Iquito

Infobox Language
name=Iquito
familycolor=lightblue
states=Peru
speakers=25 native/fluent, 25 partial/passive
fam2=Zaparoan
script=Roman script
nation= Peru
agency="none"
iso2="none"|iso3=iqu

Iquito (pronounced|iˈkitu) is a highly endangered Zaparoan language from Peru using the Roman script. Iquito is one of 3 surviving Zaparoan] languages; the other two being Zaparo, with 1-3 speakers, and Arabela with about 75 speakers. The other four Zaparoan languages, Andoa, Omurano, Aushiri, and Cahuarano. Of the ethnic Iquito population of 500, as of 2006, there are 25 fluent or native speakers, all of whom are over 55 years old, and about 25 partial or passive speakers, all of whom are over the age of 25. Iquito is spoken in the Loreto Province, the regions of the Pintoyacu, Nanay, and Chambira rivers, and the villages of San Antonia and Atalaya. Iquito is also known by the names of Iquita, Ikito, Amacacore, Hamacore, Quiturran, and Puca-Uma, though Iquito is the most common title. It is used as an official language of Peru, though the few speakers there are, are older adults, the youngest being 52 as of 2002. The main dialect of Iquito is Pintuyacu. In the Iquito population, there is a negative attitude towards the language and thus there is mostly use of Spanish, one of the major languages of Peru. This is partially due to centuries of pressure to assimilate into Spanish-speaking culture. As a second language, the literacy rate is about 75%. The population is Christian; the Bible was translated in 1963. The people cultivate yucca, are fishermen and hunters, rubber gatherers, and traders.

History

In the mid 1600s, where the city of Iquitos is now, there was a large group of Iquito speakers. However, by the period of 1958 to 1966, there were around 100 speakers on the verge of acculturation to Spanish. During this period, there were the population of older adults speaking Iquito and understanding Spanish, middle-aged adults bilingual in Spanish, and Spanish-speaking children who understood Iquito.

Reasons for decline

Several things affected Iquito and contributed to its decline, leading to the loss of speakers; there are 35 speakers now. Whooping cough, measles, and pneumonia had devastating effects on the speaking population. Also, the landowner system in place at the time and the rubber boom reduced the population.

Revitalization

The University of Texas is sponsoring a program run by graduate students to help the population of San Antonio revitalize the Iquito language. They are working on a 1500-word dictionary and teaching plans in order to teach the younger population Iquito.

Iquito Language Documentation Project

The Iquito Language Documentation Project (IDLP) is a community language revitalization effort to help revitalize the Iquito language.

Phonology

Vowels

Consonants

Exemple

The Lord's Prayer in Iquito

"Pwe sake niyakuxra kyaya cunya nayeunyu.
""Kya niyakuxigha kanakiyu rikhi aniki.
Kya nakare zabane kana-nigwami ryeta namyani : yakukhira imakhira karamigwani. Mesyaka yakweno bwakhina keakaninon seike kanike semannikya nesivite. Kanevite nya kya kanivite. "
"Ikyaki katereke kya kivite, eka kinakare etinyu.
Kikamita numa sennui , zeke eke uyapa khinekhi keynanele. Amen"

External links

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=iqu Ethnologue report for Iquito]
* [http://www.utexas.edu/inside_ut/peru/index.html University of Texas at Austin "Saving a Dying Language"]
* [http://journals.dartmouth.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Journals.woa/2/xmlpage/1/article/303?htmlOnce=yes The Iquito Language Documentation Project]

References

* R. Eastman, B. Eastman, E Powlison, "Fonoligia del Idioma Iquito, in Datos Etno-Lingüisticos", n°29, Lima, 2008, available at [http://www.sil.org/americas/peru/html/pubs/show_work.asp?id=3417]