Proto-Tupian language

Proto-Tupian (PT) is the reconstructed common ancestor of all the Tupian languages. It consists, therefore, of a hypothetic language, reconstructed by the comparative method from data of the descendant languages. In Brazil, the historical-comparative studies are being developed mainly by two scientific teams: one from the Laboratório de Línguas Indígenas (LALI) of the University of Brasília, under the coordination of Aryon Rodrigues; and the other one from the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, located in Belém, under the orientation of Denny Moore. The studies are showing several important evidences about the Proto-Tupi culture (demonstrating, for example, that the ancestors of the Tupi peoples already dedicated to agriculture) 
The most accepted theory is that the Tupian language family was originated between the Guaporé and Aripuanã rivers, in the Madeira River basin. Right now, there are almost 70 living Tupian languages, including Tupi, Paraguayan Guarani, Awetï, Ayvu, etc.

Homeland and urheimat
Rodrigues (2007) considers the Proto-Tupian urheimat to be somewhere between the Guaporé and Aripuanã rivers, in the Madeira River basin. Much of this area corresponds to the modern-day state of Rondônia, Brazil. 5 of the 10 Tupian branches are found in this area, as well as some Tupi–Guarani languages (especially Kawahíb), making it the probable urheimat of these languages and maybe of its speaking peoples. Rodrigues believes that PT dates back to around 5,000 B.P.

Cultural vocabulary
Proto-Tupían cultural vocabulary (Rodrigues and Cabral 2012):

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! gloss !! Proto-Tupian
|-
| **up || ‘father’
|-
| **čɨ || ‘mother’
|-
| **čɨʔɨt || ‘mother’s sister’
|-
| **amõj || ‘grandfather’
|-
| **aʔɨt || ‘man’s son’
|-
| **memɨt || ‘woman’s child’
|-
| **men || ‘husband’
|-
| **atʔɨ || ‘wife’
|-
| **ike || ‘man’s older brother’
|-
| **kɨpʔɨʔɨt || ‘man’s younger brother’
|-
| **kɨpwɨt || ‘woman’s brother’
|-
| **wamu(ã) || ‘shaman’
|-
| **ekw || ‘house’
|-
| **ekwen || ‘door’
|-
| **tʔap || ‘thatch’
|-
| **upap || ‘lying place’
|-
| **eɾi˜ || ‘hammock’
|-
| **acoʔi || ‘to cover’
|-
| **ekwat || ‘village patio’
|-
| **ŋo ~ ŋe || ‘cultivated field’
|-
| **čɨt || ‘digging stick’
|-
| **mani || ‘manioc’
|-
| **awa(i) || ‘yams (Dioscorea sp.)’
|-
| **wetjɨk || ‘sweet potato’
|-
| **kuɾua || ‘pumpkin’
|-
| **pe || ‘tobacco’
|-
| **ɾjuku || ‘achiote (Bixa orellana)’
|-
| **ɨʔa || ‘calabash’
|-
| **ekwʔɨp || ‘arrow’
|-
| **wekeʔa || ‘fish trap’
|-
| **wɨ || ‘ax’
|-
| **ɨɾju || ‘basket’
|-
| **čʔam || ‘rope’
|-
| **waʔ˜e || ‘ceramic pot’
|-
| **čɨt || ‘to bake’
|-
| **wɨp || ‘to bake, to cook’
|-
| **mõj || ‘to cook’
|-
| **eʔe || ‘to grate’
|-
| **čekw || ‘to pound’
|}

See also
 Apapocuva
 Indigenous languages of the Americas
 Languages of Brazil
 Lingua Geral
 List of Spanish words of Indigenous American Indian origin

References

Further reading
 
 
 
Rodrigues, Aryon Dall'Igna (2007). "As consoantes do Proto-Tupí". In Ana Suelly Arruda Câmara Cabral, Aryon Dall'Igna Rodrigues (eds). Linguas e culturas Tupi, p. 167-203. Campinas: Curt Nimuendaju; Brasília: LALI.

 
Category:Indigenous languages of Central Amazonia
Category:Indigenous languages of Western Amazonia
Category:Languages of Brazil
Category:Indigenous languages of South America
Tupian