Awa-Cuaiquer

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A language of Colombia

ISO 639-3
kwi
Alternate Names
Awa, Awa Pit, Coaiquer, Cuaiquer, Kwaiker, Quaiquer, auapit, Înkal Awa
Autonym
Awapit
User Population

12,000 in Colombia (Civallero 2008), decreasing. No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 44,500 (2018 census). Total users in all countries: 14,100.

Location

Nariño department: Barbacoas area; Cuaiquer del Alto Albí, Cuambíyaslambi, Cumbal, Mallama, and Ricaurte reservations; Pacific slopes of Andes.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Classification
Barbacoan, Northern
Dialects

None known. Distantly related to Chachi [cbi] and Tsafiki [cof].

Typology

SOV; 16 consonants and 10 vowels (5 oral, 5 nasal).

Language Use

Majority are monolingual in Spanish [spa] and no evidence of monolingualism in Awa Cuaiquer. Also use Spanish [spa].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Below 5%. Literature. Grammar. NT: 2002.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Awa-Cuaiquer
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

The presence of petroleum companies, paramilitary groups, guerrilla forces, the cultivation of illicit crops and subsequent widespread fumigation of their territory has had extremely disruptive effects on the Awa society that currently is coping with a very serious acculturation process. Traditional religion, Christian.

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