Embera Language - Languages and Regional Variation

Languages and Regional Variation

Emberá is usually divided into at least two major groupings:

1. Northern Emberá
2. Southern Emberá

Each has a few regional varieties. These varieties are sometimes considered dialects but are actually distinct languages. The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America lists them as follows, along with alleged sub-varieties which may be places, extinct groups, or misspellings:

• Northern (Northern Antioquia, Emberá norteño)

• Catío (Katío): Dabeiba, Tukurá (Río Verde, upper Sinú, Emberá-Katío), Ngverá (San Jorge)
• West Embera (Citará, Northwest Embera, Northern Embera): Darién (Sambú, Panamá Embera), Citará (Atrato, Andágueda), Juradó

• Southern

• Chamí (Caramanta, Embera-Chamí, East Embera, Southern Antioquia): Tadó*, Cristianía, Upper Andágueda, Mistrató, Garrapatas
• Baudó: Catrú, Dubasa, Purricha, Pavaja
• Eperara (Epena): Joaquincito, Cajambre, Naya, Saija, Tapaje, Satinga

Ethnologue (2005, 2009) treats Tadó (*) as a separate language. A case can be made for classifying Baudó in the Northern Embera group. It has many features of both groups and is partially intelligible with the neighboring Northern Embera dialect as well as with Epena.