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`!Puinave`!, `!Waipunavi`! (Guaipunabi) or `!Wanse`! (`*Wã́nsöjöt`* [ˈw̃ã́nsɤhɤt];`:cite-ref-amazonian-isolates-2-2-0[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-amazonian-isolates-2-2]`_`f] Puinave: `*Wãnsöhöt`*) is an indigenous language of `F33f`_`[Colombia`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Colombia]`_`f and `F33f`_`[Venezuela`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Venezuela]`_`f. It is generally considered to be a `F33f`_`[language isolate`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Language_isolate]`_`f.

>>Contents

• `F0af`_`[Demographics`#demographics]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Varieties`#varieties]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Classification`#classification]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Phonology`#phonology]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Consonants`#consonants]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Vowels`#vowels]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Tone`#tone]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Morphology and syntax`#morphology-and-syntax]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Bibliography`#bibliography]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[External links`#external-links]`_`f

-─

>>Demographics

There are about 6,800 people in 32 communities along the banks of the `F33f`_`[Inírida River`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Inírida_River]`_`f in `F33f`_`[Guainía Department`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Guainía_Department]`_`f, Colombia. Additionally, there are 470 people in 10 communities along the `F33f`_`[Orinoco River`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Orinoco_River]`_`f, in the Colombia–Venezuela border region.`:cite-ref-amazonian-isolates-2-2-1[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-amazonian-isolates-2-2]`_`f]

Other names for the language include `*Camaku del Guaviare`* or `*Camaku del Inírida`*.`:cite-ref-amazonian-isolates-2-2-2[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-amazonian-isolates-2-2]`_`f]

>>Varieties

Varieties listed by `F33f`_`[Mason`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=John_Alden_Mason]`_`f (1950):`:cite-ref-mason-1950-3-0[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-mason-1950-3]`_`f]

• `!Puinave`!

• Puinave (Epined)

• Western: Bravos, Guaripa

• Eastern: Mansos

• Macú

• Tikié

• Kerarí

• Papurí

• Nadöbo

Alternate names of Puinave are `*Puinabe, Puinavis, Uaipunabis, Guaipunavos, Uaipis`*.`:cite-ref-mason-1950-3-1[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-mason-1950-3]`_`f]

>>Classification

Puinave is sometimes linked to other poorly attested languages of the region in various `F33f`_`[Macro-Puinavean`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Macro-Puinavean]`_`f proposals, but no good evidence has ever been produced. The original motivation seems to simply be that all of these languages were called `*Maku`* ('babble') by `F33f`_`[Arawakans`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Arawakans]`_`f.`:cite-ref-4[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-4]`_`f] Ongoing work on Puinave by Girón Higuita at the University of Amsterdam will hopefully clarify the situation.

>>Phonology

>>>Consonants

|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| Plosive | Oral | p | t | k | ʔ |

| Plosive | Nasal | m | n | | |

| Fricative | Fricative | | s | | h |

| Glide | Glide | ( w ) | | ( j ) | |

>>>Vowels

|---|---|---|---|

| Close | i ĩ | ɯ | u |

| Mid | e | ɤ ɤ̃ | o õ |

| Open | | a ã | |

Syllable structure is (C)V(C); nasal syllabic nuclei cause allophonic variation of consonantal segments in the same syllable. The phonemes /m n/ have oral, non-sonorant allophones [b d] in the onsets of syllables with oral nuclei.

The high vowel [`F33f`_`[u`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Close_back_rounded_vowel]`_`f], when occurring in onset or coda position, is realized as a glide [`F33f`_`[w`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Voiced_labial–velar_approximant]`_`f]. When the high vowel /i/ is in coda position, it is also realized as a glide [`F33f`_`[j`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Voiced_palatal_approximant]`_`f], but in onset position, it is realized as a palatal stop matching in nasality with the nucleus, either [`F33f`_`[ɟ`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Voiced_palatal_plosive]`_`f] or [`F33f`_`[ɲ`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Voiced_palatal_nasal]`_`f], in the same way that /m n/ match the following vowel's nasality. Any glides [`F33f`_`[w`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Voiced_labial–velar_approximant]`_`f] occurring before or [j w] occurring after a nasalized nucleus are also realized as nasal [`F33f`_`[j̃ w̃`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Nasalization]`_`f].

>>>Tone

Puinave distinguishes four surface (phonetic) tones: two simple (H and L) and two contour (HL and LH); these are analyzed as being composed of two phonemic tone values, H and L. Girón Higuita and Wetzels (2007) note that speakers seem to associate H with prominence, rather than increased duration or intensity (the typical correlates of prominence in languages like English).

>>Morphology and syntax

Jesús Mario Girón's description of the morphology and the function of nominalized constructions in this language can be found in `*The Linguistics of Endangered Languages`* (edited by `F33f`_`[Leo Wetzels`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Leo_Wetzels]`_`f).

>>Bibliography

• Bautista Sánchez, E. (2008). `*Diccionario puinave-español y la oración gramatical`*. CIRCUI, Centro de Investigaciones de rescate cultural Puinave Autóctonas.

• Girón, J. M. (2008). `*Una gramática del Wã́nsöjöt (Puinave)`*. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit. (Doctoral dissertation).

• Girón Higuita, J.M. and W. Leo Wetzels (2007). Tone in Wãnsöhöt (Puinave). `*Language Endangerment and Endangered Languages: Linguistic and Anthropological Studies with Special Emphasis on the Languages and Cultures of the Andean-Amazonian Border Area,`* W. Leo Wetzels ed., CNWS Publications.

>>References

`:cite-note-e18-1`!1.`! Puinavé at `*`F33f`_`[Ethnologue`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Ethnologue]`_`f`* (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

`:cite-note-amazonian-isolates-2-2`!2.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-amazonian-isolates-2-2-0]`_`f `:citerefeppsmichael2023`aEpps, Patience; Michael, Lev, eds. (2023). `*Amazonian Languages: Language Isolates`*. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. `F33f`_`[ISBN`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=ISBN_(identifier)]`_`f 978-3-11-043273-2.

`:cite-note-mason-1950-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-mason-1950-3-0]`_`f `:citerefmason1950`a`F33f`_`[Mason, John Alden`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=John_Alden_Mason]`_`f (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). `*Handbook of South American Indians`*. Vol. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: `F33f`_`[Smithsonian Institution`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Smithsonian_Institution]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Bureau of American Ethnology`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Bureau_of_American_Ethnology]`_`f Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.

`:cite-note-4`!4.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-4]`_`f Patience Epps, 2008. `*A Grammar of Hup`*. Mouton de Gruyter.

• `:citerefgir-n-higuita2008`aGirón Higuita, J. M. (2008). `*The Grammar of the Puinave Language`* (Ph.D. thesis). Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. `F33f`_`[hdl`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Hdl_(identifier)]`_`f:1871/12763.

>>External links

Wiktionary

has a word list at

Appendix:Puinave word list

• Puinave dictionary online (select simple or advanced browsing)

• Puinave (`F33f`_`[Intercontinental Dictionary Series`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Intercontinental_Dictionary_Series]`_`f)

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