Kalina language
highly endangered South American language, spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs)

Kalina, also known as Kariʼna, Carib, and Galibi, is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 mostly in Brazil, the Guianas, and Venezuela. The language is currently classified as highly endangered, as it is only spoken by elders.
Names
The language is known by several names to both its speakers and outsiders. Traditionally it has been known as "Carib" or "Carib proper" in English, after its speakers, being given the exonym "Caribs". The term Galibi, which originated as a pronunciation of Caribe, is also frequently used; for example Glottolog uses the name "Galibi Carib" for the Carib language, plus "Galibi-Marworno Creole French" for the variety of Karipúna Creole French as used by the Galibi Marworno, and "Galibi-based pidgin" for the family consisting of Joeka–Oajana pidgin and the extinct Pidgin Carib. The people are known as Galibí, Kalihna or Caribe in Portuguese, Caribe in Spanish, Galina in French, and Karaïeb in Dutch. However, the speakers call themselves Kalina or Karìna (variously spelled), and call their language Karìna auran [kaɽiɁnʲauɽaŋ]. Spelling variants include Kaliʼna, Kariʼnja, Cariña, Kariña, Kalihna, Kalinya; other native names include Maraworno and Marworno.
Classification
Kariʼnja is classified as a Cariban language, in the Guianan Carib branch.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Kalina language” is highly endangered South American language, spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Kalina, language and highly, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “highly endangered South American language, spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q56611. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kalina language”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kalina language primary sources, Kalina language archive and Kalina research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kalina language”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kalina language” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.