The Isthmic languages are a branch of the Chibchan languages that includes the most speakers of the language family; they are spoken in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.
Definition Costa Rican linguist specializing in Chibchan languages Adolfo Constenla Umaña identifies several phonological and grammatical characteristics that distinguish the Isthmic languages from other Chibchan languages.
Classification The Isthmic languages are subdivided into three groups: the Western Isthmic/Talamanca languages, the Doracic languages, and the Eastern Isthmic/Guaymí–Guna languages.
Western Isthmic/Talamanca languages
The Western Isthmic languages are spoken in Costa Rica and northern Panama. They are Boruca, an extinct language that was spoken in the canton of Buenos Aires in Costa Rica;, Bribri, spoken in the cantons of Buenos Aires and Talamanca in Costa Rica;, Cabécar, spoken in the canton of Talamanca in Costa Rica;, and Teribe, spoken in the south of Puntarenas Province in Costa Rica and in the north of Bocas del Toro Province in Panama.
The similarities between Bribri and Cabécar justify grouping them together within a common subgroup, the Viceitic languages.
Doracic languages
The Doracic languages were spoken in northern Panama, near the Costa Rican border. The two known representatives of this group are the extinct languages Changuena; and Dorasque
Eastern Isthmic/Guaymí–Guna languages
The Eastern Isthmic languages are spoken in Panama and Colombia. They are Buglere, spoken in Panama;, Ngäbere, spoken in the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca in Panama and in southern Costa Rica, near the Panamanian border;, and Guna, spoken in Panama and Colombia.
The similarities between Buglere and Ngäbere justify grouping them together within a common subgroup, the Guaymi languages.
Lexical Comparison The numerals in different Isthmic varieties are: {|class=wikitable style=text-align:center; |- ! rowspan=2|Glossary ! colspan=4|Western ! colspan=3|Eastern ! rowspan=2|Proto-Isthmic |- ! Boruca !! Bribri ! Cabécar !! Teribe ! Buglere !! Ngäbere !! Guna |- | 1 || éʔtsè || éköl || é- || kʰwara || gdɑite || di || gwen || *e-kwə |- | 2 || búʔk || bö́l || bó- || pʰo̘k̚ || gdɑboke || bu || bo || *boke |- | 3 || máŋ || mañál || bāʤã́- || mya || gdɑmɑ̃ĩ || mɔ || baa || *bayã |- | 4 || báxkàŋ || tkë́l || pkí-(N.)tkí-(S.) || pkɪŋ || gdɑbɑgɑ || bgɔ || bake || *bake |- | 5 || ʃɪʃkáŋ || ské̠l || skẽ́- || ʃkɪŋ || gdɑtigɑ || rigɛ || atar || *tig(?)(*skẽ-) |- | 6 || téʃàŋ || teröl || sàhurà+1 || tʰɛr || gdɑdereke || ti || nergwa || *ter- |- | 7 || kúx || kúl || sàhurà+2 || kʰɔ̘k̚ || gdɑguke || kɯɡɯ || gugle || *gug(l)e |- | 8 || éxtàŋkúxtàŋ || pàköl || sàhurà+3 || kʰwoŋ || gdɑpɑ || kwɔ || baabak || *kwog-(?) |- | 9 || éxkùx || su̠lì̠tu || sàhurà+4 || ʃkaw || gdɑĩnkɑ || ɤɡɔ̃ || bakebak || ? |- | 10 || téxkùx || dabam || sàhurà bótkʊ̀ || sakwara || gdɑtɑboko || ni hɔdɔ || ambe || *taba(?)
References
Bibliography . . Constenla Umaña, Adolfo. 1981. Comparative Chibchan Phonology. (Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia).