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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Americas > Colombia > Yukpa

Yukpa

A language of Colombia

ISO 639-3: yup

Population  1,500 in Colombia (2000 Moreno). Population total all countries: 7,630. Ethnic population: 3,530 (Arango and Sánchez 1998).
Region  Serranía de Perijá, Cesar Department, Municipio of Augustín Codazzi and neighboring municipalities north and south, Colombia-Venezuela border. Río Cascará dialect in Agustín Codassi Municipio along Casacará River and Caño Iroka. Caqo Padilla-La Laguna is small and farther north. Río Maracas is south in Becerril Municipio. Also in Venezuela.
Language map  Northern Colombia
Alternate names   Carib Motilón, Macoíta, Northern Motilón, Yuco, Yucpa, Yuko, Yupa
Dialects  Río Casacará (Iroka), Río Maracas, Caño Padilla-La Laguna, Coyaima. At least 5 extant dialects including 2 in Venezuela. Ruhlen says Coyaima was a dialect. Río Cascará and Río Maracas dialects are probably largest, and different enough to probably be separate languages. Venezuela dialects seem more similar to Río Maracas. Unrelated to Bari [mot]. Lexical similarity: is low with Japreira [jru] of Venezuela (Luis Oquendo, U. of Zulia-Venezuela).
Classification  Carib, Northern, Coastal
Language use  Vigorous. Men use Spanish for buying and selling only.
Writing system  Latin script.

Also spoken in:

Venezuela

Language name   Yukpa
Population  6,130 in Venezuela (2007).
Region  Zulia state, Areas adjacent to Colombia border.
Language map  Venezuela, reference number 35
Alternate names  Macoíta, Manso, Northern Motilón, Yucpa, Yuko, Yupa
Dialects  Yrapa, Río Negro.
Language use  Home, community. Positive attitude. Most also use Spanish.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 50%.