Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Bahuana language

Bahuana, or Shiriana, is an Arawakan language most closely related to Manao and Kariaí, once spoken by the Shiriana people of Roraima, Brazil. It had an active–stative syntax.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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203 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Bahuana
Shiriana, Chiriana, Xiriâna
Bahwana
Pronunciation[baɸuana]1
Native toBrazil
EthnicityShiriana people
Extinctc. 20002
Arawakan
  • Central
    • Bahuanaic3
      • Bahuana
Language codes
ISO 639-3xir
Glottologxiri1243

Bahuana (Bahwana), or Shiriana (Xiriâna, Chiriana), is an Arawakan language most closely related to Manao and Kariaí,4 once spoken by the Shiriana people of Roraima, Brazil. It had an active–stative syntax.5

Phonology

Bahuana consonant phonemes1
Bilabial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t c k ʔ ⟨'⟩
voiced b d ɟ
Fricative ɸ ts s ɕ ⟨x⟩ h
Nasal m n ɲ ⟨ñ⟩
Liquid w ɺ ⟨r⟩ j ⟨y⟩ ɻ ⟨R⟩
Bahuana vowel phonemes
Front Back
unrounded rounded
High i ɨ u
Low e a

Vocabulary

Bahuana basic vocabulary1
Bahuana gloss
hɨɻa(tsɨ) blood
nikɨsaɨ heart
saɨ penis
(saba)taɨ vulva
taɨda skin
kiwici hair
kutabetsa
ciɲuma beard
tia excrement
kiwida head
naukɨsaɨ eye
kirina nose
numada mouth
ninima(da) tongue
References

References

  1. Ramirez, Henri (1992). "Le Bahuana: une nouvelle langue de la famille arawak" (PDF). Amerindia. 17 supplement 1. ISSN 0221-8852.
  2. Ramirez, Henry (2001-01-31). Linguas Arawak Da Amazonia Setentrional (in Brazilian Portuguese). Fua. ISBN 978-85-7401-084-7.
  3. "Glottolog 5.2 - Xiriâna". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  4. Ramirez, Henri; França, Maria Cristina Victorino de (2019-09-23). "Línguas Arawak da Bolívia". LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas. 19: e019012. doi:10.20396/liames.v19i0.8655045. ISSN 2177-7160.
  5. Aikhenvald, "Arawak", in Dixon & Aikhenvald, eds., The Amazonian Languages, 1999.