Mapudungun

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A language of Chile

ISO 639-3
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Alternate Names
Araucana, Mapuche, Mapudungu, Mapuzungun, “Araucano” (pej.)
Autonym
Mapudungun
Population

250,000 in Chile (Crevels 2007). Ethnic population: 604,000 (2002). Total users in all countries: 258,410.

Location

Araucanía, Bíobío, Los Lagos, and Los Ríos regions: Arauco, Bíobío, Valdivia, Osorno.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened). Recognized language (1993, Indigenous Peoples Law (No. 19.253)).

Classification
Mapudungu
Dialects

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

Typology

Free word order; prepositions; noun head final; dual number; definite and indefinite articles; verb affixes mark person, number; passives; causatives; 19 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable (vowel-final) or final syllable (consonant-final).

Language Use

Some young people, all adults. Also use Spanish [spa].

Language Development
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). Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 1997–2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mapudungun
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian.

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