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Guinao Indian Language (Inao, Guiano)
Guinao is an extinct Arawakan language of South America, once spoken in
southern Venezuela. It is closely related to the still-living Bare language.
Few records remain of the Guinao language.
Like other small Arawakan tribes of southern Venezuela, the Guinao people were displaced in the 1800's by exploitative merchants and
merged with larger tribes, where their language quickly vanished.
Alternate spellings of their tribal names have included Guinau, Guinaú, Winao, Ginao, Guiano, Quinhau, Guinare, and Inao.
They are believed to have been the same people as the Temomoyamo or Temomeyeme, though due to the displacement of the
indigenous people in this region it's no longer known whether these were two different names for the same tribe or two related but distinct
Arawakan bands.
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Guinao Words:
Our list of vocabulary words in the Guinao language with their meaning in English.
Guiano Language Tree:
Theories about Guinao's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Guinao Cultural Objects:
Museum exhibit with photographs of Guinao artifacts.
Books for sale on the Guinaus
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Comparative Arawakan Histories: Rethinking Language Family and Culture Area in Amazonia:
Anthropology book on the Guinau and other Arawakan tribes of the Amazon.
Native American Indian Books:
Evolving online list of books about Native Americans in general.
Links, References, and Additional Information
La Lengua Ginao:
Information about the Guinao language in Spanish.
Wikipedia: Upper Amazon Maipurean:
Encyclopedia article on the Maipurean language family, including Guarequena.
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