Tupian is one of the largest indigenous language families of South America, with its languages historically spoken across a wide swath of Brazil and parts of Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Its best known branch is Tupi-Guarani, whose member Guarani remains an official language of Paraguay and is spoken by several million people.
Facts
RegionSouth America; Rodrigues (2007) situates the Proto-Tupian homeland in the Madeira River basin (modern Rondonia, Brazil) 1 Proto-Language StatusRodrigues (2007) reconstructs a Proto-Tupian language dating to around 3,000 BC, with a probable homeland between the Guapore and Aripuana rivers in the Madeira River basin. 1 Partially Attested
Speaker CountConfirmed: Guarani, one of about 70 Tupian languages, has seven million speakers. Open: the family total across all Tupian languages is not summed in this source. In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Tupian Languages
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first paragraph
The Tupi or Tupian language family comprises some 70 languages spoken in South America, of which the best known are Tupi proper and Guarani.
Homeland section
Rodrigues believes the Proto-Tupian language dates back to around 3,000 BC.
Wikipedia, Tupian languages, section History members and classification, Guarani speaker count
Today, Guarani has seven million speakers, and is one of the official languages of Paraguay.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.