Baniwa Language (Baniua Içana)

Baniwa do Icana is an Arawakan language of South America, spoken by 6000 people in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. Baniwa is very closely related to the Curripaco language, and some people consider the two to be dialects of a single language. A third language, called Baniva de Guainia, is spoken in Venezuela and Colombia but is only distantly related to Baniva do Icana--the two languages are said to be no more closely related than English and Russian.

Our Online Baniwa Materials

Baniwa Vocabulary:
Our list of vocabulary words in the Baniwa language, with comparison to words in other Arawakan languages.

Baniwa Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Baniwa words.

Baniwa Animal Words:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Baniwa language.

Baniwa Colors:
Online and printable worksheets showing color words in the Baniwa language.

Baniwa Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in the Baniwa language.

Baniwa Numbers:
Worksheet showing how to count in the Baniwa language.

Baniwa Language Resources

House of Languages: Baniwa
Information about Baniwa language usage.

Ethnologue: Baniwa:
Demographic information on the Baniwa language.

Karutana-Baniwa:
Baniwa language information in Spanish.

Baniwa Language Tree:
Theories about Baniwa's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Baniwa Language Structures:
Baniwa linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Baniwa Alphabet:
Phonological inventory of the Baniwa language, with a sample text.

Baniwa Culture and History

Indigenous Peoples of the Içana River:
Online ethnography of the Kuripako and Baniwa peoples.

Baniwa-Curripaco-Wakuenai:
Articles on the history, culture, religion and lifestyle of the Baniwa and Curripaco Indians.

Orinoco Online: Baniwa:
Culture and traditions of the Baniwa, with photographs of Baniwa artifacts.

Arte Baniwa:
Information about the Baniwa do Icana tribe in Portuguese.

Books For Sale On The Baniwas

Comparative Arawakan Histories: Rethinking Language Family and Culture Area in Amazonia:
Anthropology book on the Baniwa and other Arawakan tribes of the Amazon.

Native American Books:
Evolving list of books about Native Americans in general.

Links, References, and Additional Information

Ipeka-Kurripako

Língua Baniua:
Information about the Curripaco and Baniwa languages in Spanish and Portuguese.
Wikipedia: Maipurean Languages:
Encyclopedia article on the Maipurean language family, including Baniwa.

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