Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 18, 2026

Matanau language

Matanau is an extinct Tupian language of the Mondé group, formerly spoken at the mouth of the Aripuanã River. It is solely documented by an 1829 wordlist by Johann Natterer. It is very similar to Kabanaé, which was spoken in the same region.

Last revised
Jul 18, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
151 w
Citations
3
Source
Matanau
Native toBrazil
RegionAripuanã River
EthnicityMatanau
Eraattested 1829
Tupian
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
GlottologNone
suru1262  Suruí

Matanau is an extinct Tupian language of the Mondé group, formerly spoken at the mouth of the Aripuanã River.1 It is solely documented by an 1829 wordlist by Johann Natterer. It is very similar to Kabanaé, which was spoken in the same region.2

Vocabulary

Matanau vocabulary1
gloss Matanau
cotton a-kum-ziri
mouth un-go
head un-ndara
star zoikab
fire mukaen
sister ambooi
lake ikara
moon gate-gat
axe dabe-ʔaa
tree iipui
wood iib
hand mabé
corn meek
eye un-za-kaba
jaguar meko
ear un-debipe
foot bi-peːa
stone caa
fish bolib
white-lipped peccary bebe
fox awlöü
river ikabe
blood un-sziri
sun gat
tobacco manʃo
sand a-ngiira
vulture uikuu
References

References

  1. Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília.
  2. Adelaar, Willem F. H.; Brijnen, Hélène B. (2014). "Natterer's Linguistic Heritage". In Weltmuseum Wien Friends (ed.). Archiv 63-64. ISBN 978-3-643-99824-8.