Timotean languages

The Timotean languages were spoken in the Venezuelan Andes around what is now Mérida. It is assumed that they are extinct. However, Timote may survive in the so-far unattested Mutú (Loco) language, as this occupies a mountain village (Mutús) within the old Timote state.^[1][2]

Timótean
Geographic distribution	Venezuela
Linguistic classification	Timotean
Subdivisions	Timote–Cuica Mucuchí–Maripú
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	(not evaluated)
Timote and Cuica toponyms

Genetic relations

There is no apparent connection to the Chibchan, Arawakan, or Cariban families, apart from sporadic resemblances with Paez and some divergent Chibchan languages, so Timotean appears to be an independent family.

Jolkesky (2016) also notes that there are lexical similarities with the Jirajaran languages.^[3]

Languages

There were two closely related languages, each a pair of dialects:

• Timote–Cuica (Miguri, Cuica, "Cicua", spoken by the Timoto–Cuica people)
• Mucuchí–Maripú (Mocochí, Mirripú)

Traditionally, Mucuchí and Mirripú have been classified as dialects of Timote, with Cuica as a distinct language, but the data in Loukotka (1968)^[4] indicates that Cuica is a dialect of Timote, and that Mucuchí–Mirripú are a separate language (Kaufman 2007; Campbell 1997, 2012).

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for Timotean languages.^[4]

gloss	Timote	Cuica	Mocochi	Mirripú
one	kári	karí	karí	karí
two	gem	xem	xem	xem
three	shuént	shuent	shut	sut
head	ki-kushám	ki-kushan	kisham
ear	ki-kumeu	ki-kumeu	ti-subú
tooth	ki-kunñuch		chi-runch
man	kiukiai	kiukiai	kaʔak	kage
water	shömpú	shombuch	shimpué	shimpú
fire	shirup	shnopa	churup	chirup
sun	nareúpa	nareupa	umpú
maize	chxá	chxa	chixsak	chipxak
bird	kiukchú	kchu
house	kurakata	kfok	shimanakot	sharakot