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Xipaya Indian Language (Shipaya, Sipaia)

Language: Xipaya is a Tupian language of Brazil. Although it is frequently spelled Shipaya or Chipaya, it should not be confused with the Bolivian language Chipaya, which is an unrelated Uru-Chipayan language. The Xipaya language is no longer natively spoken, as the people were forced to leave their traditional lands in the 1950's and they subsequently switched to using Portuguese. However, there are still elders living today who remember some words of the language.

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Names: "Xipaya" is the tribe's own name for themselves, meaning "bamboo people" in the Xipaya language. It has been spelled many different ways over the years including Xipáya, Xipaia, Xipaiá, Shipaya, Shipaja, Chipaya, Achipaya, Achipaye, Axipai, Acypoia, Achupaya, Jacipoya, Juacipoia, Jacypoia, Jacypuiá, Juvipuyá, Sipaia, and Sipáia.

Xipaya Language

Xipaya language samples and resources.

Xipaya Culture and History

Information and links about the Xipaya tribe past and present.

Xipaya Language Resources

Our Online Xipaya Materials

Xipaya Words
Our list of vocabulary words in the Xipaya language.

Xipaya Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Indians of the Eastern Amazon:
Map showing the region where the Shipaya language was spoken in Brazil.

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

Vocabulário dos índios Chipaya

Vocabulario Xipaia:
Portuguese-Xipaya wordlists.

La Lengua Shipaya:
Information on Xipaya including a linguistic map of Brazil. Page in Spanish.

Xipaya Language:
Demographic information on Xipaya from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Wikipedia: Xipaya:
Encyclopedia article on the Xipaya language.

Xipaya Language Tree:
Theories about Xipaya's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Reviving Brazil's indigenous languages:
News article about language revival efforts in the Xipaya tribe.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Endangered Languages Project: Xipaya:
  Bibliography of Xipaya language resources.
  OLAC: Xipaya:
  Reference list of Xipaya language materials.
  Povo Xipaya

Cultura y lingua Xipaya

Os Chipayas:
Information about the Xipayas in Portuguese.

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