Pankararú language

Pankararú
Brancararu
Native toBrazil
RegionPernambuco, Alagoas
EthnicityPankararú, ?Pankararé
Extinctafter 1960s
Dialects
  • Pankararú
  • ?Pankararé
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
paz  Pankararú
pax  Pankararé
Glottologpank1250  Pankararu
pank1235  Pankarare
Map of Atikum and Pankará peoples and languages

Pankararú (Pancaré, Pankaré, Pancaru, Pankaruru, Pankarará, Pankaravu, Pankaroru, Pankarú, Brancararu) is an extinct language, probably a language isolate, of eastern Brazil. There are 6,000 ethnic Pankararú, but they all speak Portuguese. In 1961, only two elders could remember anything of the language. Today, they live in Brejo dos Padres and other villages of Tacaratu, Pernambuco State. The language was originally spoken between the Moxotó River and the Pajeú River.

In the 19th century the people split into two ethnic groups, the Pankararú and the Pankararé. One quarter of the Pankararé retain their traditional religion. Their language, however, is unattested, and can only be assumed to be a dialect of Pankararu.