25 August – Happy Guarani Language Day or Vy’apavê ára guaranÃ!
Guarani – a Little History
Guarani or the ‘people’s language’, along with Spanish is the official language of Paraguay. In 1967 Guarani was declared a national language and in 1992 it was endorsed as the official language of Paraguay.
An estimated 70% of the 7.5 million Paraguay citizens habitually speak Guarani; 90% of the population speak a hybrid of Spanish and Guarani, which they call jopará.
But not everyone is entirely happy about jopará, as it’s regarded as a degraded form of the Guarani language.
Guarani is a member of the Tupi-Guarani branch of the Tupi family that originated in Brazil. Guarani is also spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil by an estimated 6.5 million people.
Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries developed the written version and based it on the Latin alphabet.
Guarani has been regarded as an act of defiance and a symbol of independence from the Spanish influence. Public figures are gauged by whether or not they speak in Guarani and various characters have skilfully utilized the language to provoke a sense of national identity.
The fact that an indigenous language has survived and prevailed is incredible. Throughout South America and the world, scores of languages have been assimilated and consumed.
India Juliana – a Hero of Paraguay
The reason why Guarani has survived is perhaps a reflection of the spirit of defiance against tyranny that has been a hallmark of the country.
The story of ‘India Juliana’ is a fascinating illustration of Paraguyan defiance in the face of tyranny.
In the 1540s, a Guarani woman named Juliana poisoned her Spanish ‘Master’ in retaliation for being mistreated. Juliana then incited other mistreated women to do the same. Good for her! There are conflicting accounts of the eventual fate of Juliana, but apparently, Juliana was executed. Quite rightly, now Juliana is revered as a heroic national symbol of defiance and a feminist pioneer.
English Have Stolen Guarani Words – Typical!
Several English words have derived from Guarani, such as;
Jaguar: ‘yaguareté’
Tapioca: tipi’óka
Piranha: piráña
Cayman: kaimán
Guava: guayvá
Iguana: iwana
Toucan: tucán
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