Page Type: languageYukpa | Ethnologue

YUP ISO 639-3

Yukpa

Yukpa Autonym

A language of Colombia

ISO 639
yup
Alternate Names
Carib Motilón, Japrería, Macoíta, Northern Motilone, Northern Motilón, Yuco, Yucpa, Yuko, Yukpa-Japería, Yupa
Autonym
Yukpa
Population
3,000 in Colombia (2009 W. Largo). 600 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,610 (2018 census). Total users in all countries: 6,020.
Location:
Cesar department: Augustín Codazzi municipality and municipalities north and south, Colombia-Venezuela border in Serranía de Perijá mountain range. Río Casacará dialect in Agustín Codassi municipality along Casacará river and Caño Iroka. Yukpa sur dialect, Becerril municipality.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened).
Classification
Cariban, Yukpa, Yucpa-Yapreria
Dialects
Río Casacará (Iroka), Río Maracas, Yukpa Sur (Caño Padilla-La Laguna), Coyaima. At least 5 extant dialects including 2 in Venezuela. Río Cascará and Río Maracas dialects are probably largest, and may be separate languages. Venezuela dialects seem more similar to Río Maracas. Unrelated to Barí [mot]. Lexical similarity: 60% with Japreria [jru] of Venezuela (2008 W. Largo).
Typology
SOV; postpositions; possessives and common nouns marked with prefixes, human gender with suffixes; up to 2 prefixes, 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by word order; verbal affixation marks person and number; non-ergative; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; 13 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; nontonal.
Language Use
Vigorous. Inside protected areas the language is used all the time; outside those areas, it is only spoken when there are no outsiders present (Crevels 2007). Also use Spanish [spa], especially men, but only for buying and selling.
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 70%. Taught in primary schools. Literature. Dictionary. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Yukpa
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Yukpa
User Population
3,020 in Venezuela (2007). 2,220 urban; 800 rural. Ethnic population: 10,600 (2011 census).
Location
Zulia state: Cesar region, north Sierra de Perijá, on the Colombia border, between Palmar river north and Tucuco river south.
Dialects
Atapshi (Yukpa Norte), Iroka, Pariri (Yukpa Central), Wasama, Yikta, Macoíta, Irapa (Yukpa Sur).
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Most live in urban areas.
View other languages of Venezuela

Map

Location: Cesar department: Augustín Codazzi municipality and municipalities north and south, Colombia-Venezuela border in Serranía de Perijá mountain range. Río Casacará dialect in Agustín Codassi municipality along Casacará river and Caño Iroka. Yukpa sur dialect, Becerril municipality.