Ethnologue: Nicaragua

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Ethnologue: Nicaragua
http://www.sil.org/ethnologue/countries/Nica.html

Nicaragua
Republic of Nicaragua, República de Nicaragua. 4,540,000 (1995). Literacy rate 66% to 74%. Also includes Arabic 400, Chinese 7,000. Information mainly from SIL 1991. Christian, secular. Blind population 1,800 (1982 WCE). Data accuracy estimate: A1, A2. The number of languages listed for Nicaragua is 10. Of those, 7 are living languages and 3 are extinct.

GARÍFUNA (CARIBE, CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIB, BLACK CARIB) [CAB] 1,500 in Nicaragua (1982 Meso-America); 94,500 in all countries. Also in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras. Arawakan, Maipuran, Northern Maipuran, Caribbean. NT 1983-1994. Bible portions 1847-1968.

MATAGALPA [MTN] No speakers out of an ethnic group of 18,000 to 20,000 (1981 MARC). Central highlands, Matagalpa and Jinotega departments. Misumalpan. Now speak Spanish. Sedentary subsistence agriculturalists. Extinct.

MÍSKITO (MÍSQUITO, MÍSKITU, MOSQUITO, MARQUITO) [MIQ] 154,400 in Nicaragua (1993 census); 11,500 in Honduras; 166,000 total. From Pearl Lagoon to Black River, coast and lowlands. Zalaya Department, North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) with a concentration in the city of Puerto Cabeza, and towns and villages of Prinzapolka, Tronquera, San Carlos (Río Coco), Waspam, Leimus, Bocana de Paiwas, Karawala, Sangnilaya, Wasla, Sisin, Rosita, Bonanza, Siuna, Bihmuna, and all along the Río Coco area. Also in South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS). Misumalpan. Dialects: HONDURAN MÍSKITO (MAM), TAWIRA (TAUIRA), BAYMUNA (BAYMUNANA, BALDAM), WANKI (WANGKI), CABO (KABO). Widespread use in primary schools and among older people. Secondary school children are taught in Spanish. All Mískito understand the language. Many Hispanic people have learned Mískito. Educational materials are in Wangki, spoken around Puerto Cabeza. The other dialects are in settlements southwest of there. All dialects are intelligible with each other. The language is closest to Sumo. Some speakers know some English. 52% to 58% literate in Mískito. Trade language. Typology: SOV; articles, relatives after noun heads; word order distinguishes subject, object; verb affixes mark person, number; ergative; passive; CVC; non-tonal. Levels of bilingualism in Spanish are 0:0%, 1:2%, 2:3%, 3:15%, 4:70%, 5:10%. Coastal. Agriculturalists, fishermen, government and education workers. Altitude: just above sea level. Christian. NT 1905-1975. Bible portions 1889-1958. Work in progress.

MONIMBO [MOL] No speakers out of an ethnic group of 10,000 (1981 MARC). Unclassified. Have retained few traits of their pre-conquest American Indian culture. Extinct.

NICARAGUAN SIGN LANGUAGE [NCS] 1,000 users (1996). Managua. Deaf sign language. Distinct from El Salvadoran and Costa Rican sign languages. Users know little Spanish. Not used in schools, but used outside the classroom. Linguists are preparing a dictionary.

RAMA [RMA] 24 speakers out of 649 population (1989 Holm). Rama Cay, 30-mile radius. Chibchan, Rama. Most people now speak Rama Cay Creole. Nearly extinct.

SPANISH (ESPAÑOL, CASTELLANO) [SPN] 4,347,000 in Nicaragua (1995 estimate); 266,000,000 in all countries (1987 Time). Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Ibero-Romance, North, Central. National language. Bible 1553-1979. NT 1543-1986. Bible portions 1514-1985.

SUBTIABA [SUT] No speakers out of an ethnic group of 5,000 (1981 MARC). Plains of León, Pacific slope. Subtiaba-Tlapanec. Have retained few traits of their pre-conquest culture. Extinct.

SUMO (SUMU, SOUMO, SUMOO, WOOLWA) [SUM] 6,700 in Nicaragua (1982 Mesoamerica); 500 in Honduras; 7,200 total. Huaspuc (Waspuk) River and tributaries. Misumalpan. Dialects: PANAMAHKA, TWAHKA, NICARAGUAN TAWAHKA, HONDURAN TAWAHKA (SOUTHERN SUMO). The same language as Honduras, but a different dialect. The first three dialects listed group together into Northern Sumo. Typology: SOV. Hunter-gatherers, fishermen, swidden agriculturalists: manioc. Work in progress.

WESTERN CARIBBEAN CREOLE ENGLISH [JAM] 30,000 and more in Nicaragua (1986 Carrier Pidgin); 23.5% of the coastal population (1989 J. Holm); 3,054,000 in all countries. Bluefields. Also in Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia), British West Indies. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western. Dialects: MÍSKITO COAST CREOLE, RAMA CAY CREOLE. Speakers consider English as their standard language, but identify with the creole. Probably intelligible with Jamaican creole and other Central American creoles. There are reported to be some French creole speakers in Nicaragua (MARC 1981). The first language of the Creoles and most Carib and Rama; the second language of most Miskito and some Spanish speakers. Work in progress.

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