Guarani languages

The Guarani languages are a group of about six languages that belong to the Tupi–Guarani language family. The most well-known language in this family is called Guarani. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay, where it is used alongside Spanish. Many people in Paraguay speak Guarani every day, and it is an important part of their culture and history. The Guarani languages have a long history and are still spoken by many people today.

Classification

The Guarani languages are a group of related languages spoken in South America. The most well-known is Paraguayan Guarani, which is one of the official languages of Paraguay and is spoken by around 5 million people. Other varieties include Western Bolivian Guarani, Eastern Bolivian Guarani, Correntine Guarani, Chiripá Guarani, and Mbyá Guarani.

Some of these languages can be understood by speakers of related varieties, especially because many people speak more than one. However, some, like Aché, are very different and not easily understood by speakers of other Guarani languages.

Documentation

The Guaraní language has been studied a lot since the Jesuits arrived in the 1600s. The three dialects of Guaraní have some differences, mainly in how sounds are made and how sentences are built. These differences depend on the situation where the language is used. The Mbyá people mostly pass on their language by speaking it. Learning to read and write became more important for the Mbyá in the late 1990s because of new schools in their villages. Even though there are almost forty dialects in the Tupí-Guaraní family, many words are still similar across them.

Literature

The Tupí-Guaraní branch has been widely studied, leading to lots of books and research about these languages. These include grammar guides, histories of how the languages developed, and studies of their structure.

As people work to make Guaraní more widely used, more books and studies about it are being created. Scholars like Robert A. Dooley have collected many works about the Guaraní-Mbyá language. His research looks at how sentence structures change the story being told and how sentences are put together. This helps us understand cultural ideas, like translating important beliefs. Other scholars, such as Guillaume Thomas, study time words in Guaraní and compare different versions of the language in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. These studies will be very helpful for learning more about Guaraní.

Geographical distribution

Paraguay

Paraguayan Guarani is one of the official languages of Paraguay, along with Spanish. The country's constitution and schoolbooks use both languages.

There are several types of Guarani spoken in Paraguay. Chiripá has about 7,000 speakers, and Mbyá has around 8,000 speakers. The smallest group is the Aché, also called Guayaki, with about 850 people. In the Chaco Department, around 304 people speak a type of Guarani known as Ñandeva or Tapiete.

Argentina

In Argentina, Correntine Guarani is an official language in Corrientes Province, along with Spanish. About 15,000 people speak Western Argentine Guarani, mainly in Jujuy and Salta Province. There are also about 3,000 speakers of Mbyá.

Bolivia

Eastern Bolivian Guarani and Western Bolivian Guarani are spoken in southeastern Bolivia. Eastern Bolivian Guarani, also called Chawuncu or Chiriguano, has around 34,000 speakers near the Parapeti River and in Tarija. Other groups include the Gwarayú with about 30,000 speakers and the Sirionó with around 800 in Santa Cruz. A small group of Yuki people, about 240, live in Cochabamba. In 2009, Bolivia started a Guarani-language university named after the indigenous hero Apiaguaiki Tumpa.

Brazil

The Guarani people live across Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. Their history includes the arrival of the Jesuits, unfair work practices, and the taking of their land by Spanish and Portuguese colonizers.

Phonology

This section looks at the sounds used in the Guarani languages. There are tables showing details about these sounds, but they are handled separately.

Note. Data in chart above retrieved from A. Gutman, B. Avanzati, and R. Dooley.

Note. Chart above reprinted from A. Gutman and B. Avanzati.