Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Chimané, Chimane, Chiman, Tsimane', Tsimane, Tsinun, Tsimané, Chumano, Moseten, Tsinun, Tsimané, Nawazi-Moñtji, Rache, Muchan, Tucupi, Aparono, Mosetén language area
CLASSIFICATION		Isolate, Mosetenan
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		cas
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Tsimane' (Chimane) Mosetén de Covenjado Mosetén de Santa Ana
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Mosetén and Tsimané and are often classified as separate languages belonging to the small linguistic family Mosetenan, although they are mutually intelligible. There are some dialects with considerable lexical and grammatical differences.

Compare Sources (9)

Information from: “Mosetén y Chimane (Tsimane’)” (333-375 ch. Mosetén y Chimane (Tsimane’)) . Sakel, Jeannette (2009) , Mily Crevels and Pieter Muysken · Plural Editores

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
>4,800
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
8,000 Tsimane'
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Tsimane': at least 4000 speakers; Mosetén: about 800 speakers (Sakel treats Tsimane' and Mosetén as distinct languages)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"La mayoría de los chimanes son monolingües, pero hoy en día muchos hablantes más jóvenes son bilingües en chimane y castellano" (p. 335).
[The majority of the Chimanes are monolinguals, but today many younger speakers are bilingual in Chimane and Spanish].

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Spanish for some younger speakers

PLACES: Bolivia

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: "El chimane se habla en las llanuras del departamento de Beni, sobre todo en los alrededores de la ciudad de San Borja" (p. 333).
[Chimane is spoken on the plains of Beni Department, especially around the city of San Borja.]
"El mosetén se habla en Alto Beni en la región de Yungas, departamento de La Paz, en las faldas de los Andes ... el mosetén de Covendo en la región del río Alto Beni alrededor de Covendo y... el mosetén de Santa Ana ... en la región del río Alto Beni alrededor de Santa Ana, Inicua, Muchanes, y también a lo largo del río Quiquibey" (p. 333)
[Mosetén is spoken in the Alto Beni, region of Yungas, Department of La Paz, in the foothills of the Andes ... Mosetén of Covendo on the Alto Beni River near Covendo and ... Mosetén of Santa Ana ... in the region of Alto Beni River near Santa Ana, Inicua, Muchanes, and also along the Quiquibey River."]

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,320
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
5,907
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"Includes 585 Moseten speakers." Data for the number of native speakers comes from Adelaar (2000).

5,320 (Adelaar 2004). Ethnic population: 5,840 (2006 PIB) (2013 unchanged). Mosetén move into Tsimané communities and function with seemingly no communication difficulties (2002 NTM) (2013). (2016 unchanged.)

PLACES: Bolivia;

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Southwest Beni Department and along Maniqui river; San Miguel de Huachi and Santa Ana de Alto Beni.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,885
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,316
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,900
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Figures include 580 speakers and 1,200 ethnic group members of the dialect Mosetén.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Children don't acquire Spanish until they are fifteen, unless they attend a school in one of the highland Indian communities. Women and elders speak little Spanish.

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

All ages. Women and elders speak very little Spanish [spa]. Children don’t acquire Spanish until they are 15, unless they attend a school in one of the highland communities.

PLACES: Bolivia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Bolivia, Department of Beni, Province of Ballivian, municipalities of San Borja and Rurrenabaque, on the Maniqui River, Yucumo-Rurrenabaque, Bosque de Chimanes, Parque Nacional Isiboro-Secure.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
7299
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
8,615 Tsimané, 1,588 Mosetén
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Mosetén: 948 speakers (ethnic populations 1,588); Tsimane': 6,351 speakers ( (ethnic populations 8,615)

PLACES: Bolivia

Ethnic population
15,000

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.															-14.75,-67.8333333333
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	5,907	5,320	1000-9999	"Includes 585 Moseten speakers." Data for the number of native speakers comes from Adelaar (2000). 5,320 (Adelaar 2004). Ethnic population: 5,840 (2006 PIB) (2013 unchanged). Mosetén move into Tsimané communities and function with seemingly no communication difficulties (2002 NTM) (2013). (2016 unchanged.)			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Southwest Beni Department and along Maniqui river; San Miguel de Huachi and Santa Ana de Alto Beni.	Bolivia;
ISBN: 978-99954-1-236-4			2009	Mosetén y Chimane (Tsimane’)	Lenguas de Bolivia, vol 1: Ámbito Andino	333-375	Mily Crevels and Pieter Muysken	Plural Editores		Mosetén y Chimane (Tsimane’)		Sakel, Jeannette	Sakel, Jeannette. 2009. Mosetén y Chimane (Tsimane’). Lenguas de Bolivia, vol 1: Ámbito andino, ed. by Mily Crevels and Pieter Muysken, 333-375. La Paz: Plural Editores.		8,000 Tsimane'	>4,800	1000-9999	Tsimane': at least 4000 speakers; Mosetén: about 800 speakers (Sakel treats Tsimane' and Mosetén as distinct languages)	Spanish for some younger speakers		Vulnerable (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	"La mayoría de los chimanes son monolingües, pero hoy en día muchos hablantes más jóvenes son bilingües en chimane y castellano" (p. 335). [The majority of the Chimanes are monolinguals, but today many younger speakers are bilingual in Chimane and Spanish].	10	"El chimane se habla en las llanuras del departamento de Beni, sobre todo en los alrededores de la ciudad de San Borja" (p. 333). [Chimane is spoken on the plains of Beni Department, especially around the city of San Borja.] "El mosetén se habla en Alto Beni en la región de Yungas, departamento de La Paz, en las faldas de los Andes ... el mosetén de Covendo en la región del río Alto Beni alrededor de Covendo y... el mosetén de Santa Ana ... en la región del río Alto Beni alrededor de Santa Ana, Inicua, Muchanes, y también a lo largo del río Quiquibey" (p. 333) [Mosetén is spoken in the Alto Beni, region of Yungas, Department of La Paz, in the foothills of the Andes ... Mosetén of Covendo on the Alto Beni River near Covendo and ... Mosetén of Santa Ana ... in the region of Alto Beni River near Santa Ana, Inicua, Muchanes, and also along the Quiquibey River."]	Bolivia
		2nd edition	2010	Highland South America and the Caribbean	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing		Christopher Moseley	UNESCO	Paris, France			Willem Adelaar and Gustavo Solis Fonseca	Adelaar, Willem and Gustavo Solis Fonseca. 2010. "Highland South America and the Caribbean." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. UNESCO.															-15.2629,-66.8518
		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		5,885	1000-9999				Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							-15.4113,-67.5
			2007	South America	Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages	103-196	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge				Mily Crevels	Crevels, Mily. 2007. "South America." In Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 103-196. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD		5,900	1000-9999	Figures include 580 speakers and 1,200 ethnic group members of the dialect Mosetén.		All ages. Women and elders speak very little Spanish [spa]. Children don’t acquire Spanish until they are 15, unless they attend a school in one of the highland communities.	Vulnerable (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	Children don't acquire Spanish until they are fifteen, unless they attend a school in one of the highland Indian communities. Women and elders speak little Spanish.	10		Bolivia	Bolivia, Department of Beni, Province of Ballivian, municipalities of San Borja and Rurrenabaque, on the Maniqui River, Yucumo-Rurrenabaque, Bosque de Chimanes, Parque Nacional Isiboro-Secure.
				World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			5,316	1000-9999				Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	TAPS Working Paper Series		2012	Market and non-market returns to formal math skills among adults in a Bolivian native Amazonian society							http://www.tsimane.org/working%%20papers/TAPS-WP-72.pdf	Eduardo Undurraga; Jere Behrman; Elena Grigorenko; Alan Schultz; Julie Yiu; TAPS Bolivia Study Team; Ricardo Godoy	Eduardo Undurraga; Jere Behrman; Elena Grigorenko; Alan Schultz; Julie Yiu; TAPS Bolivia Study Team; Ricardo Godoy. 2012. "Market and Non-market Returns To Formal Math Skills Among Adults in a Bolivian Native Amazonian Society." Online: http://www.tsimane.org/working%%20papers/TAPS-WP-72.pdf.		15,000
			2012	Language endangerment in South America: The clock is ticking	The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide	167-234	Lyle Campbell and Veronica Grondona	Mouton de Gruyter	Berlin			Crevels, Mily	Crevels, Mily. 2012. "Language Endangerment in South America: The Clock Is Ticking." In The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide, edited by Hans Henrich Hock et al.. 167-234. Mouton de Gruyter.		8,615 Tsimané, 1,588 Mosetén	7299	1000-9999	Mosetén: 948 speakers (ethnic populations 1,588); Tsimane': 6,351 speakers ( (ethnic populations 8,615)			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Bolivia

Mosetén

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

>4,800

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,320

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,885

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,316

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,900

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7299

Discussion

Mosetén

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

>4,800

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,320

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,885

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,316

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

5,900

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7299

Discussion

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