Baniwa of Guainía is a Northern Arawakan language that was spoken in parts of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, and was thought to have become extinct in the late 20th century. However, recently it was discovered that it is still spoken in one village in southwestern Venezuela. Baniwa of Guainía is distantly related to Baniwa, an Arawakan language spoken in Brazil and Venezuela.
The language is also known as Abane, Avani, Ayane, Banibo, Baniva del Guainia or Baniva Yavitero. The name Baniva comes from the neighbouring Nheengatu language and means "manioc people": manioc is a staple food of the Baniva people. The name Guainía comes from the Guainia River or Rio Negro, which flows from Colombia, along the border of Venezuela and into the Amazon at Manaus in Brazil.
Download an alphabet chart for Baniwa of Guainía (Excel)
Details of the Baniwa of Guainía alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)
Information about Baniwa of Guainía
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guainia_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bvv
http://www.native-languages.org/baniva.htm
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/bani1254
Achagua, Apurinã, Arawak, Asháninka, Ashéninka, Baniwa, Baniwa of Guainía, Baure, Caquinte, Chamicuro, Curripaco, Garifuna, Iñapari, Machiguenga, Nanti, Nomatsiguenga, Palikúr, Paraujuano, Paresi, Pauna, Piapoco, Taíno, Tariana, Terêna, Wapishana, Wayuu, Yanesha', Yine, Yucuna
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 23.04.21
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