Mapudungun

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A language of Chile

ISO 639-3
arn
Alternate Names
“Araucano” (pej.), Mapuche, Mapudungu
Population

250,000 in Chile (Crevels 2007). Population total all countries: 258,620. Ethnic population: 604,000 (2002).

Location

Central-south, mainly in IX Region, Cautín and Malleco provinces; also in VIII and X regions, Arauco, Bío-Bío, Valdivia, Osorno provinces. Also in Argentina, United States.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Mapudungu
Dialects

Moluche (Manzanero, Ngoluche), Pehuenche, Picunche. Easy intelligibility among dialects. Pehuenche and Moluche are very similar.

Typology

SVO

Language Use

All ages. Also use Spanish [spa].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 21%. 85,000 are literate in Spanish [spa]. Intercultural Bilingual Education programs may contribute to the survival of Mapundung (Crevels 2007). New media. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1997–2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mapudungun
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Ethnic autonym: Mapuche. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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