Hãtxa Kuĩ e Yawanawá, uma apresentação dos Povos e Línguas

Abstract

This paper offers a descriptive analysis of aspects of the Yawanawá and Hãtxa Kuĩ (Kaxinawá) grammars, as well as ethnographic issues concerning their communities. The Yawanawá language belongs to the Panoan family, and its speakers inhabit the region of the Gregório River, in the state of Acre, Brazil. Hãtxa Kuĩ, also known as Kaxinawá, is spoken by the Huni Kuĩ people, who also live in Acre. The study analyzes morphosyntactic inventories based on pronominal morphology, which supports the classification of both languages within the Panoan family. The analysis draws on data from Paula’s (2004) and Kaxinawá’s (2014) doctoral theses and Camargo-Tavares’s (2013) master’s dissertation. Methodologically, sentences containing action verbs were selected to examine their pronominal patterns. It is important to note that the estimated number of speakers who still use these Amerindian languages in daily life is extremely small, placing them in a situation of linguistic vulnerability. Despite their richness and diversity, indigenous languages remain understudied and face the risk of extinction due to the dominance of major languages such as Portuguese and Spanish. Studying these minority languages is therefore crucial for their revitalization, preservation, and dissemination. In addition to the reduced number of speakers, there are few linguistic studies dedicated to these languages, which highlights the need for further descriptive and analytical research. This work adopts as its main theoretical framework the studies by Loos (1999), Valenzuela (2003), Payne (1997), and Dixon (1994), addressing the specific features shared among Panoan languages. Finally, this article aims to support the linguistic strengthening of Amerindian languages through the description and analysis of their phonological and morphosyntactic structures, thereby contributing to their documentation and visibility.