Chonan Languages

The Chonan languages were spoken in Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. Two Chon languages are well attested: Selk'nam, which went extinct in 2003, and Tehuelche. The Selk'nam people were widely studied by anthropologists such as Martin Gusinde and Anne Chapman, throughout the 20th century; however, their language was not preserved. The name 'Chon', or Tshon, is a blend of 'Tehuelche' and 'Ona'.

The Tehuelche language is also near extinction. The northern Tehuelches were conquered and later assimilated by the Mapuche during the Araucanization process. Some 900,000 Mapuche continue to live in Chile and Argentina. Further south they traded peacefully with Welsh settlers, and some Tehuelche learnt Welsh and left their children with the Welsh settlers for their education; thus there is a solid photographic record of this people. However, there were later nearly exterminated in the government-sponsored genocides of Patagonia. Of some 5,000 in 1900, as of 2005 there are about 20 speakers left.

The Haush people spoke a language similar to Ona. Some scholars also add to the family the Teushen language—once spoken by the Teushen people, located between Tehuelche and Puelche,—though it is poorly attested.

Viegas Barros (2005) attempts to demonstrate that Puelche to the north is related to the Chon languages, and indeed would constitute one branch of an extended Chonan family. This proposal has been picked up by Lyle Campbell. Based on the scanty evidence that's available, Het (or at least Didiuhet) may be part of the Puelche branch. If this is correct, the Chon family would be as follows: