Indigenous languages of Ecuador

Ecuador, one of the smallest countries in South America, is known for its plurinationality (culture and language) and geographic diversity. Ecuador has Spanish as its official language, and there are fourteen indigenous languages that are still vital, although they are seriously violated, eight are in danger of becoming extinct.

Indigenous Languages in Ecuador

The indigenous peoples and nationalities of Ecuador are distributed as follows.

Indigenous languages on the Coast

• Awá nationality         Awapit language
• Nationality Tsachila   Tsafiqui language
• Nationality Epera       Siapede, Epera Pedede language
• Nationality Chachi     Chapalaa language

Indigenous languages in the Sierra

• Kichwa nationality     Kichwa language

Indigenous Amazonian language

• Shuar nationality, Shuar-Chicham language ·
• Achuar nationality, Achuar-Chicham language
• Secoya and Siona nationality, Paicoca language
• Cofán nationality, A’ingae language
• Nationality Huaorani - Waorani) (tagaedi and taromenani), Waotedeo language
• Awá Nationality, Awapit language
• Andoa nationality, Shiwiarchicam language
• Siona nationality, Baaikoka language
• Sapara nationality, Sapara language

Here are the languages that survive to this day.

1. ANDOA, Shiwiarchicam language is also called shiwiar. It is an indigenous language, also called jíbara language as well as achuar and shuar. The speakers are located in the area of eastern Ecuador in the province of Pastaza.
2. ACHUAR CHICHAM ("jíbara" language) although some indicate that it is a dialect of Shuar, it has been recognized by achuar an indigenous language of Ecuador, they come from the Achuar nationality. Located in the province of Morona Santiago and Pastaza.
3. A’INGAE. This language belongs to the people, A’i (Cofán), is a language that comes from the province of Sucumbíos in the area that belongs to the Aguarico and San Miguel rivers, in eastern Ecuador. The communities that use the A’ingae language are: Dureno, Duvuno, Sinangüe, Benejo, Sábalo Chandia Na’en. Around 650 people from the mentioned communities use this language.
4. AWAPIT This language is spoken by the Awá nationality. Formerly it was known as Coaiquer language, supposedly of "Coai" people and "want strength" = ‘people of strength’. But the speaking population knows her by the name of Awapit [Awabit]. In Ecuador the number of speakers is about 3,500 speakers and they are located on the borders of Carchi and Esmeraldas and in the northwestern part of Imbabura. 17 centers are formed, of which 60% are Awapit-speaking, the others have lost their language and have become Spanish. Among the centers where the Awapit language that has great vitality are Mataje, San Marcos, in areas like La Guaña and in Baboso the language has been lost. It is known that this type of language can be found in Colombia, in the Coast of the Department of Nariño and in that of Putumayo in the Amazonian part of Colombia where it is known that the Awas have emigrated.
5. BAAIKOKA. The nationality is called baai but it is commonly known as Siona. The populations that speak it are found in the province of Sucumbós in the area of ​​the Aguaricos and Cuyabenos rivers, this language is related to the Tetete language as well as the Paaicoca language.
6. CHA’PALAA. It is the language of the Chachi people (cayapa people). In the province of Esmeraldas in the area of the Cayapas River, Canandé River and Muisne. The speaking population is approximately eight thousand.
7. SIAPEDE. This language belongs to the êpera (embera) people, a very small group in the province of Esmeraldas uses this language in Ecuador, at the confluence of the Santiago River with the Cayapas, it is known that there is a larger population in Colombia, which still uses this language. In Ecuador it has only been possible to locate sixty inhabitants who speak this language.
8. KAYAPI. The language spoken by this town that is located in the province of Pastaza, is known as Záparo. There are very few inhabitants who speak this language. There are few representatives of this culture, along the Curaray River. This language is in danger of disappearing despite attempts by the elderly to teach children to rescue the language.
9. PAAICOCA It is the language of the Siona and Secoya peoples that are two dialects of the same language. The number of sequoia-speakers is 250 speakers and that of Siona is 200 to 250 people. They are located in the Aguarico and Cuyabeno rivers in the province of Sucumbíos. The Siona centers are that of Piaña (Campo Eno) and Puerto Bolívar and the redwood centers are that of San Pablo de Cantetsiaya and that of Secoya (sewaya). The Paicoca language had the dialect known as tetete, this dialect was used by inhabitants of Peru, Colombia and Brazil
10. QUICHUA OR RUNA SHIMI. The Kichwa-speaking peoples are located in the provinces of the Inter-Andean alley and in the majority of the East: Imbabura, Pichincha, Bolívar, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, Azuay, Loja, Napo, Sucumbíos, Orellana, Pastaza and Zamora Chinchipe. The groups of indigenous migrants who have settled in the provinces of the Coast maintain their native language Quichua. Outside Ecuador there are Quichua-speakers in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Chile and possibly also in Paraguay.
11. SHUAR-CHICHAM. In the province of Pastaza, Zamora Chinchipe, Morona Santiago and even for the purposes of migration they have expanded to the province of Sucumbíos. A group of speakers of this language can be located in Ecuador, which reach a number of eighty thousand. The Shuar are organized in communities, and in this way it has been possible to preserve their cultural traditions and preserve their language.
12. SAPARA the name commonly known as Sáparos, the inhabitants who use this language are located in the province of Pastaza, by the area of ​​the Curaray, Conambo, Jinuyaku River,
13. TSAFIQUI. This is the language spoken by the Tsa’chi people or Tsáchila people formerly known as the colorados, in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas The number of speakers is about two thousand, scattered in about eight communities. They are: Bua, Chiguilpe, Congoma, Orange, Peripa, Pose, Otongo, Tahuaza. The dialect varies by community.
14. WAOTEDEO  -  HUAOTEDEO . WAO are plurar is Waodanis their nationality. Speakers are mainly in the provinces of Napo, Pastaza and Orellana, in the Yasuní Bathing, Cononaco rivers. The total number of tagaedi and tadomenani is unknown.