Culle
Culli, Kulyi
Native toPeru
RegionLa Libertad, Cajamarca (Cajabamba), Ancash (Pallasca)
Extinctmid-20th century?
unclassified
(Hibito–Cholon?)
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
Glottologcull1235

Culle, also spelled Culli, Cullí, or Kulyi, is a poorly attested extinct language of the Andean highlands of northern Peru. It is the original language of the highlands of La Libertad Region, the south of the Cajamarca Region (Cajabamba), and the north of the Ancash region (Pallasca and Bolognesi[1]). It is known through various word lists collected while the language was still spoken and through vocabulary loaned into the Spanish spoken in the region.[2]

Flores Reyna (1996) reports that Culli was spoken by at least one family in the town of Tauca, Pallasca Province, Ancash region, until the middle of the 20th century. While it appears that Culli has been displaced in its whole range by Spanish, the possibility of speakers remaining in some remote village cannot be ruled out altogether.[3]

Culli was the language spoken in the territory of at least three Pre-Inca cultures or dominions: The kingdom of Konchuko (Conchucos), in the north of the Ancash region; the kingdom of Wamachuko (Huamachuco), in the highlands of La Libertad region; and Culli was spoken at least in the southern part of the kingdom of Kuismanko (Cuismanco), in the south of the Cajamarca region.

Classification

Because it is poorly attested, it has not been possible to definitively classify Culle.

Jolkesky (2016) also notes that there are lexical similarities with Leco.[4]

Vocabulary

What little is known of the Culle language consists mostly of vocabulary. A sample list of words is given by Loutkotka (1968); some of these are presented here:[5]

  • ahhi – woman
  • pič – bird
  • čallua – fish
  • ču – head
  • čukuáll – heart
  • mai – foot
  • koñ, goñ – water
  • kumú – drink
  • mú – fire
  • sú – sun
  • múñ – moon
  • urú – tree
  • usú – man

A more extensive word list from Loukotka (1949) is given below:[6]

Notes
  • (Sp.) = Spanish loanword (excluded)
Sources used by Loukotka (1949)
French gloss
(original)
English gloss
(translated)
Kulli (Martínez Compañón)Kulli (Gonzales)comparisons
animalanimal(Sp.)
arbretreeurú
boiredrinkkumúKolan: kum
chandellecandleninaKechua: nina
boiswoodguro
bois à brûlerfirewoodpišoče
chapeauhatmuntua
chiendogkorep
cielsky(Sp.)
cœurheartčukuáll
corpsbody(Sp.)
couneckuro
couvertureblanketmaiko
douleurpainpillač
eauwaterkoñgoñ
étoilesstarsčuipSechura: chúpchúp
femmewomanahhi
feufire
filledaughterahhi ogóll(see femme)
filssonusu ogóll(see homme)
fleurflowerčučúHibito: chukchum
fleuveriveruram
frèrebrotherkimit
fruitfruithuakohu
gaihappykuhi
herbegrasspaihakchimú: pey
hommemanusúKatakao: aszat
lunemoonmúñ
mainhandpui
mangereatmiú
mangeur de painbread eaterhuiku-vana
merseakida
mèremothermamáKechua: mama
mortdeadkoní
ohé!hey!čo
oiseaubirdpičuñpičonKechua: pisku
ondeswaveskóñpulkasúsee eau
osbonemoskár
painbreadvana
pèrefatherkinú
piedfootmai
pleurercryakasúHibito: atzakem
pluierainkau
poissonfishčalluaKechua: challua
poulechickenguallpeKechua: atahuallpa
rameaubranchurú sagars
régnerreignkankiá
sandalessandalsmaivilsee pied
sœursisterkañi
soleilsun
terreearthpús
têteheadču
tronctrunkmukh-kusgá
ventwindlluká
ventrebellyodre
viandemeatayča

References

  1. Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
  2. Adelaar, William F.H.; Pieter C. Muysken (2004). The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 401–405. ISBN 0-521-36275-X.
  3. Adelaar, 1988
  4. Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho de Valhery (2016). Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas (Ph.D. dissertation) (2 ed.). Brasília: University of Brasília.
  5. Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian Languages. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center. pp. 63–65.
  6. Loukotka, Čestmír. 1949. Sur Quelques Langues Inconnues de l'Amerique du Sud. Lingua Posnaniensis I: 53-82.
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