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Kalipuna Indian Language (Island Carib, Kalinago)

Kalipuna is an extinct language of the Caribbean, once spoken in the Lesser Antilles Islands (particularly Dominica.) Although Kalipuna speakers were known as Island Caribs, the language itself is Arawakan -- the Kalipuna tribe was a mixed community, in which most of the men were Carib but most of the women were Arawaks, and the Arawakan language was the one used in everyday life (the Carib language of the men survived as a ritual language.)

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Kalipuna Language Resources

Kalipuna Vocabulary:
    Our list of vocabulary words in the Kalipuna language, with comparison to words in other Arawak languages.
La Lengua Kaliphuna:
    Island Carib language information including a linguistic map of the Antilles. Page in Spanish.
Karifuna (Island Carib):
    Karifuna language information from Indigenous Languages of the Caribbean.
Island Carib Language:
    Demographic information on Kaliphuna from the Ethnologue of Languages.
Kalhíphona Language Tree:
    Theories about Kalhipona's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Kalipuna Culture and History Links

Callinago Culture:
    Article on the Island Carib people, their history and lifestyle.
Carib of Dominica:
    Articles on the history and traditions of the Garifuna and Island Carib people.

Books for sale on the Kalhiponas
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

Cannibal Encounters: Europeans and Island Caribs:
    History of the colonization of the Antilles.
Remnants of Conquest: The Island Caribs and Their Visitors:
    Interesting ethnography of the Calipona people today..
Indian Books:
    Evolving list of books about Native Americans in general.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Wikipedia: Kalinago:
  Encyclopedia articles on the Island Caribs and their language.
  Territorio Kalinago: los sobrevivientes del Caribe: * Los Kalinagos:
  Information about the Kalinago people in Spanish.



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