Mapudungun | Ethnologue

A language of Chile

ISO 639: arn
Alternate Names: Araucana, Mapuche, Mapudungu, Mapuzungun, “Araucano” (pej.)
Autonym: Mapudungun
Population: 250,000 in Chile (Crevels 2007). Ethnic population: 604,000 (2002). Total users in all countries: 258,410.
Location:: Araucanía, Bíobío, Los Lagos, and Los Ríos regions: Arauco, Bíobío, Valdivia, Osorno.
Language Status: 6b (Threatened). Recognized language (1993, Indigenous Peoples Law (No. 19.253)).
Classification: Mapudungu
Dialects: Moluche (Manzanero, Ngoluche), Picunche, Pehuenche. Easy intelligibility among dialects. Pehuenche and Moluche are reportedly very similar.
Typology: Free word order; prepositions; noun head final; dual number; definite and indefinite articles; verb affixes mark person, number; passives; causatives; 19 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable (vowel-final) or final syllable (consonant-final).
Language Use: Some young people, all adults. Also use Spanish [spa].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 21%. 85,000 are literate in Spanish [spa]. Intercultural Bilingual Education programs may contribute to the survival of Mapundung (Crevels 2007). Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 1997–2011.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Mapudungun
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Traditional religion, Christian.

Argentina

Location: Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut provinces; Mendoza province, possibly Buenos Aires.
Dialects: Pehuenche.
Language Status: 8a (Moribund)
Other Comments: Recent migration from Chile.

Location: Araucanía, Bíobío, Los Lagos, and Los Ríos regions: Arauco, Bíobío, Valdivia, Osorno.