Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Hodï–Saliban languages

Jodï–Saliban is a proposed language family of South America, uniting the Hodï, Piaroa–Saliban, and possibly Betoi–Jirara languages and language families. Marcelo Jolkesky (2016) adds Ticuna–Yuri to the proposal, creating a proposal he calls Duho; he had previously connected Andoque to the grouping in a Macro-Daha family.

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Jul 23, 2026
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Hodï–Saliban
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution		Northwestern Amazon
Linguistic classificationProposed as one of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologjodi1234  retired

Jodï–Saliban is a proposed language family of South America, uniting the Hodï, Piaroa–Saliban, and possibly Betoi–Jirara languages and language families. Marcelo Jolkesky (2016) adds Ticuna–Yuri to the proposal, creating a proposal he calls Duho; he had previously connected Andoque to the grouping in a Macro-Daha family.1

Zamponi (2017) concludes that the similarities between Saliban and Hodɨ appear to be due to contact, but that a distant genealogical relationship between Betoi and Sáliban is plausible though not demonstrated. He does not address Ticuna–Yuri.2

Prehistory

Jolkesky (2016) suggests that the homeland of Proto-Duho was in the Serranía de Chiribiquete.3: 590 

Language contact

Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with Chibchan languages due to contact, which may point to the earlier presence of Chibchan speakers in the Orinoco basin.3: 325 

Classification

Internal classification of the Duho language family by Jolkesky (2016):3

Pronouns

Jolkesky's Duho languages have shared forms in *ʧ for "I", *kʷ for "you" and *t for "we", which are found in all languages.

language I thou he she we they
Ticuna ʧò- ku- dĩ- ɡĩ- /i- tò- ta-́
Yuri tshuu wikú di - too -
Saliba ʧ- ũku, kʷ- Ø-, i-, -di x-, -x t- h-
Piaroa ʧ(u)- (u)ku, kʷ- Ø-, -de hʷ-, -h t(u)- tʰ(a)-
Wirö ʧ(V)- ɯkʷɯ, kʷ(V)- Ø- h(V)-, -h d(V)-, -dɯtʰɯ tʰ(V)-
Hodi ʰtæ ʰkæ dæ - ʰtai hai
Betoi–Jirara r(u)- uhu, h(u)- Ø-, -ri Ø- r-, -nuto ?

Lexicon

Several basic words in Duho languages appear to be related. The following examples are given, with further parallels in Sape:

language tree mouth head hair path eat spirit offspring breast who what
Ticuna dãi àː èrú ʧi bã̀ ɡõ̀ː ã́ẽ̀ dẽ́ biĩ́ tèẽ́ tàː
Yuri noi i à gerühó ii -mó - - o nné - - -
Saliba - aha iʤu - maa(-na) ikua õãĩ nẽ(-ẽ) omixe ã-diha ã-daha
Piaroa dawi æ u(-ju) -ʦˀe mæ(-næ) ku ãẽ ĩtʰĩ ami di dæhe
Wirö towi a u; -ʤu -ˀʤe ma(-na) ku(-õ) - ĩtʰĩ omu ti tahi
Hodi ʰtawɯ a ʰtu - ma(-na); -ma ʰku-õ ãwẽ(-no) ĩni me(e) - -
(Sape) tapa itu koyanukú, moynaku pa mu ko/ku - katona wi pante pemente
References

References

  1. Jolkesky, Marcelo. 2009. Macro-Daha: reconstrução de um tronco lingüístico do noroeste amazônico. ROSAE - I Congresso Internacional de Lingüística Histórica, 26–29 July 2009.
  2. Zamponi, Raoul. 2017 (2018). Betoi-Jirara, Sáliban, and Hodɨ: relationships among three linguistic lineages of the mid-Orinoco region. Anthropological Linguistics 59: 263-321.
  3. Jolkesky, M. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas. Brasilia: UnB. PhD Dissertation.