title: Tarairiú language
text: # Tarairiú language
  
  Tarairiú (a.k.a. Caratiú) is an extinct and very poorly known language of eastern Brazil. The Tarairiu nation was divided into several tribes: the Janduí, Kanindé, Paiaku (Pajacú, Bajacú), Jenipapo, Jenipabuçu, Javó, Kamaçu, Tukuriju, Ariu, and "Xukuru" / Xacó.
  
  It was once spoken between the Assú River and Apodi River in Rio Grande do Norte.
  
  ## Extinct varieties
  
  Below is a list of extinct Tarairiú language varieties listed by Loukotka (1968), including names of unattested varieties.
  
  * Xoró - once spoken on the Apodi River, state of Rio Grande do Norte.
  * Janduí - once spoken between the Apodi River and Açú River, Rio Grande do Norte.
  * Payacu - once spoken in Rio Grande do Norte in the Serra do Coité, Serra de São Bento and Serra Calabouço between the Jaguaribe River and Apodi River.
  * Panatí - once spoken in the state of Paraíba in the Serra Panatí and near Villaflor.
  * Miñari - once spoken in the valley of the Apodi River, Rio Grande do Norte.
  * Panahi - language of the neighbors of the Miñari tribe, Rio Grande do Norte.
  * Canindé - once spoken at the sources of the Choró River, state of Ceará.
  * Genipapo - Portuguese name of an extinct language on the Choró River.
  * Camamu - once spoken on the Acaraú River, Ceará.
  * Itañá / Baturité - once spoken in the Serra de Baturité, Ceará.
  * Candodú - language of a neighboring tribe of the Jucá, Quixetó and Caratiú.
  * Caratiú - once spoken at the sources of the Poti River and in the valley of the Triá River, Ceará.
  * Camasú - once spoken in Ceará state at the sources of the Acaratí-guasú River
  * Acriú - once spoken on the left bank of the Acaraná River, Ceará.
  * Anasé - spoken in Ceará, on the right bank of the Acaraú River.
  
  ## Classification
  
  The language is attested only through a few word lists. A few words resemble those of neighboring Kariri (and other Macro-Je) and Xukuru languages, but not enough to support a genealogical connection. Kaufman (1994) reports that "not even Greenberg dares classify this language".
  
  ## Vocabulary
  
  Some of the recorded words:
  
  | Gloss | Tarairiú |
  | - | - |
  | 'water' | teu |
  | 'fire' | kiro-kia, intoá |
  | 'stone' | kebra |
  | 'head' | kreká |
  | 'hair' | unj |
  | 'ear' | bandulak |
  | 'eye' | pigó |
  | 'nose' | korõza |
  | 'mouth' | moz |
  | 'tooth' | cidolé |
  | 'hand' | koreké |
  | 'foot' | poyá |
  | 'man' | xenupre |
  | 'woman' | moela, moéça |
  | 'son' | ako |
  | 'house' | sok |
  | 'eat' | kringó |
  | 'sleep' | gonyã |
  
  Resemblances with Macro-Jê languages are in kebra 'stone' (Proto-Je *kɛn), kreká 'head' (*krã), koreké 'hand' (*-ĩkra), and poyá 'foot' (*par). Resemblances with Xukuru are kiro- 'fire' (Xukuru kiyo), kringó 'eat' (kringgo 'feed'), sok 'house' (šekh).
  
  Loukotka (1968) gives three words in Tarairiú:
  
  * agh 'sun'
  * kén 'stone'
  * ake 'tobacco'
  
  For a more extensive vocabulary list of Tarairiú by de Souza (2009), see the corresponding Portuguese article.
  
  ## Lexical comparison
  
  An alternative list of Tarairiú words compared with "Jê" dialects and Cariri, compiled by the Paraíba historian José Elias Barbosa Borges, is given in Medeiros (1999):
  
      Portuguese gloss (original)English gloss (translated)TarairiúJê dialectsCariri águawaterkaiténkodzu cabeçaheadkrekákrãtçambu cabelohairunjsundü casahousesekriikrécrá comereatkringókhremami dormirsleepgon-yánogonuni filhosonakoikrainhurae fogofirekiró, kiakorru, kuwiisu mãohandkorekebkhramüsã mulherwomankrippómprom, pikotidzi nariznosesikrinkhranaembi olhoeyeaçontodo orelhaearbandulakmpakbenhé péfootpoiáparbü
  