Xavánte
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A language of Brazil
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
A’uwe Uptabi, A’we, Akuên, Akwen, Chavante, Crisca, Pusciti, Shavante, Tapacua
Population
9,600 (Moore 2006). 7,000 monolinguals.
Location
Mato Grosso state: 6 noncontiguous reservations. 80 villages.
Language Maps
Language Status
4 (Educational).
Classification
Typology
OSV.
Language Use
Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Portuguese [por]. About 3,000 speak it some, but with Brazilians only.
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 10%–30%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50% (most men, few women). Xavante teachers of Xavante reading and writing. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2004.
Language Resources
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
In 1950s contact with outsiders began and diseases killed hundreds. Forced to abandon seminomadic means of survival when placed on reservations. Learned swidden agriculture. During the transition many died. Traditional religion, Christian.