Macro-Paesan languages
Encyclopedia
Macro-Paesan is a proposal linking several small families and language isolate
s of northwest South America. Kaufman (2007) proposes the structure at the right. Paez–Barbacoan is commonly proposed; Kunza–Kapixana was a more provisional suggestion, and Kunza has since turned out to be an isolate.
Language isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
s of northwest South America. Kaufman (2007) proposes the structure at the right. Paez–Barbacoan is commonly proposed; Kunza–Kapixana was a more provisional suggestion, and Kunza has since turned out to be an isolate.