The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
SIL code: ALC
ISO 639-2: sai
| Population | 20 including 10 in Puerto Edin (1996 Oscar Aguilera). |
| Region | Channel region, western Patagonia, Isle of Wellington off south Chilean coast, 49 degrees south with center in Puerto Edin. Speakers of the extinct Aksanás dialect also lived in Puerto Edén. |
| Alternate names | KAWESKAR, KAWESQAR, ALACALUFE, ALACALUF, HALAKWULUP |
| Dialects | AKSANÁS (AKSANA). |
| Classification | Alacalufan. |
| Comments | Reports are that speakers are not bilingual in Spanish (Christos Clairis, M. Ruhlen 1987, personal communication). They are 20% monolingual in Qawasqar (O. Aguilera 1996, personal communication. The youngest speakers are from 3 to 20 years old (1996). Speakers have positive language attitudes. J. Suarez says Aksanás vocabulary differences might be explained by word taboo. Dictionary. Grammar. Fishermen. |
