Toba-Maskoy language

Maskoy, or Toba-Maskoy, is one of several languages of the Paraguayan Chaco (Particularly in the northern region of Paraguay) called Toba. It is spoken on a reservation near Puerto Victoria. Toba-Maskoy is currently a threatened language at risk of becoming an extinct language, due to the low number of native speakers.

Not to be confused with Toba Qom language.
Maskoy
Toba
Native toParaguay
Ethnicity2,100 (2007)[1]
Native speakers
1,700 (2007)[1]
Mascoian
  • Maskoy
Language codes
ISO 639-3tmf
Glottologtoba1268
ELPEnenlhet[2]

History

Toba-Maskoy was derived from Paraguay, specifically in the Chaco region of the Alto Paraguay department.[3]

Geographic Distribution

Toba-Maskoy is spoken near Puerto Victoria, in the north of Paraguay.

Official Status

Though Toba-Maskoy is not the official language of Paraguay, it has a special well known status in the northern part of El Chaco.

Dialects/Varieties

Toba Maskoy is one of the five members of the Maskoy linguistic family, the other four include: Angaite, Enxet, Kaskiha, and Sanapan.[4]

Vocabulary and Grammar

It is believed that around 1870 some Toba chiefs immigrated from Argentina escaping constant victimization of their peoples, thus settling in Alto Paraguay. Since that transitional period, the language suffered both linguistically and culturally.[5] To this day it is rare to find grammar or writings in Toba-Maskoy due to a significant loss in the linguistic elements.

References
  1. Maskoy at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Enenlhet.
  3. Gynan, Shawn N. (2007). "Language Planning and Policy in Paraguay". In Baldauf, Richard B.; Kaplan, Robert B. (eds.). Language Planning and Policy in Latin America. vol. 1. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 978-1-84769-006-7.
  4. Miller, Elmer S., ed. (2001). Peoples of the Gran Chaco. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-89789-802-7.
  5. Durante, Santiago (2011). "Las lenguas del Gran Chaco: situación socio-lingüística y políticas lingüísticas". Language Design. 13: 115–142.


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