Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken?
6 thoughts on “Language quiz”
Is this language spoken in South America?
No, but it is spoken in Central America.
Okay, I hear no aspirated or ejective consonants (so it’s not Mayan) and no high central vowel [ɨ] (so it’s not Garifuna/Arawakan). It’s not clear if there are distinct mid vowels [e o] – I hear some but they seem to vary with [i u], e.g. the [kate] at the beginning gets repeated as [katɪ] and [kati] later. If there are actual [e o], it’s not a Misumalpan language, but if those [e o] are underlyingly [i u], it could be Misumalpan.
I do hear lots of nasalized vowels (so it’s probably *not* Misumalpan), and all the obstruents sound simply voiceless unaspirated to me, suggesting no voicing distinction. This could fit with some members of the Chibchan family, but other than not-Ngäbere (which I would eliminate because it has something like [ɨ~ɯ]), I can’t get any narrower. Am I on the right track?
Wow, that was a great analysis. Just on the basis of the small consonant inventory and nasal vowels I was going to guess slowly spoken Piraha…apparently way off.
It is a Chibchan language, so you’re on the right track Sameer.
The language is Pech (Paya), a Chibchan language spoken in Honduras.
Is this language spoken in South America?
No, but it is spoken in Central America.
Okay, I hear no aspirated or ejective consonants (so it’s not Mayan) and no high central vowel [ɨ] (so it’s not Garifuna/Arawakan). It’s not clear if there are distinct mid vowels [e o] – I hear some but they seem to vary with [i u], e.g. the [kate] at the beginning gets repeated as [katɪ] and [kati] later. If there are actual [e o], it’s not a Misumalpan language, but if those [e o] are underlyingly [i u], it could be Misumalpan.
I do hear lots of nasalized vowels (so it’s probably *not* Misumalpan), and all the obstruents sound simply voiceless unaspirated to me, suggesting no voicing distinction. This could fit with some members of the Chibchan family, but other than not-Ngäbere (which I would eliminate because it has something like [ɨ~ɯ]), I can’t get any narrower. Am I on the right track?
Wow, that was a great analysis. Just on the basis of the small consonant inventory and nasal vowels I was going to guess slowly spoken Piraha…apparently way off.
It is a Chibchan language, so you’re on the right track Sameer.
The language is Pech (Paya), a Chibchan language spoken in Honduras.
The recording comes from the GRN.