The Ecuadorian Amazon has the greatest biodiversity on the planet, as well as approximately 14 different nationalities and 22 unique communities. Each community stands out for its own language. In this context, we are going to do a brief review of the most important dialects and explore their meaning. To delve deeper into the culture of the Amazon.
Language progress
Historically, the indigenous nations of Ecuador have managed to get the Political Constitution of the Republic to recognize bilingual intercultural education as a vital collective right rooted in languages and cultures. They have also created an educational process of human growth based on the ancestral wisdom of indigenous peoples and diverse cultures from around the world.
Main Amazonian languages in Ecuador
A’ingae
The A’i Cofan nationality proudly owns this language. The etymology shows that A’i signifies a person or people. In the province of Sucumbíos, you can find a vibrant community of 600 to 800 people, nestled between the Aguarico and San Miguel rivers. Regarding their dialect, it seems to exist; however, confirmation remains elusive. It features four oral vowels, four nasal vowels, and an impressive twenty-seven consonants!
Kayap
The Zápara nationality speaks this language. It is found just to the north of the province of Pastaza. The communities include Llanchamacocha, Mazaramu, Jandiayacu, Cuyacocha and Balsaura. Experts estimate that around 700 people belong to this nationality.
Research indicates that their language was originally Kayapi; however, it has now become Zápara. The writing system of this community has 17 letters that include nasal vowels.
Paikoka or Baikoka
The Pai (redwoods) and the Bai (Siona) unite two nationalities that share the same language. They have five vibrant communities, with around 400 to 500 inhabitants for the Siona and 700 for the Secoya nationality. They live along the Aguarico and Cuyabeno rivers. Two nationalities united by one language! Their differences arise in the dialect and the writing, as their alphabet has six oral vowels, six nasal vowels and fifteen consonants.
Kichwa / Runashimi language
The Kichwa, a vibrant nationality spanning a significant portion of the Amazon region, boasts around two hundred thousand inhabitants across 438 communities. You can find them thriving in the provinces of Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo, and Pastaza. This nationality speaks Kichwa, which includes dialects from the Amazonian region, the Bobonaza River, Tena, and Tiputini.
Its wording establishes that the alphabet consists of 18 to 21 letters, depending on the region in which they reside. It has no irregular verbs. There is a single conjugation model for all verbs.
Aentschicham language
The Shuar, Achuar and Shiwiar nations speak this language, which thrives in the vibrant regions of Zamora Chinchipe, Morona Santiago and Pastaza. Recently, groups have emerged in Napo, Sucumbíos and several coastal provinces. This language has interesting dialects, such as Achuar and Shiwiar, together with Shuar-Chicham, which translates as “language of the individual”. In the regions bordering Peru, the Achuar language thrives, especially in the provinces of Morona Santiago and Pastaza.
As for its writing, its alphabet consists of 25 letters, and its intonation varies according to the vowels and the short or long nasal letters.
Safeguarding the intangible heritage of each language
In such a globalized world, the language or languages of communities come under debate due to their existence and to factors such as displacement (migration), historical documents or environmental impact. They cause a loss of cultural value and do not constitute a natural identity value for the peoples living in the Amazon.
Therefore, to protect this and other heritages that communities have, it is assertive to promote sustainable projects to intertwine knowledge and strengthen linguistic diversity.
Language of each culture
Language forms part of a set of oral expressions that are part of the history and identity of communities. For this reason, in order to protect them, it is necessary to carry out activities involving processes: tourism, science and research. In this way, it can be passed on from generation to generation and safeguarded for the future.
