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Guajajara Indian Language (Pindare, Mearim)

Language: Guajajara is an indigenous language of South America, spoken by around 12,000 people in Brazil. It is classified as part of the Tupi-Guarani language family, related to other Amazonian languages such as Guarani and Awa-Guaja. Guajajara is an agglutinative language with VSO word order.

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Names: Guajajara is a tribal name meaning "headdress people." They also use the name Tenetehara, which means "real people" or "indigenous people" and also refers to other native Tupian people of the region such as the Tembe and Tapirape. Alternate spellings for these names include Guazazara, Guazazzara, Gwazazara, Guajajra, Guajajára, Teneteara, Tenetehar, and Tenetehára. The Guajajaras have also been known by the regional names of Pindare, Mearim and Zutiua, which are the names of rivers that run through their traditional territory, or by the Portuguese name Cuia de Aço, which means "steel pots" (because some Guajajara men had become tinkers.) The Guajajara name for their own language is Ze'egete, which means "good language."

Guajajara Language

Guajajara language samples and resources.

Guajajara Culture and History

Our collection of links about the Guajajara nation past and present.

Guajajara Language Resources

Our Online Guajajara Materials

Guajajara Words:
Our list of vocabulary words in the Guajajara language, with comparison to words in other Tupi-Guarani languages.

Guajajara Dictionaries and Language Books for Sale
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The Amazonian Languages:
In-depth book about Guajajara and dozens of other Amazonian Indian languages

Hierarchical Structures in Guajajara :
Linguistics text about Guajajara grammar.

Guajajara Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Tribal Map of Brazil:

Indians of the Eastern Amazon:
Maps showing where in Brazil the Guajajara language is spoken.

Guajajara Phonology:
Linguistic chart of phonemes in the Guajajara language.

Tower of Babel in Guajajara:

Language Museum: Guajajara:

Guajajara Words of Life:

The Bible in Guajajara:
Translation of Bible passages and Christian prayers into Guajajara.

Grupo Tenetehara:
Guajajara language information including a linguistic map of Brazil. Page in Spanish.

House of Languages: Tenetehara:
Information about Tenetehara language usage.

Tenetehara Language Tree:
Theories about Tembe and Guajajara language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Guajajara Language Structures:
Guajajara linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

OLAC: Guajajara:
Reference list of Guajajara language materials.

Guajajara Papers:
Archive of linguistics papers on Guajajara, in English and Spanish.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Endangered Languages Project: Guajajara:
  Bibliography of Guajajara language resources.
  Wikipedia: Tenetehara:
  Encyclopedia articles about the Guajajara/Tenetehara language.
  The Languages of Brazil:
  Articles and links about Brazilian indigenous languages,
  Povo Guajajara

Os Indios Guajajaras:

Lingua Indigena Tenetehara:
Information about the Guajajaras and their language in Portuguese.

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