Aʼingae, commonly known as Cofán or Kofán, is the primary language of the Aʼi (Cofán) people, an indigenous group whose ancestral territory lies at the interface between the Andean foothills and Amazonia in the northeast of Ecuador (Sucumbíos province) and southern Colombia (Putumayo & Nariño provinces).

While past classifications have identified Cofán as belonging to linguistic families such as Chibchan[2] or Andean B,[3] it is now widely agreed to be a language isolate, with no known genetic relatives.

[4][5][6][7] Aʼingae is a language isolate of Amazonia spoken by the Cofán people in Sucumbios Province in northeastern Ecuador and the departments of Putumayo and Nariño in southern Colombia.

[7] However, language attitudes about Aʼingae are positive and it is considered foundational to Cofán identity and community (Cepek 2012).

In Ecuador, the Cofán have resisted conquest by the Inca and colonization by the Spanish, as well as anti-indigenous policies by the Ecuadorian government.

In addition, participation in cultural practices such as drinking yaje and traditional skills like hunting and housebuilding, rather than descent or ethnicity, plays a large role in determining one's status as an aʼi (Cepek 2012).

The Cofán credit their strong linguistic identity for their ability to withstand colonial oppression and protect their traditional way of life.

While there have been previous claims of genetic ties or language contact of Aʼingae to Barbacoan, Chicham, and Chibchan, it has been determined that there are no substantial borrowings.

The 6 diphthongs and their nasal counterparts in IPA representation are the following: [ai]/[ãĩ], [oe]/[õẽ], [oa]/[õã], [oi]/[õĩ], [ɨi]/[ɨ̃ĩ], and [ao]/[ãõ].

Triphthongs do not exist in Aʼingae, and glottal stops are inserted phonemically when a sequence of three vowels would occur as in example (1) below.

At minimum a syllable can be a singular vowel and at maximum can be consonant onset with a diphthong nucleus and glottal stop coda.

[5] Generally speaking, in the absence of a glottal stop, stress in Aʼingae is found on the penultimate syllable as in examples (12a) and (12b).

More recently, the Cofán community has created and widely adopted a new writing system which aimed to solve some of the opacities of Borman's script.

Clitics in the noun phrase occur in a fixed order, and can mark case, negation, and other grammatical features.

[11] Constituent order in matrix clauses in Aʼingae is relatively flexible, with SOV (or SO-predicate) considered basic.

a’ipersonmani=mapeanut=ACCisûtakea’i mani=ma isûperson peanut=ACC take‘The people took the peanuts.’ [5]: 40 amûnde=tshi=vedirty-QUAL=ACC.IRRtsun=’fa=yado=SBJ.PL=IRRamûnde=tshi=ve tsun=’fa=yadirty-QUAL=ACC.IRR do=SBJ.PL=IRR‘We’ll make it dirty.’ [5]: 25 chava=ngibuy=1fûesûOTHERsimba-’khu=mafishing-CL:angular=ACC.REALchava=ngi fûesû simba-’khu=mabuy=1 OTHER fishing-CL:angular=ACC.REAL‘I bought a different fishing hook.’ (elic.)

Accusative 2 typically is used in negative sentences or when the P-argument is not yet present or does not exist, in contexts of expressing desire, causation, or creation.

Tsumbatetsun=pa=tedo=SS=RPRTtsatsaANAtisematise=ma3.SG=ACCse'jepase'je=pacure=SSTsumbate tsa tisema se'jepatsun=pa=te tsa tise=ma se'je=pado=SS=RPRT ANA 3.SG=ACC cure=SS"They cured him"[10]setsa=ne=ta=tsûlow=ABL=NEW.TOP=3ji=’fa=’yacome=SBJ.PL=ASSsetsa=ne=ta=tsû ji=’fa=’yalow=ABL=NEW.TOP=3 come=SBJ.PL=ASS‘They came from downriver.’ [5]: 13 tsa=’ka=enANA=SIM=ADVRtsun=jado=IMPtsa=’ka=en tsun=jaANA=SIM=ADVR do=IMP‘Do it like that!’ [5]: 41 Me'inme'innokansekan='selook=IMP3Me'in kanseme'in kan='seno look=IMP3"Don't look (you shouldn't look)"[10]injan=’fa=khathink=PL=DIMinjan=’fa=khathink=PL=DIM‘Mind you!/Be careful!’ [5]: 41 fûesû=tiOTHER=INTjinexistfûesû=ti jinOTHER=INT exist‘Is there another one?’ [5]: 41 ma=jan=tsûIGNR1=CNTR.TOP=3ka’ni-aenter-CAUSma=jan=tsû ka’ni-aIGNR1=CNTR.TOP=3 enter-CAUS‘Who let you in?’ [5]: 42 anthe=jamalet.go=PROHchiganepleaseanthe=jama chiganelet.go=PROH please‘Don’t let it go please!’ [5]: 41 The following text is The North Wind and the Sun translated into Aʼingae.Umbaʼkhûniʼsû[õˈᵐba.kʰɨ.ni.sɨFingianˈfĩ.ᵑɡiãtuyakaenˈto.ja.kãekueʼjetekoḛ.ˈhe.teafaʼkhuʼjeʼfaa.ˈfã̰.kʰo.he.famajan deˈmã.jã.ⁿdetiʼtsheˈti.t͡sʰɨikiʼanʼkhe,ˈkĩ.jã.kʰẽtsunʼjenindeˈt͡sõ̰.hẽ.nĩ.ⁿdejakanʼsûˈha.kã̰.sɨtuʼmbiaˈto.ᵐbia̰saʼvutshiaˈsa̰.ʋɨ.t͡sʰiaupûiʼjengaoˈpuḭ.hẽ.ᵑɡafindiyeʼchufĩ.ˈdi.je.t͡ʃojiˈhi]Umbaʼkhûniʼsû Fingian tuyakaen kueʼjete afaʼkhuʼjeʼfa {majan de} tiʼtshe kiʼanʼkhe, tsunʼjeninde jakanʼsû tuʼmbia saʼvutshia upûiʼjenga findiyeʼchu ji[õˈᵐba.kʰɨ.ni.sɨ ˈfĩ.ᵑɡiã ˈto.ja.kãe koḛ.ˈhe.te a.ˈfã̰.kʰo.he.fa ˈmã.jã.ⁿde ˈti.t͡sʰɨi ˈkĩ.jã.kʰẽ ˈt͡sõ̰.hẽ.nĩ.ⁿde ˈha.kã̰.sɨ ˈto.ᵐbia̰ ˈsa̰.ʋɨ.t͡sʰia oˈpuḭ.hẽ.ᵑɡa fĩ.ˈdi.je.t͡ʃo ˈhi]The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveler came along wrapped in a warm cloak.Tansiʼfate tsa[tã.ˈsḭ̃.fa.te.t͡samajanˈmã.hãuʼtieˈo̰.tiḛtiseˈti.sejakansûˈha.kã.sɨfindiyeʼchufi.ˈⁿdi.jḛ.t͡ʃoupûiʼjemao.ˈpuḭ.hẽ.mãushiʼchhachhuu.ˈʃiʔ.t͡ʃʰa.t͡ʃʰotiʼtshe kiʼañekĩ.jã.nẽ]{Tansiʼfate tsa} majan uʼtie tise jakansû findiyeʼchu upûiʼjema ushiʼchhachhu tiʼtshe kiʼañe[tã.ˈsḭ̃.fa.te.t͡sa ˈmã.hã ˈo̰.tiḛ ˈti.se ˈha.kã.sɨ fi.ˈⁿdi.jḛ.t͡ʃo o.ˈpuḭ.hẽ.mã u.ˈʃiʔ.t͡ʃʰa.t͡ʃʰo {} kĩ.jã.nẽ]They agreed that the one who first succeeded in making the traveler take his cloak off should be considered stronger than the other.Tsumbate,[ˈt͡sõ.ᵐba.teumbaniʼsûˈõ.ᵐba.ni.sɨfingianfĩ.ᵑɡiãûʼfa kiaʼmeˈɨ.fakiã̰.mẽtiseˈti.seushaʼfanga,ˈu.ʃa̰.fã̰.ᵑɡatsamaˈt͡sa.matiseˈti.setiʼtsheˈti.t͡sʰeûfaʼniˈɨ.fa̰.nijakanʼsûˈha.kã.sɨtiseˈti.seupûiʼjemao.ˈpuḭ.hẽ.mãfindi;ˈfĩ.ⁿdiusefaʼpangao.ˈse.faʔ.pã.ᵑɡaumbakhûniʼsûõ.ˈᵐba.kʰɨ.nḭ.sufingianˈfĩ.ᵑɡiãushambipau.ˈʃã.ᵐbi.paantheã.tʰḛ]Tsumbate, umbaniʼsû fingian {ûʼfa kiaʼme} tise ushaʼfanga, tsama tise tiʼtshe ûfaʼni jakanʼsû tise upûiʼjema findi; usefaʼpanga umbakhûniʼsû fingian ushambipa anthe[ˈt͡sõ.ᵐba.te ˈõ.ᵐba.ni.sɨ fĩ.ᵑɡiã ˈɨ.fakiã̰.mẽ ˈti.se ˈu.ʃa̰.fã̰.ᵑɡa ˈt͡sa.ma ˈti.se ˈti.t͡sʰe ˈɨ.fa̰.ni ˈha.kã.sɨ ˈti.se o.ˈpuḭ.hẽ.mã ˈfĩ.ⁿdi o.ˈse.faʔ.pã.ᵑɡa õ.ˈᵐba.kʰɨ.nḭ.su ˈfĩ.ᵑɡiã u.ˈʃã.ᵐbi.pa ã.tʰḛ]Then the North Wind blew as hard as he could, but the more he blew the more closely did the traveler fold his cloak around him; and at last the North Wind gave up the attempt.Tsunsite[ˈt͡sõ.si.tekueʼjeˈkoe.hesavutshiˈsaʔ.ʋɨ.t͡sichanʼjun,ˈt͡ʃã.hɨtsuinʼkhûtet͡sɨ̃ḭ̃.kɨ.tḛfavatsheyifa.ˈʋa.t͡sɨijacanʼsuˈha.kã̰.sɨtiseˈti.seupûiʼjemao.ˈpuḭ.he.mãushichau.ˈʃi.t͡ʃʰa]Tsunsite kueʼje savutshi chanʼjun, tsuinʼkhûte favatsheyi jacanʼsu tise upûiʼjema ushicha[ˈt͡sõ.si.te ˈkoe.he ˈsaʔ.ʋɨ.t͡si ˈt͡ʃã.hɨ t͡sɨ̃ḭ̃.kɨ.tḛ fa.ˈʋa.t͡sɨi ˈha.kã̰.sɨ ˈti.se o.ˈpuḭ.he.mã u.ˈʃi.t͡ʃʰa]Then the Sun shone out warmly, and immediately the traveler took off his cloak.Tsumbate[ˈt͡so.ᵐbaʔ.tḛumbaniʼsûˈõ.ᵐba.ni.sufingianˈfĩ.ᵑɡiatansiʼñaʼchovedaʼyatã.ˈsi.jã̰.t͡ʃo.ʋe.ˈda̰.jatsat͡sakueʼjeˈkoḛ.hekhuaʼngingaˈkʰua̰.ᵑɡi.ᵑɡainʼjaniˈĩʔ.ha.nitiʼtsheˈti.t͡sʰekianʼkhe.ˈkĩ.jã.kʰḛ̃]Tsumbate umbaniʼsû fingian tansiʼñaʼchovedaʼya tsa kueʼje khuaʼnginga inʼjani tiʼtshe kianʼkhe.

[8]ACC1:accusative case ACC2:accusative case ANG:angular CMP:comparative DIST2:distal DMN:diminutive HORT2:hortative IMP3:imperative mood LAT:lateral PLH:human plural PLS:plural subject PRCM:preculminative PRHB:prohibitive mood RPRT:reportative SFC:surface SH:shape ADJR:adjectivalizer ADVR:adverbializer ANA.LOC:anaphoric locative ANA:anaphoric reference to entity or event IGNR1:ignorative 1 IGNR2:ignorative 2 OTHER:difference marker QUAL:quality SIM:similative