Cocama-Cocamilla

language
name=Cocama-Cocamilla
nativename=
states=Perú, Brazil, Colombia
speakers=2,050 (2000, W. Aldeaar, SIL)
familycolor=American
fam2=Tupi
fam3=Tupi-Guarani
fam4=Subgroup III
iso2=cod|iso3=cod

Cocama-Cocamilla is an indigenous language spoken by thousands of native people in western South America. It is spoken along the banks of the Northeastern lower Ucayali, lower Marañón, and Huallaga rivers and in neighboring areas of Brazil and an isolated area in Colombia. It is also known as Cocama, Kokama, Ucayali, Xibitaoan, Huallaga, Pampadeque, and Pandequebo. It is most closely related to Omagua. In Peru, Cocama-Cocamilla is classified in the Tupi group of the Tupi-Guarani language subfamily [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=cod] .

Out of a projected ethnic population of 15,000, the majority of Cocama-Cocamilla speakers, 2,000, live in Perú. Remaining speakers live in Amazonas state in Brazil, where 50 out of 411 ethnic Chayahuitas speak it and it is known as Kokama or Kokamilla. Most speakers are trilingual and can also speak Portuguese and Spanish. Very few are monolingual. There are 20 ethnic groups in Colombia's Lower Putumayo area with an unknown number of Cocama-Cocamilla speakers. Most expected speakers would also be trilingual, but the language may be extinct in the region.

Cocama-Cocamilla speakers have a 3% literacy rate, compared with 50% for Spanish. Grammar rules have been developed and the language is written using the Latin alphabet. Parts of the Bible have been translated into the language.

References

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=cod Ethnologue]