɪjmɨ̃ˈʔ̰ɨ̃ɰ̃ə̯̃ ɲɪ̃j̃ ʔɑj] [tɪjk˺mɯ̃ʔˈɯ̃ɜ̯ ̃n˺ɲɪ̃ j̃ ɲˈaj] [mɒ̃tɕakaˈd̪i ɲɪ̃j̃ ʔɑj] |
| Native to | Brazil |
| Region | Minas Gerais |
| Ethnicity | Maxakali |
Native speakers | 2,076 (2014) |
Macro-Jê
| |
Early form | Old Machacari
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mbl |
| Glottolog | maxa1247 |
| ELP | Maxakalí |
Maxakali is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Maxakalí (Maxakalí: Tikmũũn yĩy ax', Mãxakani yĩy ax) is a Maxakalían language spoken in four villages in Minas Gerais, Brazil, by more than 2,000 people.It is the primary language of the Maxakalí people. There is no known dialectal variation within Maxakalí. The language is characterized by a unique phonology, including vowel lowering and backing, and the absence of fricatives and nasals. Maxakalí typically follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, and verbs are inflected for mood. The Maxakalí lexicon includes verbal number, noun compounding, and lexical borrowings from Língua Geral varieties and Brazilian Portuguese.