Awa-Cuaiquer

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A language of Colombia

ISO 639-3

kwi

Alternate Names

Awa, Awa Pit, Coaiquer, Cuaiquer, Kwaiker, Quaiquer, auapit, Înkal Awa

Autonym

Awapit

Population

12,000 in Colombia (Civallero 2008), decreasing. No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 15,400 (Crevels 2012). Total users in all countries: 14,100.

Location

Nariño department: Barbacoas area; Cuaiquer del Alto Albí, Cuambíyaslambi, Cumbal, Mallama, and Ricaurte reservations; Pacific slopes of Andes.

Language Maps

Colombia

Ecuador

Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Classification

Barbacoan, Northern

Dialects

None known. Distantly related to Chachi [cbi] and Colorado [cof].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Majority are monolingual in Spanish [spa] and no evidence of monolingualism in Awa Cuaiquer. Also use Spanish [spa].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Below 5%. Literature. Grammar. NT: 2002.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Awa-Cuaiquer

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

The presence of petroleum companies, paramilitary groups, guerrilla forces, the cultivation of illicit crops and subsequent widespread fumigation of their territory has had extremely disruptive effects on the Awa society that currently is coping with a very serious acculturation process. Traditional religion, Christian.

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Ecuador

Language nameAwa-Cuaiquer

Population Full

2,100 in Ecuador (Crevels 2012), decreasing. 1,000 monolinguals. Most monolinguals are women or children under age 16. Ethnic population: 3,130 (2012 UNSD).

Location

Carchi and Esmeraldas provinces: extreme north, Andes west slopes, Colombia-Ecuador border, Mira river area.

Alternate Names

Awa, Awa Pit, Awapit, Cuaiquer, Înkal Awa

Status

6b (Threatened).

Language Use

Many are monolingual in Spanish [spa]. Awa-Cuaiquer want to acculturate ethnically and linguistically (Crevels 2007). Home, religion. Some of all ages. Negative attitudes. Also use Spanish [spa], with high proficiency among men and low proficiency among women and children.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: Less than 1%, but literacy rate in Spanish increasing. 40–50 government-run schools taught in Spanish [spa].

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Ethnologue

Awa-Cuaiquer

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A language of Colombia

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