Linguistics ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Abstract

Torá, an Amazonian language of the Chapacuran family, went dormant as the Torá people survived colonization. Yet, in the early 1920’s, over 600 Torá words, phrases, and sentences were documented. Despite interest by today’s Torá community in language revitalization, no comprehensive analysis of the data has been undertaken. This project used methods of linguistic reconstitution, cross linguistic comparison, and the creation of an open-access database to produce a phonological and morphosyntactic analysis of Torá. Phonological findings of particular interest include evidence for vowel harmony and variable oralization of nasals. In structure, Torá is very similar to related languages, displaying a primary V-O-S word order and isolating morphology. Unique among Chapacuran languages, Torá verbal inflectional particles may precede or follow the verb, with their position possibly encoding an aspectual distinction. This description contributes to the documentation of Chapacuran languages and provides a foundation for future research and community-driven reclamation efforts.

Language

English

Keywords

dormant language, language description, legacy materials, archival materials, Chapacuran, Amazonian

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Linguistics

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Department of Linguistics

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Joshua Birchall

Second Committee Member

Dr. Stefon Flego

Third Committee Member

Dr. Rosa Vallejos-Yopán

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