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Carib language

Carib or Kari'nja is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 mostly in Brazil, The Guianas, and Venezuela. The language is currently classified as highly endangered.[2]

This article is about the language of South America. For the language of the Caribs in the Caribbean, see Island Carib language.

Carib

8,600 (2001–2012)[1]

Cariban
  • Guianan Carib
    • Carib
  • Tyrewuju (Suriname)
  • Aretyry (Suriname)

Names[edit]

The language is known by several names to both its speakers and outsiders. Traditionally it has been known as "Carib" or "Carib proper" in English, after its speakers, called the "Caribs" in English. It is known Caribe in Spanish, Galina in French, and Karaïeb in Dutch. However, the speakers call themselves Kalina or Karìna (variously spelled), and call their language Karìna auran [kaɽiɁnʲauɽaŋ].[3] Other variants include Kali'na, Kari'nja, Cariña, Kariña, Kalihna, Kalinya; other native names include Maraworno and Marworno.

Classification[edit]

Kari'nja is classified as a Cariban language, in the Guianan Carib branch.[4]

Pidgin Carib

17th – early 20th centuries

Carib-based pidgin

None (mis)

Venezuelan Carib (1000)

Guyanese Carib (2000)

Western Surinamese Carib (500)

[2]

Alphabet[edit]

The Carib alphabet consists of 15 letters:


a, e, i, j, k, `, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, w, y.[3]

Vocabulary[edit]

All four dialects of Kari'nja have loan words from the primary language of the area (Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana). For example, the Kari'nja spoken in Suriname borrows words from Dutch and Sranantongo.[2]

(from the World Loanword Database)

Ka'lina (Carib) Vocabulary List

Surinamese Carib - English Online Dictionary

Audio resources from the MPI-PL archive for linguistic resources, which origin from data collected by dr. Berend Hoff in the period 1955-1965

How to count in Kali’na

A video of someone speaking Kari'nja is also available .

here

Endangered Languages Kari'nja profile

Kari'nja main clauses vs nominalized phrases

Formal Teaching of Kari'nja

Carib Phonology

 1264257 The Carib Language

JSTOR

ELAR archive of

Kari'nja Dictionary and Video Documentation