{{Short description|Extinct language family of South America}} {{distinguish|Chono language}} {{redirect|Chon|other uses|Chon (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox language family | name = Chonan | altname = Patagonian | region = Patagonia and Pampas | extinct = 2019, with the death of Dora Manchado (Tehuelche) | familycolor = American | family = One of the world's primary language families. | child1 = Chon proper | child2 = Gününa Küne-?Querandí | glotto = chon1288 | glottorefname = Chonan | map = Patagonian_lang.png | mapcaption = Approximate map of the native peoples of the Southern Cone in 1550. }}
thumb|The classification of Chonan languages, according to Roberto Lehmann-Nitsche.
The '''Chonan languages''' are an extinct family of indigenous American languages which were spoken in Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. Two Chonan languages are well attested: Selkʼnam (or Ona), spoken by the people of the same name who occupied territory in the northeast of Tierra del Fuego; and Tehuelche, spoken by the people of the same name who occupied territory north of Tierra del Fuego. The name of the family is from {{Lang|ona|čonn}}, the Selkʼnam word for 'man'.<ref name="RojasBerscia2014">{{Cite thesis |last=Rojas-Berscia |first=Luis Miguel |title=A Heritage Reference Grammar of Selkʼnam |publisher=Radboud University |url=https://archive.org/details/rojas_berscia_2014_selknam |year=2014 |location=Nijmegen}}</ref>
==Classification== The Haush spoke a language similar to Selkʼnam. Some scholars also add to the family the Teushen language—once spoken by the Teushen, located between the Tehuelche and Puelche—though it is poorly attested.
Viegas Barros (2005) attempts to demonstrate that Gününa Küne to the north is related to the Chon languages and would constitute one branch of an extended Chonan family. This proposal has been picked up by Lyle Campbell.<ref>{{Citation |last=Campbell |first=Lyle |title=Classification of the indigenous languages of South America |date=2012-01-13 |work=The Indigenous Languages of South America |pages=59–166 |editor-last=Campbell |editor-first=Lyle |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110258035.59/html |access-date=2025-03-17 |publisher=DE GRUYTER |doi=10.1515/9783110258035.59 |isbn=978-3-11-025513-3 |editor2-last=Grondona |editor2-first=Verónica|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Based on the scanty evidence that is available, the Het peoples (or at least the Didiuhet [<nowiki/>Querandí]) might be speakers of languages within the proposed Gününa Küne branch.
If this is correct, the Chon family would be as follows:
{{clade |label1=Chonan |1={{clade |label1=Tshon |1={{clade |label1=Island |1={{clade |1=Selkʼnam (Ona) |2=Haush (Manekʼenk) }} |label2=Continental |2={{clade |1=Tehuelche (Aonikenk) |2=Teushen (Téuesh) }} }} |label2=Puelche–Het |2={{clade |1=Gününa Küne (Puelche) |label2=? Het |2={{clade |1=Querandí |2=Chechehet }} }} }} }}
==Vocabulary== {{Section rewrite|outdated source|date=April 2026}} Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the ''Patagon'' (Chonan), Gennaken, and Chechehet (Het) languages.<ref name="Loukotka">{{cite book |last=Loukotka |first=Čestmír |author-link=Čestmír Loukotka |title=Classification of South American Indian languages |url=https://archive.org/details/classificationof0007louk |url-access=registration |publisher=UCLA Latin American Center |year=1968 |location=Los Angeles}}</ref> Additional words are also provided.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IDS - Tehuelche |url=https://ids.clld.org/contributions/310 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=ids.clld.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IDS - Gününa Küne |url=https://ids.clld.org/contributions/312 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=ids.clld.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IDS - Selknam |url=https://ids.clld.org/contributions/311 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=ids.clld.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Endangered Languages Project - Teushen - Diccionario |url=https://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/2150/samples/5980 |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.endangeredlanguages.com |language=en}}</ref>
:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! rowspan="2" |gloss ! colspan="5" |Patagon (Chonan) languages ! rowspan="2" |Gennaken<br>(Gününa Küne) ! colspan="2" |Chechehet (Het) |- ! Selkʼnam !! Mánekenkn !! Téuesh !! Péeneken!! Áoniken !Chechehet !Querandí |- ! one | shórsh || setaul || xáuken || háuke || chochä |chéye | | |- ! two | shóki || aim || xaukáya || xoxieg || xánkä |päch |chivil | |- ! ear | shün || shunó || shán || shaʔa || shán |chütsk | | |- ! tooth | orx || ánktn || korr || urr || hor |xaye | | |- ! hand | chen || shakut || chan || kʔchen || chen |yapal | | |- ! foot | yul || halié || kel || kel || kel |yapgit | | |- ! sun | kren || anián || sheuen || sheuen || sheuen |apiúkük | | |- ! moon | kre || anim || teruch || kenginkon || kängünkon |apioxok | |zobá |- ! dog | uéshn || ishna || xelxénoe || shamehuen || xälänuü |dáshü | | |- !earth |harwn | |geut, geute | |tēm |atek |chu | |- !bow |hàʔ | | | | |yakak | |afia |- !great | | | | | | |hati | |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *Alain Fabre, 2005, ''[https://www.ling.fi/Entradas%20diccionario/Dic=Chon.pdf Diccionario etnolingüístico y guía bibliográfica de los pueblos indígenas sudamericanos: CHON]''
{{Languages of Argentina}} {{language families}} {{South American languages}}
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Category:Chonan languages Category:Language families Category:Languages of Argentina