El panteón lingüístico chibcha y sus vecinos

Se caracterizan y clasifican cinco lenguas indígenas del Área Intermedia, ya extintas, según la cantidad de los hallazgos sobre su estructura lingüística. En el proceso de extinción de una lengua hay subgrados, dependiendo del material disponible para su estudio, el grado de conocimiento que tengan los descendientes de la comunidad hablante y su deseo de revitalizarla. Según estos criterios, las etapas del proceso de extinción, de menor a mayor gravedad, se representan por las cinco lenguas analizadas de la siguiente manera: boruca, chibcha o muisca, huetar, quepo y suerre.Five extinct indigenous languages of the Intermediate Area are characterized and classified according to findings on their linguistic structure. In the extinction process of a language, there are several categories according to the material available for their study, the amount of knowledge that the descendents of a language community have and their interest in reviving the language. Following these criteria, the stages in the extinction process (from a lesser to a greater extent) are represented, as follows, by the five languages analyzed: Boruca, Chibcha o Muisca, Huetar, Quepo and Suerre.

Evolución morfosintáctica en las lenguas chibchas

Es una descripción de fenómenos evolutivos en la caracterización morfosintáctica de las lenguas boruca, teribe y guaymí, todas de la familia chibcha. Del boruca se estudia la dimensión témporo-aspectual y su evolución a un sistema aspectual en sustitución de uno temporal. El teribe presenta un caso de morfologización en sus relaciones gramaticales derivado del análisis del orden de las palabras. En el guaimí, se da la reorganización como resultado un nuevo patrón de relaciones fundamentales que sigue un esquema de nominativo marcado, en su variante costarricense.A series of evolutive phenomena are described regarding the morphosyntactic characterization of the Chibchan languages Boruca, Teribe and Guaymí. The Boruca case analyzes the temporo-aspectual dimension and its evolution from a temporal system towards an aspectual one. Teribe is examined from the perspective of the morphologization of its grammatical relations derived from an analysis of word order. The Guaymí study shows a reorganization yielding a system of a marked nominative in the fundamental relations of the language, in its Costa Rican variant.

Brúnkahk Tek: An Extinct Language

En Costa Rica hay seis lenguas indígenas reconocidas oficialmente. Cada una de ellas disfruta de una condición diferente en cuanto a sus tradiciones y números de hablantes, entre otras. A pesar de los esfuerzos del gobierno de Costa Rica y otros investigadores desde 1995, las lenguas han enfrentado dificultades a nivel interno y externo, las cuales han resultado en el debilitamiento o inclusive pérdida de las mismas. Esto nos lleva al caso de boruca, una de las lenguas de Costa Rica que puede ahora ser considerada una lengua extinta. Este artículo presenta una descripción general del pueblo boruca, sus tradiciones y sus principales características, y a la vez ofrece al lector una descripción tipológica general de la lengua en la cual se discuten brevemente los rasgos generales de su gramática.In Costa Rica there are six officially recognized indigenous languages. Each enjoys a different condition in terms of its traditions and number of speakers, among others. Despite efforts of the Costa Rican government and other researchers since 1995, the languages have met endogenous and exogenous difficulties that have resulted in the weakening and even loss of the languages. This leads us to what happened to Boruca, one of the indigenous languages of Costa Rica which can now be considered an extinct language. This article presents a general description of the Boruca people, their traditions and main characteristics, and it also introduces the reader to a general typological description of the language where the main features of its grammar are briefly discussed.

Notas sobre la lengua guaymí en Costa Rica

Como aproximación panorámica al estudio actual del guaymí, una de las lenguas de la familia chibcha, es un análisis introductorio de los rasgos gramaticales y tipológicos generales de esa lengua. Previa información de índole antropológica e histórico-cultural, se exponen en forma analítica aspectos sintácticos, sobre la frase verbal, el morfema de negación, el de reflexivización, los sujetos dativos, los objetos directos. Señala algunas tareas pendientes, que suponen un estudio más pormenorizado y extendido.Providing a panoramic view of the present studies of the Guaymí language, one of the Chibchan languages, this is an introductory analysis of the general grammatical and typological features of that language. First, information is given on anthropological, historical and cultural aspects. Then syntactic features are described for the verb phrase, the morpheme for negation, reflexive forms, dative subjects and direct objects. Mention is made of pending tasks requiring a broader and more detailed study.

Maleku: A Culture in Danger of Extinction

This paper is about the Maleku, one of the indigenous languages that is still alive in the country; though the linguistic community that uses it, composed of less than 400 people, tends to reduce rapidly. There is a high risk that in the near future this language will disappear. This paper is the result of a research project that proposes the construction and implementation of learning strategies that would help to include the customs, traditions and the native language of the Malekus in the schools, to strengthen the identity and culture of this Costa Rican indigenous population.The research project includes a brief overview of the history and problems of the indigenous Maleku population, and an analysis on the importance of the language and oral expression. It also makes a review of how the indigenous languages in Costa Rican schools are currently taught. It later includes a diagnosis of the current situation of language from the perspective of different members of the Maleku community. This diagnosis is based on the research conducted and it will facilitate focusing on the integration of the Maleku and rural curriculums. Finally, there are some reflections about the bilingual intercultural education.