List of indigenous languages in Argentina

This is a list of Indigenous languages that are or were spoken in the present territory of Argentina.

Although the official language of Argentina is Spanish, several Indigenous languages are in use. Most are spoken only within their respective indigenous communities, some with very few remaining speakers. Others, especially Aymara, Quechua (South Bolivian Quechua and Santiago del Estero Quichua), Toba (Qom) and Guaraní (Western Argentine Guaraní, Paraguayan Guaraní, Mbyá Guaraní), are alive and in common use in specific regions. Finally, some such as Abipón and Yaghan, are now completely extinct. Since 2004 the Guaraní language is official, together with Spanish, in the northeastern Corrientes Province.

Aboriginal languages in Argentina
           |____ Living
           |       |____ Tupi–Guaraní family
           |       |       |_Guaraní subfamily
           |       |          |___ Subgroup I
           |       |                   |___ Paraguayan Guaraní
           |       |                   |___ Western Guaraní (Avá Guaraní or "chiriguano")
           |       |                   |___ Mbyá Guaraní
           |       |                   |___ Chiripá
           |       |                   |___ Kaiwá [+]
           |       |                   |___ Tapieté
           |       |____ Guaycuruan family
           |       |          |___ Qom group
           |       |                   |___ Mocoví
           |       |                   |___ Pilagá
           |       |                   |___ Toba
           |       |____ Mataguayo ("mataco") family
           |       |          |____Wichí group ("mataco")
           |       |          |        |___ Nocten (Oktenay)
           |       |          |        |___ Güisnay (Wenhayéy)
           |       |          |        |___ Vejoz (Wehwos)
           |       |          |____Nivaklé group ("chulupí")
           |       |          |        |___ Forest Nivaklé (Yita'a lhavós)
           |       |          |        |___ River Nivaklé (Chishamne and Shichaam lhavos)
           |       |          |____Chorote group
           |       |                   |___ Jo'wuwa or Iyo'wujwa (Manjui)
           |       |                   |___ Yofwaja or Iyojwa'ja (Eklenjui)
           |       |____ Quechua family
           |       |          |____Quechua II C
           |       |                    |___ Southern Bolivian (Kolla)
           |       |                    |___ Santiago del Estero Quichua
           |       |____ Araucanian family
           |       |          |_____________ Mapudungun (Mapuche)
           |       |____ Isolated and unclassified
           |                  |_____________ Aymara
           |____________ Endangered or nearly extinct
           |               |____ Chon family
           |               |          |_____ Aönikën ("Tehuelche")
           |               |          |_____ Śelknam ("Ona") [*]
           |               |____ Lule–Vilela family
           |               |          |_____ Vilela [*]
           |               |____ Isolated and unclassified
           |                          |_____ Gennaken ("Puelche")
           |___ Extinct (an incomplete list)
                           |____ Arawakan family
                           |          |_____ Chané
                           |____ Charruan (?)
                           |          |_____ Güenoa
                           |          |_____ Chaná (?)
                           |____ Guaicuruan family
                           |          |_____ Abipón
                           |          |_____ Mbayá
                           |          |_____ Payaguá
                           |          |_____ Mbeguá (?)
                           |____ Lule–Vilela family
                           |          |_____ Lule
                           |____ Chon family
                           |          |_____ Manek'enk or Haush
                           |          |_____ Teushen
                           |____ Isolated and unclassified
                                      |___ Huarpe group
                                      |         |___ Allentiac or Alyentiyak
                                      |         |___ Millcayac or Milykayak
                                      |_____ Toconoté
                                      |_____ Omaguaca
                                      |_____ Cacán (Diaguita-Calchaquí)
                                      |_____ Kunza, or Likanantaí (Atacameño)
                                      |_____ Henia-camiare or "Comechingon"
                                      |_____ Sanavirón
                                      |_____ Het
                                      |_____ Yagan, Yámana or Háusi-kúta

[+] Dubious. Fabre states (with convincing arguments) that no Kaiwá live in Argentina. [*] Some authors give this languages as extinct. (?) Tentative classification

Living languages

Severely endangered or nearly extinct languages

Extinct languages

A large number of languages once spoken in Argentina have disappeared. According to Censabella (1999), two thirds of the languages spoken when the Spaniards arrived became extinct. In some cases, the languages disappeared along with the ethnic groups that spoke them; in other, the acculturation and transculturation phenomena associated with deep changes in the living conditions of the indigenous peoples caused the extinction, even if a number of individuals of the ethnical group still survive.

Other extinct languages are known just by the ethnic group that spoke them, since very scarce (if any) linguistic material remains. Among them: Omaguaca; Sanavirón; several languages probably belonging to the Guaycurú family but known by their Guaraní ethnonyms as Mbayá, Payaguá, Minuané, Mbeguá, Timbú, Corondá, Quiloazá and Colastiné; and others related to the Chon stock, as Manek'enk and Teushen.

References

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