Argentina

Extensive List of Languages of Argentina: Spoken and Extinct Languages

:: List of Living Languages ::

Argentine Sign Language
[aed] Classification: Deaf sign language.

Aymara, Central
[ayr] Classification: Aymaran.

Chiripá
[nhd] Alternate names: Tsiripá, Txiripá, Nhandeva, Ñandeva, Apytare. Dialects: Apapocuva. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup.

Chorote, Iyojwa’ja
[crt] 800 (1982 Drayson). Northeast Salta Province. Alternate names: Choroti, Yofuaha, Eklenjuy. Dialects: A distinct language from Iyo’wujwa Chorote (Drayson). Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Chorote, Iyo’wujwa
[crq] 1,500 in Argentina. 50% monolinguals. Population total all countries: 2,008. In Argentina they are mixed with the Iyojwa’ja Chorote. No more than a couple of families in Bolivia. Also spoken in Bolivia, Paraguay. Alternate names: Choroti, Manjuy, Manjui. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Guaraní, Mbyá
[gun] 3,000 in Argentina (2002 Dooley). Northeast Argentina. Alternate names: Mbua, Eastern Argentina Guaraní, Mbyá. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I.

Guaraní, Western Argentine
[gui] 15,000 in Argentina. Jujuy, Salta. Alternate names: Eastern Bolivian Guaraní, “Chawuncu”, “Chiriguano”. Dialects: Chané, Izoceño (Izocenyo, Isocenio). Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I.

Kaiwá
[kgk] 512 in Argentina. Northeast Argentina. Alternate names: Caingua, Caiwá, Kayova. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I.

Mapudungun
[arn] 100,000 in Argentina (2000). Provinces of Neuquen, Rio Negro, Chubut, Buenos Aires, La Pampa. Alternate names: Araucano, Maputongo, Mapuche, Mapudungu. Dialects: Pehuenche. Classification: Araucanian.

Mocoví
[moc] 4,525 (2000 WCD). South Chaco, northeast Santa Fe. Alternate names: Mocobí, Mbocobí. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan.

Nivaclé
[cag] 200 in Argentina. Salta Province, northeast. Alternate names: Ashlushlay, “Chulupi”, “Churupi”, “Chulupie”, “Chulupe”. Dialects: Forest Nivaclé, River Nivaclé. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Ona
[ona] 1 to 3 (1991 Adelaar). Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego. Also formerly in Chile. Alternate names: Aona, Selknam, Shelknam. Classification: Chon Nearly extinct.

Pilagá
[plg] 2,000 (1991 UBS). Along the valleys of the Bermejo and Pilcomayo rivers in central and western Formosa Province, also Chaco and Salta provinces. Alternate names: Pilaca. Dialects: Toba-Pilagá (Toba del Oeste, Sombrero Negro), Chaco Pilagá (Toba Sur). Intelligibility between the dialects needs investigation. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan.

Puelche
[pue] 5 or 6. Pampas. Alternate names: Gennaken, Pampa, Northern Tehuelche. Classification: Language Isolate Nearly extinct.

Quechua, South Bolivian
[quh] 855,000 in Argentina. Population includes 200,000 temporary laborers, about 100,000 looking for work, 500,000 living in Buenos Aires (1971 F. Hicks). Possibly 70,000 in Salta Province. Buenos Aires, some working on docks. Some in Salta Province. Alternate names: Central Bolivian Quechua. Dialects: Northwest Jujuy (Colla). Classification: Quechuan, Quechua II, C.

Quichua, Santiago del Estero
[qus] 60,000 (2000 SIL). Ethnic population: 60,000. Santiago del Estero Province, north central Argentina, Departments of Figueroa, Moreno, Robles, Sarmiento, Brigadier J. F. Ibarra, San Martín, Silipica, Loreto, Atamisqui, Avellaneda, Salavina, Quebrachos, Mitre, Aguirre, some in southeast Salta Province, western Taboada Department along the Salado River, and Buenos Aires. Alternate names: Santiagueño Quichua. Dialects: Different from Bolivian (lexical similarity 81%) or other Quechua (P. Landerman SIL 1968). Classification: Quechuan, Quechua II, C.

Spanish
[spa] 33,000,000 in Argentina (1995). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.

Tapieté
[tpj] 100 in Argentina. Northeast, Tartagal, 1 village. Alternate names: Guarayo, Guasurangue, Tirumbae, Yanaigua, Ñanagua. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I.

Tehuelche
[teh] 4 (2000 W. Adelaar). Ethnic population: 200 (2000 W. Adelaar). Patagonia. Alternate names: Aoniken, Gunua-Kena, Gununa-Kena, Inaquen. Classification: Chon Nearly extinct.

Toba
[tob] 19,810 in Argentina (2000 WCD). Population total all countries: 20,656. Eastern Formosa Province and Chaco Province. Also spoken in Bolivia, Paraguay. Alternate names: Chaco Sur, Qom, Toba Qom, Toba Sur. Dialects: Southeast Toba, Northern Toba. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan.

Vilela
[vil] 20 (1981 Buckwalter). Resistencia, east central Chaco Province near Paraguay border. Classification: Lule-Vilela Nearly extinct.

Welsh
[cym] 25,000 in Argentina (1998 A. Leaver). Patagonia, Chubut Territory. Dialects: Patagonian Welsh. Classification: Indo-European, Celtic, Insular, Brythonic.

Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay
[mzh] 15,000 (1999). Northern, Pilcomayo River area. Alternate names: “Mataco” Güisnay, Güisnay, “Mataco” Pilcomayo, “Mataco”. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Wichí Lhamtés Nocten
[mtp] 100 in Argentina. Northern border down to Tartagal. Alternate names: “Mataco” Nocten, Nocten, Noctenes, Oktenai. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz
[wlv] 25,000 in Argentina (1991 UBS). Northern area: Chaco, Formosa, Salta, Jujuy. Generally west of Toba, along upper Bermejo River Valley and Pilcomayo River. Also spoken in Bolivia. Alternate names: “Mataco” Vejoz, Vejos. Dialects: Bermejo Vejoz. Not intelligible with other Chaco languages. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco.

Extinct Languages

Abipon
[axb] Extinct. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan.

Chané
[caj] Extinct. Salta Province. Dialects: Some have equated this name with ‘Guana’ (Kaskiha) of Paraguay of Mascoian affiliation, or Terena of Brazil of Arawakan affiliation, but they are distinct. Classification: Arawakan, Unclassified.

:: Reference ::

Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/