Araucanian
Language Information
One of the Amerind languages, Araucanian is still spoken by one of the larger linguistic communities of the southern half of South America. It has no close relatives.
Araucanian was once spoken over most of central Chile, from Copiapo, five hundred kilometres North of Santiago, southwards to the Island of Chiloe, and all the way across Argentina to the Bay of Comodoro Rivadavia. Now a days Araucanian speakers have almost disappeared from Argentina, and other parts.
Araucanian has contributed to Spanish - thus to English - the word Gaucho (Araucanian caucho - nomad , adventurer) which became the named for the mixed Arcaunian origin and Spanish nomadic population of the Pampas.- Language Family
- Central South American Indian
- Subgroup
- Andean Equatorial
Araucanian Language Sample
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Mapudungun
Kom pu mogence kisuzuam mvlekey, kom cegeygvn, logkogeygvn ka piwkegeygvn, nieygvn kimvn fey mew mvley tañi yamniewael ka epuñpvle kejuwael egvn.English translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Source: OHCHR translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights