Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Kurripako language

Kurripako is an Arawakan language principally of Colombia and Venezuela. There are also a thousand speakers in Brazil.

Last revised
Jun 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
191 w
Citations
9
Source
Kurripako
Native toColombia, Venezuela, Brazil
Ethnicity14,425 Koripako (2001–2014)1
Native speakers
12,000 (2008–2012)2
Arawakan
Dialects
  • Ipeka-Tapuia
Language codes
ISO 639-3kpc
Glottologcurr1243
ELPCurripaco
Kurripako/Curripaco language map

Kurripako (Curripaco, Curripako, Ipeka-Tapuia-Curripako) is an Arawakan language principally of Colombia and Venezuela.3 There are also a thousand speakers in Brazil.

Kurripako forms a dialect continuum with Baniwa, and Aikhenvald (1999)4 considers them to be dialects. (Kaufman (1994) calls Baniwa–Curripako "Karu".5)67

Dialects

Dialects of Baniwa-Kurripako are distinguished by their affirmative 'yes' and negative 'no' forms. These are Aha-Khuri, Ehe-Khenim, Oho-Karo, and Oho-Ñame.6

Syntax

Word order

Kurripako is a verb–object–subject language.6

References

References

  1. "Koripako - Indigenous Peoples in Brazil". pib.socioambiental.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  2. Kurripako at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  3. https://lenguasyliteraturasnativas.caroycuervo.gov.co/introduccion-a-la-lengua-kurripako/
  4. Dixon, R. M. W., ed. (1999). The Amazonian languages. Cambridge language surveys (1. publ ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-57021-3.
  5. Moseley, Christopher; Asher, Ronald E. (1994). Atlas of the world's languages. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-01925-5.
  6. Granadillo, Tania (2014-01-01), Michael, Lev; Granadillo, Tania (eds.), "On Negation in Kurripako Ehe-Khenim", Negation in Arawak Languages, BRILL, pp. 74–85, doi:10.1163/9789004257023_005, ISBN 978-90-04-25702-3, retrieved 2026-05-08{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  7. Cronhamn, Sandra (2025). A grammar of Baniwa classifiers. Lund: Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University. ISBN 978-91-89874-69-5.