Page Type: languageAymara, Central | Ethnologue

AYR ISO 639-3

Aymara, Central

Aymar, Aymar aru Autonym

A language of Bolivia

ISO 639
ayr
Alternate Names
Aimara
Autonym
Aymar, Aymar aru
Population
998,000 in Bolivia (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 1,464,100.
Location:
La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí departments: west of eastern Andes.
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
Classification
Aymaran, Aymara
Dialects
Chilean Aymara is very similar to La Paz, Bolivia dialect. A member of macrolanguage Aymara [aym].
Typology
SOV; noun head final; case-marking (6 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; tense; comparatives; 26 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable.
Language Use
In spite of large user population considered potentially endangered due to lack of intergenerational transmission of the language (Crevels 2007). Some young people, all adults. Used as L2 by Chipaya [cap], North Bolivian Quechua [qul], Uru [ure].
Language Development
Churches active in literacy. Government schools open to use of Aymara literature. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1987–2012.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Aymara, Central
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Some migration to valleys and lowlands. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Aymara, Central
User Population
4,100 in Argentina (Crevels 2012).
Location
Jujuy and Salta provinces: in the mountains and urban areas.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Quite a few come from Bolivia looking for work.
View other languages of Argentina
Language Name
Aymara, Central
User Population
19,000 in Chile (Fabre 2007). Ethnic population: 48,500 (2002). About half have some knowledge of the language (Crevels 2007).
Location
Antofagasta, Arica and Parinacota, and Tarapacá regions: Iquique area, extreme north mountains.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Only one-third of the Aymaras still live in the rural communities of their traditional homeland; most now live in the urban areas (Fabre 2007).
View other languages of Chile
Language Name
Aymara, Central
User Population
443,000 in Peru (2007 census). Ethnic population: 443,000 (2007 census).
Location
Moquegua, Puno, and Tacna regions: Lake Titicaca area.
Dialects
Lupaca is the main literary dialect.
Language Status
5 (Developing)
View other languages of Peru

Map

Location: La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí departments: west of eastern Andes.