Ocaina is an indigenous American language spoken in western South America. Classification Ocaina belongs to the Witotoan language family. It is its own group within the Huitoto-Ocaina sub-family. Geographic distribution Ocaina is spoken by 54 people in northeastern Peru and by 12 more in the Amazonas region of Colombia. Few children speak the language. Dialects/Varieties There are two dialects of Ocaina: Dukaiya and Ibo'tsa. Phonology Consonants Vowels Tone Syllables in Ocaina may be marked with one of two tones: high or low. Syllables Syllables in Ocaina consist of a vowel; single consonants may appear on either side of the vowel: (C)V(C). Writing System Ocaina is written using a Latin alphabet. A chart of symbols with the sounds they represent is as follows: Because the Ocaina alphabet is based on Spanish, c is used to indicate before a, o, and u, qu is used before e and i, and k is used in loan words, such as "kerosene". Nasalization is indicated by inserting n after a vowel. Compare: "hang it" vs. "clean it". High tone is indicated with the acute accent: á, é, í, ó, ú. References Witotoan languages Languages of Peru Languages of Colombia es:Ocaina