Kaiwá language
| Kaiwá | |
|---|---|
| Kayova | |
| Native to | Argentina, Brazil |
| Region | Mato Grosso do Sul |
| Ethnicity | Kaiwá |
Native speakers | 18,000 (2003) |
Tupian
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kgk |
| Glottolog | kaiw1246 |
| ELP | Kaiwá |
Extent of the Kaiwá language in the northeast Argentine panhandle shown in teal. | |
Kaiwá is a Guarani language spoken by about 18,000 Kaiwá people in Brazil in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and 510 people in northeastern Argentina. Literacy is 5-10% in Kaiwá and 15–25% in Portuguese. Kaiwá proper is 70% lexically similar with the Pai Tavytera language, and its similarity to its linguistic cousin Guaraní, one of the two national-languages of Paraguay alongside the Spanish language, means it is even sometimes considered mutually intelligible.