emp ISO 639
Embera Autonyms
Emberá, Northern
Visualizations
A language of Panama
- ISO 639
- emp
- Alternate Names
- Atrato, Chocó, Cholo, Darien, Darien Emberá, Ebera Bedea, Empera, Panama Embera
- Autonym
- Embera
- Population
- 22,500 in Panama (2012 SIL). Total users in all countries: 72,200.
- Location
- Darién province: Chepigana district; Emberá province; Panamá province: Chepos and Chiman districts; lowland jungle along rivers, Gulf San Miguel area.
- Language Maps
- Colombia, Panama
- Language Status
- 5* (Developing).
- Classification
- Chocoan, Emberá, Northern Emberá
- Dialects
- Related languages in order of closeness: Embera Catío [cto], Embera Baudó [bdc], Embera Tadó [tdc], Epena [sja], Embera Chamí [cmi], and Wounmeu [noa]. Panama and Colombia dialects are inherently intelligible. Northern Embera of the Upper Baudó area and downriver Embera Baudó are inherently intelligible.
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head both initial and final; 2 (human, non-human); content q-word initial; no prefixes, up to 5 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks number; ergativity; both tense and aspect; passives and voice (by switching order of S and O); nontonal; 20 consonant and 12 vowel phonemes (6 vowels plus autosegmental nasalization).
- Language Use
- Home, friends, some churches. Positive attitudes. Also use Spanish [spa], where in Panama Province those under 30 may speak it as L1; to a lesser degree, those under 30 in the Darien Province may also speak it.
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 10%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%. Bible reading is primary motivation for L1 literacy. Literature. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1991–2011.
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Traditional religion, Christian.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Emberá, Northern
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Antioquia and Chocó departments: Atrato river basin; also inland from Cabo Corrientes north to Jurado on Pacific coast.
- Language Status
- 5 (Developing)
- Other Comments
- Traditional religion, Christian. View other languages of Colombia
Language Name
Emberá, Northern
User Population
49,700 in Colombia (2001 census). Ethnic population: Total Emberá in Colombia in 2001: 88,700 (Crevels 2012).
