Chibchan Languages - Classification

Classification

• A
  • Waimí (Guaymi)
    • Ngäbere (Movere), Costa Rica and Panama
    • Buglere (Bogotá), Panama
  • Borũca (Brunca), Costa Rica, nearly extinct
  • Talamanca
    • Huetar (Güetar), Costa Rica, extinct
    • Bribri (Talamanca), Costa Rica and Panama
    • Cabécar (Talamanca), Costa Rica
    • Teribe (Norteño), Panama and Costa Rica
• B
  • Pech (Paya) northeastern Honduras, endangered
  • Dorasque Panama, extinct
  • Votic
    • Rama southeastern Nicaragua, extinct or nearly so
    • Voto Costa Rica, extinct
    • Maléku (Guatuso) north-central Costa Rica, endangered
    • Corobicí northwestern Costa Rica, extinct
  • Kuna–Colombian
    • Kuna (Cuña, San Blás Kuna), Panama and Colombia
    • Chibcha–Motilon
      • Barí (Motilón), Colombia and Venezuela
      • Chibcha–Tunebo
        • Chibcha and Duit (Muisca) Colombia, extinct
        • Tunebo (U'wa) Colombia
        • Guane, Colombia, extinct
    • Arwako–Chimila
      • Chimila Colombia
      • Arwako
        • Wiwa (Malayo, Guamaca) Colombia
        • Kankuamo Colombia, extinct
        • Arhuaco (Ika) Colombia
        • Kogi (Cogui) Colombia

The extinct languages of Antioquia, Old Catío and Nutabe, have been shown to be Chibchan (Adelaar & Muysken, 2004:49). The language of the Tairona is unattested, but may well be one of the Arwako languages still spoken in the Santa Marta range. The Zenú AKA Sinú language of northern Colombia is also sometimes included, as are the Malibu languages, though without any factual basis.

Constenla argues that Cueva, the extinct dominant language of pre-Columbian Panama long assumed to be Chibchan based on a misinterpreted Kuna vocabulary, was actually Chocoan, but there is little evidence.

The Cofán language (Kofán, Kofane, A'i) of Ecuador and Colombia has been erroneously included in Chibchan due to borrowed vocabulary.