Akurio (Akuriyó)

Akurio is a Cariban language spoken by 10 people (in 2002) in the southeast of Suriname. First outisde contact with the Akurio tribe, who currently number about 50, was made by a Dutch expedition exploring the border between Suriname and Brazil in 1937. The Akurio live in the villages of Tëpu, Kwamalasamutu and Palumeu and along the Tapanahoni and Sipaliwini rivers. Only a small number of tribal elders speak Akurio, and the majority of tribe speak Tiriyó, a related language.

Akurio is an oral language that is rarely written. When it is written, a version of the Latin alphabet devised by missionaries is used.

Akurio alphabet and pronunciation

Source: http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~saphon/en/inv/Akurio.html

Download an Akurio alphabet chart (Excel)

Sample text

Munete ikëikapa tesemekiempa
Ikëikapa tasameke ikëkapa papa
Ikëikapa pïiyaimë ana-papa
Irame-pa ikëikapa kutu ah

Translation

Angry from the scorpion, go away, I spit you away
Dad, go away, angry, I spit you, go away, I say, father
Evil, go away, I call the pajai who is his father
I am tired, great evil, I say

Details provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Source: van Kempen, Michiel. Een geschiedenis van de Surinaamse literatuur. Deel 2.( (2002)

Links

Information about the Akurio language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akurio_language
http://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_akurio
http://www.ethnologue.com/language/ako/
http://www.native-languages.org/akuriyo.htm

Cariban languages

Akawaio, Akurio, Bakairi, Carib, Carijona, Hixkaryána, Ikpeng, Kapóng, Japreria, Macushi, Panare, Pemon, Tiriyó, Waiwai, Wayana, Yeʼkuana, Yukpa

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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