Kanoê, also called Kapishana or Kapixaná, is a nearly extinct language isolate of Rondônia, Brazil, spoken by the Kanoê people along the Guaporé River in the state's southeast. As of the early 2010s only about 5 speakers remained among a Kanoê population of roughly 319, with most community members having shifted to Portuguese or other indigenous languages through intermarriage. Various scholars have proposed connections to the Nambikwaran family or to the neighboring isolates Kwaza and Aikanã, but the evidence for any of these relationships remains insufficient, so Kanoê is classified as having no established genetic relationship to any other known language.
Facts
Disputed
Proto-Language StatusToo poorly attested to classify for decades; a 2004 detailed description by Laercio Bacelar established it as a language isolate. Van der Voort (2005) finds similarities with Kwaza and Aikana but judges the evidence too weak for a demonstrated family; others have proposed unconfirmed links to Nambikwaran or Kunza. 1 RegionSpoken by the Kanoe (Kapishana) people of southeastern Rondonia, Brazil, mainly along the Guapore River. 1 Speaker CountOut of a Kanoe ethnic population of about 319; most now speak Portuguese or other indigenous languages. In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Kanoê Language
Wikimedia FoundationClassification section
Although Kanoê is generally considered to be a language isolate, there have been various proposals linking it with other languages and language families.
Lead paragraph
The Kanoê people, although disperse in the southeastern part of the state of Rondônia, live mainly along the Guaporé River.
Lead paragraph, speaker-count clause
It is nearly extinct, with only 5 speakers in a population of about 319 Kanoê people.
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