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Cofán

A language of Ecuador

ISO 639-3: con

Population	800 in Ecuador (2000 Juncosa), increasing. 800 monolinguals. Population total all countries: 1,700. Ethnic population: 1,500.
Region	Both sides of the Colombia and Ecuador border, Napo Province near Santa Rosa de Sucumbios, and down Aguarico River about 130 km, Sucumbios Province. 5 centers in Ecuador, and scattered between. Also in Colombia.
Language map	Ecuador, reference number 7
Alternate names	A’i, Kofán, Kofane
Dialects	Chibchan with Western Tucanoan features (Ferndon, Borman), Barbacoan (J. Mason), or Jivaroan (Ruhlen 1987). Some Witotoan influences.
Classification	Chibchan, Cofan
Language use	Official language. Vigorous. Some Siona and Secoya have learned Cofán due to intermarriage, and their children learn Cofán. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude. Some also use Siona [snn], Secoya [sey], or Napo Lowland Quichua [qvo]. Schools are in Spanish, except for early grades which provide bilingual education.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 60%. Literacy rate in L2: 60%. Taught in primary schools. Radio programs. Dictionary. NT: 1980–2007.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	SOV. Swidden agriculturalists; crafts for tourists. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Colombia

Language name	Cofán
Population	900 in Colombia (2000 Lozano), decreasing. Many monolinguals.
Region	Colombia-Ecuador border area, Putumayo Province.
Language map	Southern Colombia
Alternate names	Kofan, Kofane, A’i, A’ingae
Dialects	Aguarico, Santa Rosa.
Language use	Some children don’t speak Cofán.
Comments	Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BLAKESLEE, Joseph A., author. 1979. Development of feed and food production systems for subsistence Ecuadorian Indian culture.

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1962. "Cofan phonemes."  

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1975. "Fonemas cofanes."

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1976. Vocabulario cofán: Cofán-castellano, castellano-cofán.

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1977. "Cofan paragraph structure and function."  

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1982. Cambios semánticos en la terminología cofán del parentesco: Costumbres matrimoniales de los cofanes.

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1990. La cosmología y la percepción histórica de los cofanes de acuerdo a sus leyendas (Cofán cosmology and history as revealed in their legends).  

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1991. Listas comparativas de palabras en diez idiomas autóctonos ecuatorianos.  

BORMAN, M. B., author. 1992. El arte cofán en tejido de hamacas (The Cofan art of hammock weaving).

BORMAN, M. B., editor. 1991. "Los ancianos nos contaron...": veintiséis leyendas cofanes narradas por Enrique Criollo.

BORMAN, M. B., editor. 1991. "The old people told us...": twenty-six Cofan legends as related by Enrique Criollo.  

BORMAN, Roberta, author. 1986. Music as an aid to literacy.

BORMAN, Roberta, author. 1990. Cofan: Basic Lessons for Learning the A'ingae Language (For English speakers).

BORMAN, Roberta, author. 1999. "Music as an aid to literacy: the Cofan story."

CRIOLLO, Enrique, author; BORMAN, M. B., editor. 1991. Folklore Cofan "Los ancianos nos contaron..." Veintiséis leyendas cofanes narradas por Enrique Criollo redactado por M. B. Borman = "The old people told us..." Twenty-six Cofan legends as related by Enrique Criollo edited by M. B. Borman.  

ELSON, Benjamin F., editor. 1962. Studies in Ecuadorian Indian languages 1.  

INSTITUTO Lingüístico de Verano, author. 1978. Lista de frases útiles en los diferentes idiomas de la selva y costa ecuatorianas.  

LONGACRE, Robert E.; WOODS, Frances M., editors. 1977. Discourse grammar: Studies in indigenous languages of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, 3.  

ORR, Carolyn; PEARSON, Nancy S., authors. 1979. Nombres de aves en cinco idiomas.  

PEEKE, M. Catherine, editor. 1975. Estudios fonológicos de lenguas vernáculas del Ecuador.  

Vernacular Publications

Aʼingae 1 cofán. 1977.

Aʼingae 1. 1962.

Aʼingae 2, 3 cofán. 1980.

Aʼingae 2. 1963.

Aʼingae 3. 1965.

A'ingae 4 cofán. 1979.

Aʼingae 4. 1969.

A'ingae 5 cofán. 1980.

Aʼingae 5. 1969.

Aꞌingae II Cofán = Texto de lectura II, cofán--castellano . 1982.

A'ingae IV: Cofán = Texto de lectura IV . 1982.

A'ingae V: Cofán = Texto de lectura V . 1982.

Aprendamos. 1978.

Chimbi aʼinga attianʼcho toyaʼcaen fuesu condaseʼcho. 1980.

El cofán y el médico: Vocabulario bilingüe cofán-castellano. 1991.

Elberta Queta: autobiografías Cofanes 1; Cofán - Español - Inglés. 1992.

Gregorio Quenama: Autobiografía Cofanes No. 2 = My Story = Mi Historia . 1992.

Ongu. 1967.

Quinsetsse canseye toya seje'suni jambi'te tsoñe = Higiene: primeros auxilios . 1982.

Tayopiʼsu aʼi maʼcaen canseʼcho. 1979.

Vocabulario cofan. 1982.