Awa-Cuaiquer language
Encyclopedia
Awa or Awa pit, also known as Cuaiquer, is a Barbacoan language spoken in northwestern South America
.
It has 21,000 speakers nearly all in the Colombia
n Pacific slopes, with 1,000 speakers in an adjacent area of Ecuador
. Most males also speak Spanish
; however, children and females are predominantly monolingual.
Literacy is less than 1% in their native language, and under 5% are literate in the secondary Spanish language.
The language uses the subject-object-verb structure and uses the Latin alphabet
.
In Colombia variations of the name include: Coaiquer, Quaiquer, Kwaiker, Awa, Awa Pit, and Cuaiquer; in Ecuador its is also known as Awa, Awapit, and Cuaiquer.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
It has 21,000 speakers nearly all in the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n Pacific slopes, with 1,000 speakers in an adjacent area of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Most males also speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; however, children and females are predominantly monolingual.
Literacy is less than 1% in their native language, and under 5% are literate in the secondary Spanish language.
The language uses the subject-object-verb structure and uses the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
.
In Colombia variations of the name include: Coaiquer, Quaiquer, Kwaiker, Awa, Awa Pit, and Cuaiquer; in Ecuador its is also known as Awa, Awapit, and Cuaiquer.