Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Kawesqar, Kaweskar, Qawasqar, Kawashkar, Qawashqar, Halakwalup, Pecheré, Southern Alacaluf,
CLASSIFICATION		Kawesqaran (Alacalufan)
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		alc; qawa1238
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Kawésqar Tawóqser Alakaluf
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Kawesqar (Chile) - Language Snapshot” . Rodrigo Becerra (2019) , Peter K. Austin · ELPublishing

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
About 10
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
980

DATE OF INFO: 2017

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Oral traditions of animal tales and songs have been documented, and used to be performed.

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

The Kawésqar community has demanded Federal bilingual intercultural education system (EIB) include their language, but no educational curricula has been developed as of 2017 (Comunidad Kawésqar Residente en Puerto Edén).

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Chilean law recognises the existence and rights of ethnic populations

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Documentation projects have produced brief dictionaries, translated traditional narratives, a pedagogical grammar, two teaching handbooks, and a sound archive; however, conversational communicative events remain undocumented.

PLACES: Puerto Edén, Wellington Island, in the southernmost region ofMagallanes, Chile

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
7
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
200
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Kawesqar is spoken today by only 7 persons as a first language in their daily interaction. There is a small number of urban semi-speakers who rarely speak the language and use only Spanish as their means of communication, and more than 200 Kawesqar-descendants whose mother tongue is Spanish.

DOMAINS OF USE
SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Severely endangered

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

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
20
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
2,622

PLACES: Chile

Severely endangered

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

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
12
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
2,620

DATE OF INFO: 2006 (speaker numbers); 2002 (ethnic population)

PLACES: Chile;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: West Patagonia, Channel region, Isle of Wellington off south Chilean coast, 49 degrees south

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.																		-49.0,-75.0
				2009	Documenting Kawesqar, the last spoken Fueguian language	1st International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC)						http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/4988	Aguilera, Oscar	Oscar Aguilera. 2009. "Documenting Kawesqar, the Last Spoken Fueguian Language." In 1st International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC), Online: http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/4988.		200	7		1-9	Kawesqar is spoken today by only 7 persons as a first language in their daily interaction. There is a small number of urban semi-speakers who rarely speak the language and use only Spanish as their means of communication, and more than 200 Kawesqar-descendants whose mother tongue is Spanish.	Spanish				Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		14	15	Tierra del Fuego, Chile
ISSN: 1740-6234	Language Snapshots	August		2019	Kawesqar (Chile) - Language Snapshot			Peter K. Austin	ELPublishing	Language Documentation and Description		http://www.elpublishing.org/docs/1/16/ldd16_09.pdf	Rodrigo Becerra	Rodrigo Becerra (2019). Kawésqar (Chile) — Language Snapshot. In Peter K. Austin (ed.) Language Documentation and Description, vol 16. London: EL Publishing. pp. 187-192. http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/175		980	About 10	2017	1-9			Chilean law recognises the existence and rights of ethnic populations	The Kawésqar community has demanded Federal bilingual intercultural education system (EIB) include their language, but no educational curricula has been developed as of 2017 (Comunidad Kawésqar Residente en Puerto Edén).	Documentation projects have produced brief dictionaries, translated traditional narratives, a pedagogical grammar, two teaching handbooks, and a sound archive; however, conversational communicative events remain undocumented.	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	Oral traditions of animal tales and songs have been documented, and used to be performed.	15	15	Puerto Edén, Wellington Island, in the southernmost region ofMagallanes, Chile		-49.0731, -74.2438
			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		20		10-99						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							-49.6391,-74.3554
			17th	2013	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th Edition (2013)			Paul M. Lewis; Gary F. Simons; and Charles D. Fennig	Dallas, Texas: SIL International			http://www.ethnologue.com Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th Edition (2013)		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.), 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		2,620	12	2006 (speaker numbers); 2002 (ethnic population)	10-99						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Chile;	West Patagonia, Channel region, Isle of Wellington off south Chilean coast, 49 degrees south
					World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			20		10-99						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
				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.		2,622	20		10-99						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Chile

Kawésqar

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

About 10

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Discussion

Kawésqar

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

About 10

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Discussion

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