Juma language (Carib)

The Juma language is an extinct Cariban language formerly spoken by the Juma people of Brazil. Their traditional territory was located along the Juma River, a tributary of the Madeira River in the state of Amazonas.

History and Extinction:

The Juma language and its speakers faced significant decline due to contact with non-Indigenous populations, disease, and assimilation. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Juma population had dwindled dramatically, leading to the language's extinction. Documentation of the language is limited, and much of what is known comes from linguistic research conducted prior to its disappearance.

Classification:

Juma belongs to the Cariban language family, a large family of languages spoken across northern South America. Its specific position within the Cariban family is not definitively established due to the lack of extensive documentation.

Documentation:

The available documentation of the Juma language is scarce. Linguistic materials such as wordlists and grammatical descriptions are rare, making reconstruction and in-depth analysis challenging.

Current Status:

The Juma language is considered extinct. No known native speakers remain. Efforts to revitalize or reconstruct the language are hampered by the limited data available. The cultural heritage associated with the Juma people, however, continues to be of interest to anthropologists and linguists.