Andoque is a language spoken by a few hundred Andoque people in Colombia, classified as a language isolate and sometimes labeled Andoque-Urequena in family-level schemes. Speakers numbered about 10,000 in 1908, falling to 370 a century later, of whom at most 50 are monolingual; the remaining speakers live in four residential areas near the Anduche River, downstream from Araracuara, in Solano, Caqueta, Colombia, and most have shifted to Spanish.
Facts
RegionSpoken by the Andoque people in four residential areas along the Anduche River, downstream from Araracuara, Solano, Caqueta, Colombia; no longer spoken in Peru. 1 Speaker CountDown from 10,000 speakers in 1908; at most 50 of the 370 are monolingual. The Andoque ethnic population was 820 in the 2018 census. Proto-Language StatusUsually treated as a language isolate (Richard Aschmann and others). Kaufman (2007) tentatively includes it in a Bora-Witotoan stock as part of the Witotoan family, a minority view. 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Andoque Language (Language Article)
WikipediaLead section, first paragraph
The remaining speakers live in four residential areas in the region of the Anduche River, downstream from Araracuara, Solano, Caquetá, Colombia
Classification section, second paragraph
Kaufman's (2007) Bora-Witótoan stock includes Andoque in the Witótoan family, but other linguists, such as Richard Aschmann, consider Andoque an isolate.
Lead section, first paragraph, speaker figures
There were 10,000 speakers in 1908, down to 370 a century later, of which at most 50 are monolingual.
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.