Interpreting mismatches between linguistic and genetic patterns among speakers of Tanimuka (Eastern Tukanoan) and Yukuna (Arawakan)

Leonardo Arias; Nicholas Q. Emlen; Sietze Norder; Nora Julmi; Magdalena Lemus Serrano; Thiago Chacon; Jurriaan Wiegertjes; Austin Howard; Matheus C. B. C. Azevedo; Allison Caine; Saskia Dunn; Mark Stoneking; Rik Van Gijn

doi:10.1098/rsfs.2022.0056

Interpreting mismatches between linguistic and genetic patterns among speakers of Tanimuka (Eastern Tukanoan) and Yukuna (Arawakan)

Leonardo Arias^*, Nicholas Q. Emlen, Sietze Norder, Nora Julmi, Magdalena Lemus Serrano, Thiago Chacon, Jurriaan Wiegertjes, Austin Howard, Matheus C. B. C. Azevedo, Allison Caine, Saskia Dunn, Mark Stoneking, Rik Van Gijn

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Northwestern Amazonia is home to a great degree of linguistic diversity, and the human societies in that region are part of complex networks of interaction that predate the arrival of Europeans. This study investigates the population and language contact dynamics between two languages found within this region, Yukuna and Tanimuka, which belong to the Arawakan and Tukanoan language families, respectively. We use evidence from linguistics, ethnohistory, ethnography and population genetics to provide new insights into the contact dynamics between these and other human groups in NWA. Our results show that the interaction between these groups intensified in the last 500 years, to the point that it is difficult to differentiate between them genetically. However, this close interaction has led to more substantial contact-induced language changes in Tanimuka than in Yukuna, consistent with a scenario of language shift and asymmetrical power relations.

Original language	English
Article number	20220056
Number of pages	15
Journal	Interface Focus
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2022.0056
Publication status	Published - Feb 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by funds from the European Research Council (grant agreement no. 818854-SAPPHIRE) and the Max-Planck-Society. L.A. was supported by funds from the Max-Planck-Society through a postdoctoral position. Acknowledgements

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors.

Keywords

Amazonia
ethnography
genetic admixture
human population history
language change
language contact

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rsfs.2022.0056Final published version, 1.15 MBLicence: CC BY

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Arias, L., Emlen, N. Q., Norder, S., Julmi, N., Lemus Serrano, M., Chacon, T., Wiegertjes, J., Howard, A., Azevedo, M. C. B. C., Caine, A., Dunn, S., Stoneking, M., & Van Gijn, R. (2023). Interpreting mismatches between linguistic and genetic patterns among speakers of Tanimuka (Eastern Tukanoan) and Yukuna (Arawakan). Interface Focus, 13(1), Article 20220056. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2022.0056

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abstract = "Northwestern Amazonia is home to a great degree of linguistic diversity, and the human societies in that region are part of complex networks of interaction that predate the arrival of Europeans. This study investigates the population and language contact dynamics between two languages found within this region, Yukuna and Tanimuka, which belong to the Arawakan and Tukanoan language families, respectively. We use evidence from linguistics, ethnohistory, ethnography and population genetics to provide new insights into the contact dynamics between these and other human groups in NWA. Our results show that the interaction between these groups intensified in the last 500 years, to the point that it is difficult to differentiate between them genetically. However, this close interaction has led to more substantial contact-induced language changes in Tanimuka than in Yukuna, consistent with a scenario of language shift and asymmetrical power relations.",

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author = "Leonardo Arias and Emlen, {Nicholas Q.} and Sietze Norder and Nora Julmi and {Lemus Serrano}, Magdalena and Thiago Chacon and Jurriaan Wiegertjes and Austin Howard and Azevedo, {Matheus C. B. C.} and Allison Caine and Saskia Dunn and Mark Stoneking and {Van Gijn}, Rik",

note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by funds from the European Research Council (grant agreement no. 818854-SAPPHIRE) and the Max-Planck-Society. L.A. was supported by funds from the Max-Planck-Society through a postdoctoral position. Acknowledgements Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors.",

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Arias, L, Emlen, NQ, Norder, S, Julmi, N, Lemus Serrano, M, Chacon, T, Wiegertjes, J, Howard, A, Azevedo, MCBC, Caine, A, Dunn, S, Stoneking, M & Van Gijn, R 2023, 'Interpreting mismatches between linguistic and genetic patterns among speakers of Tanimuka (Eastern Tukanoan) and Yukuna (Arawakan)', Interface Focus, vol. 13, no. 1, 20220056. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2022.0056

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AU - Arias, Leonardo

AU - Emlen, Nicholas Q.

AU - Norder, Sietze

AU - Julmi, Nora

AU - Lemus Serrano, Magdalena

AU - Chacon, Thiago

AU - Wiegertjes, Jurriaan

AU - Howard, Austin

AU - Azevedo, Matheus C. B. C.

AU - Caine, Allison

AU - Dunn, Saskia

AU - Stoneking, Mark

AU - Van Gijn, Rik

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by funds from the European Research Council (grant agreement no. 818854-SAPPHIRE) and the Max-Planck-Society. L.A. was supported by funds from the Max-Planck-Society through a postdoctoral position. Acknowledgements Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors.

PY - 2023/2

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N2 - Northwestern Amazonia is home to a great degree of linguistic diversity, and the human societies in that region are part of complex networks of interaction that predate the arrival of Europeans. This study investigates the population and language contact dynamics between two languages found within this region, Yukuna and Tanimuka, which belong to the Arawakan and Tukanoan language families, respectively. We use evidence from linguistics, ethnohistory, ethnography and population genetics to provide new insights into the contact dynamics between these and other human groups in NWA. Our results show that the interaction between these groups intensified in the last 500 years, to the point that it is difficult to differentiate between them genetically. However, this close interaction has led to more substantial contact-induced language changes in Tanimuka than in Yukuna, consistent with a scenario of language shift and asymmetrical power relations.

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Interpreting mismatches between linguistic and genetic patterns among speakers of Tanimuka (Eastern Tukanoan) and Yukuna (Arawakan)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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