Languages of Paraguay
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Paraguay.]
Republic of Paraguay, República del Paraguay. 5,904,000. 50,000 speakers of American Indian languages not counting Paraguayan Guaraní (Adelaar 1991). National or official languages: Paraguayan Guaraní, Spanish. Literacy rate: 81%–90%. Immigrant languages: Greek (2,470), Hunsrik, Italian (26,000), Japanese (12,000), Korean (6,000), Portuguese (636,000), Ukrainian (26,000). Also includes speakers of Chinese varieties (7,500). Information mainly from W. Adelaar 1991, 2000; Adelaar and Muysken 2007; SIL 1969–2007. Blind population: 4,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 316,214. Deaf institutions: 3. The number of individual languages listed for Paraguay is 22. Of those, 20 are living languages, 1 is a second language without mother-tongue speakers, and 1 has no known speakers.
| Aché | [guq]
1,360 (2007). Ethnic population: 1,500. Eastern departments of Alto Paraná and Caaguazú; Chopa Pou, Cerro Moroti, Puerto Barra, Koetuvy, Ypetimi and Arroyo bandera reservations.
Alternate names: Axe, “Guaiaqui” , “Guayakí” , Guayaki-Ache, “Guoyagui”.
Dialects: 6 dialects.
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I
|
| Ayoreo | [ayo]
2,300 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Population total all countries: 3,070. Chaco, northern Alto Paraguay departments. Also in Bolivia.
Alternate names: Ayoré, Moro, Morotoco, Pyeta Yovai.
Dialects: Tsiracua.
Classification: Zamucoan
|
| Chamacoco | [ceg]
1,800 (2007 Perik). Northeast Chaco, east Alto Paraguay Department, Puerto Bahia Negra, Puerto Diana, Puerto Esperanza, Dos Estrellas, Fuerte Olimpo, along Paraguay River. Possibly some in Brazil.
Alternate names: Ishiro, Jeywo, Yshyro.
Dialects: Chamacoco Bravo (Tomaraho), Ebitoso (Ishiro).
Classification: Zamucoan
|
| Chorote, Iyo’wujwa | [crq]
530 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). 480 monolinguals. Boquerón District, Santa Rosa Town; Mcal, Estigarribia, Pedro P. Pena, Campo Loa, Platanilia, Yakaquash, Filadelfia, Neuland.
Alternate names: I’no’, Inkijwas, Manjuy.
Dialects: Manjui, Choroti.
Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco
|
| Emok | [emo]
Extinct. East Chaco, near Asunción.
Alternate names: Toba, Toba-Emok.
Classification: Mascoian
|
| German, Standard | [deu]
166,000 in Paraguay. 19,000 L1 speakers of Plautdietsch.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
|
| Guana | [gva]
280 (2007 Perik). Boquerón, Salado River, south of Chamacoco, north of Sanapaná, Loma Plata, Machete vayre, Castilla near Rio Mosquito, Rio Apa.
Alternate names: Cashquiha, Kaskihá.
Dialects: Layana (Niguecactemigi), Echoaldi (Echonoana, Chararana). Similar to Sanapaná [sap].
Classification: Mascoian
|
| Guarani | [grn]
A macrolanguage.
Population total all countries: 4,926,984.
|
| Guaraní, Ava | [nhd]
7,000 in Paraguay (1991). Population total all countries: 11,900. East Paraguay. Also in Argentina, Brazil.
Alternate names: Apytare, Ava, Chiripá, Nhandeva, Ñandeva, Tsiripá, Txiripá.
Dialects: Apapocuva. Similar to Paraguayan Guaraní [gug].
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I
|
| Guaraní, Eastern Bolivian | [gui]
2,530 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Chaco.
Alternate names: “Chawuncu” , “Chiriguano” , Guarayo, Guasurango.
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I
|
| Guaraní, Mbyá | [gun]
16,400 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Departamentos de Caaguazú, Guairá, Caazapá, San Pedro, Concepción, Canindeyú, Itapúa, and scattered.
Alternate names: Mbua, Mbyá.
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I
|
| Guaraní, Paraguayan | [gug]
4,650,000 in Paraguay (1995). Population total all countries: 4,850,000. Also in Argentina.
Alternate names: Avañe’e.
Dialects: Jopará (Yopará). One Chiripá speaker [nhd] indicated it was bilingualism rather than linguistic closeness that made Paraguayan Guaraní intelligible to him. Jopará is the colloquial form mixed with Spanish loanwords, used by 90% of the population in Asunción area. Lexical similarity: 80% with Chiriguano [gui] and 75% lexical similarity with Mbyá [gun].
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I
|
| Lengua | [leg]
15,000 (2007 Perik). Chaco, Presidente Hayes Department, Boquerón.
Alternate names: Enxet.
Dialects: Northern Lengua (Eenthlit, Vowak, Lengua Norte), Southern Lengua (Lengua Sur). Differences between the 2 dialects reportedly mainly phonological and orthographic. Southern Lengua seminomadic.
Classification: Mascoian
|
| Maka | [mca]
1,500 (2000 A. Chemhey). Ethnic population: 1,500 (2000). Southwest, Presidente Hayes Department, Qemkuket; Main village north of Asunción in Mariano Roque Alonso; Par River; a changing number in a very small reserve in Ciudad del Este 4 blocks from the bridge to Brazil; Encarnación near the airfield.
Alternate names: Enimaca, Enimaga, Maca, Macá, Mak’á, Maká.
Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco
|
| Maskoy Pidgin | [mhh]
Puerto Victoria.
Classification: Pidgin, Mascoian based
|
| Nivaclé | [cag]
13,700 in Paraguay (1991 SIL). Population total all countries: 13,900. Chaco, Departments of Presidente Hayes and Boquerón. Also in Argentina.
Alternate names: Ashlushlay, Axluslay, “Chulupe” , “Chulupí” , “Chulupie” , “Churupí” , Nivaklé.
Dialects: Forest Nivaclé, River Nivaclé. Mataguayo languages in Paraguay are less similar than Mascoi languages in Paraguay (Fasold 1984).
Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco
|
| Ñandeva | [tpj]
2,270 in Paraguay (2007 Perik), decreasing. 1,000 monolinguals. Population total all countries: 2,440. Chaco: Laguna Negra, Santa Elena, San Lazaro, Pykasu, Nyu Guasu, Coloni 5, Santa Teresita, Marite, Loma. Also in Argentina, Bolivia.
Alternate names: Guasurango, Guasurangue, Nandeva, Ñanagua, Tapiete, Tirumbae, Yanaigua.
Dialects: Linguistically between Eastern Bolivian Guarani [gui] and Paraguayan Guaraní [gug].
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I
|
| Pai Tavytera | [pta]
15,000 (2007 Perik), decreasing. East, Colonia Juan Carlos.
Alternate names: Ava, Pai, Tavytera.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 70% with Kaiwá [kgk] of Brazil.
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I
|
| Plautdietsch | [pdt]
38,000 in Paraguay. 19,000 who speak Plautdietsch and Standard German as L1. Chaco and east: Filadelfia, Menno Colony, Loma Plata, Neuland.
Alternate names: Low German.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Sanapaná | [sap]
6,810 (2007 Perik). 785 Sanapana, 1,085 Angaite, and 9,350 Enlit. Ethnic population: 6,814. Chaco. Sanapana north of Angaite and Lengua; Boquerón, Presidente Hayes Department, Galbán River; many at Salazar Ranch, La Patria, and Esperanza. Angaite in southeast Chaco, Presidente Hayes Department, Boquerón, San Carlos.
Alternate names: Lanapsua, Quiativis, Quilyacmoc, Saapa, Sanam.
Dialects: Sanapana, Angaite (Angate), Enlit (Enlhet), Covavitis (Covahloc). Lexical similarity: 85% with Northern Lengua [leg].
Classification: Mascoian
|
| Spanish | [spa]
187,000 in Paraguay (2000 WCD). Mainly Asunción, urban areas.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
|
| Toba Qom | [tob]
1,510 in Paraguay (2007 Perik). Northwest of Asunción, Franciscan mission.
Alternate names: Qom, Toba-Qom.
Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan
|
| Toba-Maskoy | [tmf]
1,680 (2007 Perik). East Chaco, reserve of 30,000 hectares near Puerto Victoria and Puerto Guaraní.
Alternate names: Cabanatit, Machicui, Quilyilhrayrom, Toba of Paraguay.
Classification: Mascoian
|
Ethnologue: Web |
Ethnologue: Print |
Bibliography |
Publications Catalog |
Software |
Email Updates
Who we are |
Shopping cart |
Site search |
Site map |
Home
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | External links
Copyright © 2012 SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics)
