Documentation and description of Karo, Brazil

The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) provides grants worldwide to for the linguistic documentation of endangered language and knowledge. Grantees create multimedia collection of endangered languages. These collections are preserved and made freely available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) housed at the library of SOAS University of London.

The aim of this project is to document and continue the description of Karo, a Tupian language spoken by approximately 130 Arara Indians in the Amazon region of Brazil.Although Karo is still the first language acquired by children, the small number of its speakers places Karo in danger of extinction.As part of the process of documentation, it is my intention to 1) elaborate a Karo-Portuguese dictionary, 2) publish a book of traditional myths and narratives, and 3) record the few cultural activities (feasts, ceremonies, etc.) still performed by the Arara, in audio and video.An additional goal of the project is to produce a complete grammar of Karo. A preliminary version of the grammar is already undertaken (in the form of a Ph.D. dissertation). The process of completing the grammar includes re-writing the dissertation and transcribing texts fully. Primary investigator: Nilson Gabas Jr.

Project Details


Location: Brazil, South America, Brazil, Americas, United States of America Organiser(s): Endangered Languages Documentation Programme Project partner(s): MCT - Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: £12,431.00 Commencement Date: 01/2000
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