Language secrecy and concealment in Chamacoco (Zamucoan)

Ciucci, Luca

Abstract

This study addresses language secrecy and concealment in Chamacoco, with particular reference to the so-called Ebitoso dialect, spoken by the vast majority of Chamacoco people. Secrecy and concealment involving Chamacoco manifest themselves into four aspects: (i) the secrecy of the Chamacoco Indigenous religion, which resulted in linguistic taboos, mostly concerning myths and ritual songs; (ii) the concealment of the Chamacoco language, a strategy adopted when speakers want to hide their Indigenous identity; (iii) the use of Chamacoco as a secret language, in other contexts; (iv) the emergence of a secret register in Chamacoco, as a reaction to the Hispanization of the language, which makes some expressions potentially understandable to Spanish speakers.

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The Mouth: critical studies on language, culture and society

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The Mouth: critical studies on language, culture and society

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2513-101X

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Universitaet zu Koeln

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