Nheengatu language
| Nheengatu | |
|---|---|
| Modern Tupi | |
| nhẽẽgatú, yẽgatu, nheẽgatu | |
| Pronunciation | [ɲɛʔɛ̃ŋaˈtu] |
| Native to | Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela |
Native speakers | 19,000 (2004–2008) |
Tupian
| |
Early form | Old Tupi (Amazonian General Language)
|
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Brazil (São Gabriel da Cachoeira and Monsenhor Tabosa) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | yrl |
| Glottolog | nhen1239 |
| ELP | Nheengatú |
The Nheengatu or Nenhengatu language (Tupi: [ɲɛʔɛ̃ŋaˈtu], Nheengatu from Rio Negro: yẽgatu, Traditional Nheengatu: nhẽẽgatú, and Tapajoawaran Nheengatu: nheẽgatu), or Nenhengatu, also known as Modern Tupi: 13 and Amazonic Tupi, is a Tupi–Guarani language. It is spoken throughout the Rio Negro region among the Baniwa, Baré and Warekena peoples, mainly in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira and the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
Since 2002, it has been one of the state's official languages, along with Baníwa, Yepá-masã, and Portuguese. Outside of the Rio Negro region, the Nheengatu Language has more dispersed speakers in the Baixo Amazonas region (in the state of Amazonas), among the Sateré-Mawé, Maraguá and Mura people. There in the Baixo Tapajós and the state of Pará, it is being revitalized by the people of the region, such as the Borari and the Tupinambá, and also among the riverside dwellers themselves.
Currently, three linguistic variants are spoken by approximately 20,060 people in Brazil: that of the Rio Negro region, called Yẽgatu; that of the Baixo Amazonas, known as traditional Nheengatú; and that of the Baixo Rio Tapajós, or Nheengatu tapajoawara. Furthermore, variants outside of Brazil exist, including Ñeengatu in Venezuela and Nyengatu in Colombia.