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Barbacoan Language Family

The Barbacoan languages are spoken in southwestern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Though linguists have associated them with the Chibchan languages in the past, today they are believed to be distinct and comprise a language family of their own.



Barbacoan languages include:

  • Barbacoan Languages
  • Northern Barbacoan Languages
  • Awa Pit/Cuaiquer
  • Coconucan Languages
  • Coconuco
  • Guambiano
  • Totoro
  • Southern Barbacoan Languages
  • Cara
  • Cha'palaachi
  • Tsafiki
  • Unclassified/Uncertain
  • Barbacoa
  • Guanaca
  • Pasto/Muellama
  • Sindagua
  • Telembi


    • The Andaqui language has also sometimes been classified as Barbacoan, although most linguists consider it a language isolate. Another language recorded as "Moguex" is now thought to be an erroneous compilation of words from two different languages, Guambiano and Paez.

    Native Languages

    Our Barbacoan Language Features

    Barbacoan Vocabulary:
         Comparison of words in various Barbacoan languages.

    Links to Other Barbacoan Language Resources

    Barbacoan Language Family:
         Ethnologue of Barbacoan languages.
    Barbacoan Languages:
         Wikipedia entry about the Barbacoan language family.




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