Overview
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Critically Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

~1,000

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Community Members

    No members

Revitalization Programs

No programs

Discussion Forum

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Language Information By Source

Integrating Language Documentation, Language Preservation, and Linguistic Research: Working with the Kokamas from the Amazon
Arrow pointing down
Critically Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

~1,000

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

20,000-25,000

Non-monolingual speakers

All

More about speakers

"Perhaps the most reasonable calculation for today’s total Kokama population would be between 20,000 and 25,000, including people who no longer speak the language... only about 5% (an estimated 1,000 individuals) of the total population speaks the language; the majority have already shifted to Spanish."

Year of info

2015

Location and Context

Countries

Peru

Coordinates

-4.000000, -74.000000

Location description

"The Kokama people live in the Peruvian Amazon, approximately between 3 ̊ to 5 ̊ south latitude, and 73 ̊ to 76 ̊ west longitude. Kokama communities are located on the upper Amazon River and several of its major tributaries, including the Huallaga, Marañon, Ucayali, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. The estimated 120 Kokama villages are located in the Peruvian department of Loreto, specifically in the provinces of Maynas, Alto Amazonas, Requena, Maquia and Ucayali. A considerable number of Kokamas now reside in cities within Loreto, such as Iquitos and Yurimaguas, and midsize towns like Lagunas, Nauta, Requena, among others."

Government support

None

Institutional support

FORMABIAP

Speakers' attitudes

"In Peru, there is a stigma attached to being part of an indigenous group, which generates unfavorable conditions for people to identify themselves as members of such groups... the low social prestige of Kokama together with its use for limited communicative purposes provides little motivation for younger people to learn the language."

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

"The Kokama people live in the Peruvian Amazon, approximately between 3 ̊ to 5 ̊ south latitude, and 73 ̊ to 76 ̊ west longitude. Kokama communities are located on the upper Amazon River and several of its major tributaries, including the Huallaga, Marañon, Ucayali, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. The estimated 120 Kokama villages are located in the Peruvian department of Loreto, specifically in the provinces of Maynas, Alto Amazonas, Requena, Maquia and Ucayali. A considerable number of Kokamas now reside in cities within Loreto, such as Iquitos and Yurimaguas, and midsize towns like Lagunas, Nauta, Requena, among others."

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

Spanish

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

"So far, only a few materials for language education have been produced in Kokama by institutions like FORMABIAP [Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingues de la Amazonía Peruana], but this initiative is by no means part of a plan by the government to protect endangered languages."

Threatened

Native Speakers Worldwide

1,005

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

2010

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

-4.8282,-74.2565

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Severely Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

No data

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

Location and Context

Countries

Peru

Coordinates

No data

Location description

Spoken in the basins of the Marañón, Tigre, Urituyacu, and Huallaga rivers, in the provinces of Alto Amazonas, Requena, and Loreto, in the region of Loreto, Peru.

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

Spoken in the basins of the Marañón, Tigre, Urituyacu, and Huallaga rivers, in the provinces of Alto Amazonas, Requena, and Loreto, in the region of Loreto, Peru.

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Threatened

Native Speakers Worldwide

2,050

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

There are 2,000 speakers in Peru (W. Adelaar 2000). Few are monolinguals. The ethnic population in Peru is 15,000 (W. Adelaar 2000). 250 in Peru (Crevels 2007). Few monolinguals. Ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007) (2013).

Year of info

2009

Location and Context

Countries

Colombia; Brazil; Peru;

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

250

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

15,000

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

250 in Peru (Crevels 2007); ethnic population: 15,000 (Crevels 2007).

Year of info

2013

Location and Context

Countries

Peru, Colombia, Brazil

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Severely Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

850

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

16,320

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

250 Peru; 620 Brazil; possibly a few semi-speakers Colombia.

Year of info

2016

Location and Context

Countries

Peru, Brazil, Colombia

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Threatened

Native Speakers Worldwide

1,500

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

2006

Location and Context

Countries

Peruvian Amazon

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

255?

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

9,000 Brazil (2003), 10,705 Peru; 792 Colombia (2001)

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

5 Brazil (1993), "few semispeakers" in Colombia; for Peru Crevels (2012) gives 250 in the text but 1,000 in her chart (ethnic population 10,000).

Year of info

2012

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Severely Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

~250

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

~3

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

~15,770 in Peru and Colombia

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

~250 speakers in Peru and Colombia. There may be more speakers in Brazil

Year of info

2007

Location and Context

Countries

Colombia, Peru, possibly Brazil

Coordinates

No data

Location description

Peru: along the Huallaga, Lower Maranon, Lower Ucayali, Amazonas, and Lower Nanay rivers.

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

Peru: along the Huallaga, Lower Maranon, Lower Ucayali, Amazonas, and Lower Nanay rivers.

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

Castellano Sharapa

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

Most members of the Cocama-Cocamilla group have switched to Castellano Sharapa.

No data

Native Speakers Worldwide

No data

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

2005

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

-5.0,-74.5

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Threatened

Native Speakers Worldwide

2,050

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers and learners

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

No data

Location description

No data

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers' attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Media Resources

No resources

No resources

No resources

Filter By

No programs

  1. Cocama
    Piedrahíta, Uribe. 1996. "Cocama." In Lenguas de la Amazonía Colombiana, edited by Jon Landaburu. 1: 201-205. Bogotá: Ediciones Uniandes-CCELA-Colciencias.
  2. Integrating Language Documentation, Language Preservation, and Linguistic Research: Working with the Kokamas from the Amazon
    http://hdl.handle.net/10125/4609
  3. Grammatica cocama: lecciones para el aprendizaje del idioma cocama
    Faust, Norma W. 1972. "Grammatica Cocama: Lecciones Para El Aprendizaje Del Idioma Cocama." 6: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  4. Cocama Clause Types
    Faust, Norma. 1971. "Cocama Clause Types." In Tupi Studies 1, edited by David Bendor-Samuel. 73-105. Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  5. Internal classification of the Tupi-Guarani linguistic family
    Lemle, Miriam. 1971. "Internal Classification of the Tupi-Guarani Linguistic Family." In Tupi studies I, edited by David Bendor-Samuel. 29: 107-129. Summer Institute of Linguistics of the University of Oklahoma.
  6. Gramática Cocama: Lecciones para el aprendizaje del idioma cocama
    Faust, Norma. 1972. "Gramática Cocama: Lecciones Para El Aprendizaje Del Idioma Cocama." 6: 173. Instituto Lingüístico de Verano. Online: http://www.sil.org/americas/peru/html/pubs/show_work.asp?id=561.
    http://www.sil.org/americas/peru/html/pubs/show_work.asp?id=561
  7. Contact-Induced Language Change in the Western Amazon: the Non-Genetic Origin of the Kokama Language
    Cabral, Ana Suelly De Arruda Camara. Contact-Induced Language Change in the Western Amazon: the Non-Genetic Origin of the Kokama Language. PhD thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1995.
  8. Tupi Studies I
    1971. "Tupi Studies I." edited by David Bendor-Samuel. 29: The Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington.
  9. Basic Clauses in Kokama-Kokamilla
    Vallejos, Rosa. Basic Clauses in Kokama-Kokamilla. Master thesis, University of Oregon, 2004.
  10. Endangered Languages Catalogue Project. Compiled by research teams at University of Hawai'i Mānoa and Institute for Language Information and Technology (LINGUIST List) at Eastern Michigan University
    2012. "Endangered Languages Catalogue Project. Compiled By Research Teams At University of Hawai'i Mānoa and Institute For Language Information and Technology (LINGUIST List) At Eastern Michigan University."
  11. The World Atlas of Language Structures
    2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.
  12. Language endangerment in South America: The clock is ticking.
    Crevels, Mily. 2012. "Language Endangerment in South America: The Clock Is Ticking." In The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide, 167-234. Mouton de Gruyter.
  13. South America
    Crevels, Mily. 2007. "South America." In Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 103-196. London & New York: Routledge.
  14. "Kokama-Kokamilla: texts, grammar and lexicon" HRELP Abstract
    Vallejos, Rosa. 2006. ""Kokama-Kokamilla: Texts, Grammar and Lexicon" HRELP Abstract." Online: http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=90.
    http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=90
  15. World Oral Literature Project
    "World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.
    http://www.oralliterature.org
  16. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
    Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)
    http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas
  17. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)
    Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)
    http://www.ethnologue.com/