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Bribri Language (Talamanca, Bri Bri)

Language: Bribri is a Chibchan language of Central America. The Bribri language has been in decline over the last 20 years since many parents have stopped teaching it to their children. However, there are still around 5000 fluent Bribri speakers living in the Limon province of Costa Rica. Like most Chibchan languages, Bribri is a tone language with SOV word order.

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Names: Bribri is a tribal name, which comes from a word meaning "mountains" in their own language. The Bribri language is also referred to as Su Uhtuk, which means "our language." The Bribris have also been referred to by their non-native neighbors as Viceita, Talamanca, or the Puerto Viejo Indians. Important Bribri subgroups include the Salitre, the Cabagra, the Coroma, the Katsi, and the Amubre. The three primary dialects of Bribri are known by linguists as Salitre-Cabagra, Coroma, and Katsi-Amubre after the Bribri groups that use each of them. Alternate spellings of these names have included Bri Bri, Bri-bri, Bribriwak, Bribri-wak, Suuhtuk, Viceyta, and Catsi.


Bribri Language
Bribri language samples and resources.

Bribri Culture and History
Information and links about the Bribri tribe past and present.

Bribri Legends
Introduction to the mythology of the Bribris.



Bribri Language Resources

Our Online Bribri Materials

Bribri Words:
    Our list of vocabulary words in the Bribri language, with comparison to words in other Chibchan languages.
Bribri Pronunciation Guide:
    How to pronounce Bribri words.
Bribri Animal Words:
    Picture dictionary of animal words in Bribri.
Bribri Body Parts:
    Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in Bribri.
Bribri Numbers:
    Worksheet showing how to count in Bribri.
Bribri Colors:
    Worksheet showing color words in the Bribri language.

Bribri Dictionaries and Language Books for Sale
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The Languages of the Andes:
    Linguistic information about Bribri and dozens of other Central and South American languages.
The Chibchan Languages:
    Book on the Chibchan language family including Bribri.

Bribri Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Indigenous Languages in Costa Rica: * Costa Rican Language Map: * Costa Rica Eta Panama:
    Maps showing where the Bribri language was spoken in the past and today.
Diccionario bribri–español:
    Online Bribri-Spanish dictionary from the University of Costa Rica.
Bribri Grammar:
    Digitized Bribri language materials from the Rosetta Project.
Omniglot: Bribri (Se'ie):
    Profile of the Bribri language including a phonological inventory, orthography and a text.
Youtube: Let's Speak Bribri:
    Audio recordings of Bribri words and phrases.
Bribri:
    Information on the Bribri language, including a piece of a legend written in Bribri. Page in Spanish.
La Lengua Bribri:
    Online phonology and grammar of the Bribri language. Page in Spanish.
House of Languages: Bribri
     Information about Bribri language usage.
Bribri Language Tree:
    Theories about Bribri's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Bribri Language Structures:
    Bribri linguistic profile and academic bibliography.
Bribri Sign Language * Wikipedia: Bribri Sign:
    Information about an indigenous sign language used by the Bribri people.
The Bribri New Testament: * Tower of Babel in Bribri:
    Translation of Bible passages into the Bribri language.
Bribri Papers:
    Archive of linguistics papers on Bribri, in English and Spanish.

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Links, References, and Additional Information

Endangered Languages Project: Bribri:
Bibliography of Bribri language resources.
  OLAC: Bribri:
  Reference list of Bribri language materials.
Idioma Bribri * Lenguaje Bribri * Palabras en Bribri * Los Bri-Bris de Talamanca:
Information about Bribri language and culture in Spanish.
Wikipedia: Bribri:
Encyclopedia article on the Bribri language.
Bribri Resources:
Bribri links.



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