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Language of the Voiceless: Traces of Taino Language, Food, and Culture in the Americas From 1492 to the Present

by Leonardo Nin

by Leonardo Nin

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P a g e | 135<br />

<strong>Ta<strong>in</strong>o</strong> was no exception. Believed <strong>to</strong> have disappeared from <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ent as early<br />

as 1458, it was necessary <strong>to</strong> trace <strong>the</strong> legacy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir language, culture, religion <strong>and</strong><br />

cosmovision across <strong>the</strong> Spanish <strong>and</strong> European records <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> conquest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ent<br />

<strong>and</strong> see if this assertion was true. Therefore, a central text was chosen due <strong>to</strong> its place <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> his<strong>to</strong>rical chronology <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> conquest <strong>and</strong> after analyz<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g data were<br />

obta<strong>in</strong>ed:<br />

Percentage <strong>of</strong> Indigenous American Words <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> True His<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Conquest <strong>of</strong> New<br />

Spa<strong>in</strong><br />

Percentage <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ta<strong>in</strong>o</strong> Words<br />

Percentage <strong>of</strong> Ma<strong>in</strong>l<strong>and</strong> Words from<br />

various languages (Nahuatl, Mayan,<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs)<br />

39.5% 60.5%<br />

This percentage was established based on <strong>the</strong> etymological Comparative Method<br />

<strong>of</strong> l<strong>in</strong>guistic analysis. With this method, suspected words would be disqualified or<br />

classified as <strong>Ta<strong>in</strong>o</strong>, based on <strong>the</strong>ir etymon relation <strong>to</strong> surviv<strong>in</strong>g genetic languages <strong>and</strong><br />

based on <strong>the</strong>ir mention <strong>in</strong> at least one primary source prior <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> conquest <strong>of</strong> New<br />

Spa<strong>in</strong>. Secondary sources were used, but only if reputable <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> his<strong>to</strong>rical records.<br />

Therefore, if <strong>the</strong> word met this criterion, it was classified as <strong>Ta<strong>in</strong>o</strong> <strong>and</strong> subtracted from<br />

<strong>the</strong> general pool <strong>of</strong> American words <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> text. The word would <strong>the</strong>n be counted for<br />

prevalence <strong>of</strong> usage <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> central text <strong>and</strong> searched <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spanish Academy <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Language</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial database. This second part was done <strong>to</strong> establish cont<strong>in</strong>uance <strong>of</strong> usage.

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