Bribri

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A language of Costa Rica

ISO 639-3
bzd
Alternate Names
Talamanca
Autonym
Bribri
User Population

7,000 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 12,800 (2011 census).

Location

Limón province: Talamanca cantón, along Lari, Telire, and Uren rivers; Puntarenas province: Buenos Aires cantón.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Classification
Chibchan, Chibchan A, Viceitic
Dialects

Salitre-Cabagra, Amubre-Katsi, Coroma. Reportedly most similar to, but unintelligible with Cabécar [cjp], Maleku Jaika [gut], and Teribe [tfr].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Home, commerce among themselves, church. Also use Spanish [spa], with extensive stable bilingualism. Used as L2 by Bribri Sign Language [rib].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 10%. Literacy rate in L2: 70% in Spanish [spa]. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2007–2010.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bribri
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Previously, there was an indigenous sign language used in one village by three deaf and an unknown number of hearing friends and relatives (Woodward 1991).