Araucanian language

Also known as: Mapuche language

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June 18, 2026

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The Araucanian language, also known as Mapudungun, is spoken by the indigenous Araucanian people of south-central Chile and Argentina. It forms an independent language family. The Araucanian people, which include groups like the Mapuche, Picunche, and Huilliche, spoke this language and historically federated for military purposes. Despite facing conflicts with Spanish conquistadors and later with independent Chile, the Araucanian people maintained their independence for centuries in the region known as Araucanía. While the language is distinct, some Araucanians learned Spanish during conflicts.123

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South America
Linguistic patterns
Mapuche speakers, who constitute the largest Indian population in Chile, are restricted to the south-central part of the country, with smaller groups found in Argentina, especially in Neuquén province.
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Mapuche speakers, who constitute the largest Indian population in Chile, are restricted to the south-central part of the country, with smaller groups found in Argentina, especially in Neuquén province.
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South American Indian languages
Grammatical characteristics
…in languages like Quechua or Araucanian, many word roots are both nominal and verbal. Languages like Yuracare form many words by reduplication (the repetition of a word or a part of a word), a process that does not occur systematically in the Tupian languages. Compounding, the joining of two or…
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…in languages like Quechua or Araucanian, many word roots are both nominal and verbal. Languages like Yuracare form many words by reduplication (the repetition of a word or a part of a word), a process that does not occur systematically in the Tupian languages. Compounding, the joining of two or…
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Very Large Telescope
…Cross, and Venus in the language of the Mapuche people. Construction of the VLT began in 1991, and its first observations were made in 1998. Among the VLT’s notable discoveries are the first direct spectrum of an extrasolar planet, HR 8799c, and the first direct measurement of the mass of…
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…Cross, and Venus in the language of the Mapuche people. Construction of the VLT began in 1991, and its first observations were made in 1998. Among the VLT’s notable discoveries are the first direct spectrum of an extrasolar planet, HR 8799c, and the first direct measurement of the mass of…
Read More