Payagua, also spelled Payawa, is an extinct language isolate formerly spoken in Paraguay and Argentina by the Payagua people. It became extinct in 1942 with the death of its last known speaker, Maria Dominga Miranda. Scholars disagree over its wider affiliation: it has been proposed as a member of the Mataco-Guaicuru languages or of a broader Macro-Guaicuruan grouping, while other researchers treat it as a true isolate with no demonstrated relatives.
Facts
Disputed
Proto-Language StatusNo proto-language; classified as a language isolate 1 Campbell (2012) treats it as an isolate; other scholars have proposed Mataco-Guaicuru or Macro-Guaicuruan affiliations. Speaker Count In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Payagua language, Wikipedia
Lead section, first sentence
formerly spoken in Paraguay and Argentina by the Payagua
Infobox, Extinct field
Extinct 1942, with the death of Maria Dominga Miranda
Classification section
However, Campbell (2012) classifies Payagua as a language isolate.
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