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Mapoyo, a Carib language of Venezuela with only one native language speaker, is very close to becoming dormant. Recent interest in the revitalisation of the language has led to classes being imparted in the elementary school and to teachers trying to learn the language and to reinforce it in the school. However, in 2013 when there were 3 speakers left, variation within and among them has led to uncertainty among the language learners which in turn has led to diminishing use. I argue, based on observations in the community and interviews with the teachers, that a 'standard language ideology' is putting Mapoyo language revitalisation at risk and that therefore any revitalisation project needs to address ideological domains as well as pragmatic concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two participles referred to in the title (one a perfective, the other aspectually unmarked) occur as complements of finite verbs, as if they were nominals. At the same time, they still betray their verbal origin by having nominal complements themselves. Also, they are used as modifiers within the Carib noun phrase, as if they were adjectives. Because these two nonfinite verbs thus share parts of their systems with nouns, with verbs, and with adjectives. [ prefer to call them by the traditional name of "participle" and to eschew the term "nominalization"--even though the latter is widely accepted (see Carlin 2004:351, Derbyshire 1985:38, Gildea 1998:123. and Meira 1999:565). This paper has a double purpose, One is purely descriptive. Cariban linguistics needs careful and detailed descriptions of the complex sentence in all of the family's languages, and I considered it my duty to do my part for Carib (Gildea [forthcoming:sec. 5]). Second, close attention to descriptive detail unavoidably forced me into a modicum of theoretical discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speakers of Kalapalo, a Southern Carib language spoken in central Brazil, use a complex set of grammatical particles to reference epistemic judgments. Using data from narratives, hereditary leader's ritual communication, ritual songs, conversations, and didactic speech, I use deictic and stance concepts to understand the semantics of this system. A focus on discursive practice illustrates how various intersubjective stance processes are foregrounded by epistemic marking. The paper concludes with discussion of issues requiring further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a study evaluating the agreement of the available genetic data with the alternatives proposed by the eminent linguists for the relationships among the four most important lowland South American native language families, namely, Maipure, Carib, Tupi, and Ge. Comparison of different sets of markers to unravel the past of human populations is an established procedure in both anthropology and genetics. Therefore, it is only natural that evolutionary geneticists have turned to linguistics to evaluate the population relationships that they have been obtaining with genetic markers. Quantitative genetic-linguistic population comparisons have been conducted for some three decades. There is no consensus among linguists about the relationships among South American Indian languages. The classification of the languages presents several difficulties. In comparing the people of these four language families, it is important to verify that they do not significantly differ in relation to interethnic admixture. Despite these differences, there are factors common to linguistic and genetic evolution that are responsible for the congruence observed in many cases.

Examines configurationality and nonconfigurationality in the Carib language of Surinam. Examination of finite verbs and its arguments; Activity hierarchy obtaining between the nominals; Descriptive facts about the active voice of the finite verb.