Maipure, also known as Mejepure or Maypure, was once spoken along the Ventuari, Sipapo, and Autana rivers of Amazonas, as well as serving as a lingua franca in the Upper Orinoco region. Unfortunately, it became extinct around the end of the eighteenth century. Despite its disappearance, Maipure holds historical significance as it formed the cornerstone for the recognition of the Maipurean (Arawakan) language family.

During the eighteenth century, Maipure speakers were primarily located within Jesuit reductions alongside other indigenous groups such as Avane, Yavitero, and Tamanaken. These communities aimed to facilitate the conversion to Christianity. However, due to various factors including cultural destruction and acculturation processes, the Maipure language rapidly declined, leading to its extinction within a few generations.

Language family

Maipure belongs to the Arawakan language family, which is the largest language family in South America, comprising approximately 65 languages, both extant and extinct. Arawakan languages are spoken across four countries in Central America and eight countries in South America. In the following website you can find its detailed phylogenetic tree.

Some examples of the language

1. I-ya-ka anarima-ba

   3SG-live-REAL forest-PERLAT

   ‘He lived in the forest’

    

2. Waituranawɨ-na

   Man-1SG

   ‘I am a man’

        (Durand, 2018)