Cacán language facts for kids

Cacán (also known as Cacan, Kakán, Calchaquí, and Diaguita) was an extinct language once spoken by the Diaguita and Calchaquí people. These tribes lived in northern Argentina and Chile. The Cacán language disappeared around the late 1600s or early 1700s.

A Jesuit priest named Alonso de Bárcena wrote down some information about the language. Sadly, his writings are now lost. Because we have so few words left from Cacán, experts don't know for sure which language family it belongs to. It's still a mystery!

What Kinds of Cacán Were There?

Even though Cacán is an extinct language, we know it had different forms or "varieties." Think of it like how English has different accents or dialects around the world.

Different Groups Who Spoke Cacán

A language expert named Loukotka (in 1968) grouped some of these varieties together. He called them part of the Diaguit language group. These were spoken by many tribes in Argentina.

Some of the groups who spoke related languages or dialects included:

• Diaguit: Spoken in areas like Catamarca, Argentina.
  • Some dialects were Quilme, Yocabil, and Andalgalá.
• Calchaquí (or Cacán): Spoken in Salta province, Argentina.
  • Some dialects were Guachipa and Tolombon.
• Cupayana: Spoken in San Juan and La Rioja provinces.
• Copiapó: Spoken in Chile, near the city of Copiapó.

Another expert, Mason (in 1950), also listed many Diaguita subgroups. These included names like Calchaquí, Famatina, and Quilme. This shows that many different local groups spoke forms of Cacán or very similar languages.

Words We Still Know

It's hard to find Cacán words today. Some might exist in place names (toponyms) or family names. But it's often difficult to be sure if they truly came from Cacán.

Here are a few words that we do know:

• Ao, hao, ahao = town
• Gasta = town (You can see this in place names like Tinogasta or Sanogasta, which might mean "Tinogasta town" or "Sanogasta town"!)
• Kakanchik = The name of a god, possibly related to fertility.
• Titakin = lord or king
• Zupka = altar, a place for special ceremonies or sacrifices

Some Calchaquí words listed by Loukotka (1968) include:

• enxam = head
• ma = water
• tutu = fire
• fil = sun
• ki = tree
• hua = maize (corn)

See also

In Spanish: Cacán para niños