Qafaraf
Afar
Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic)
Afar (Qafaraf) is the language of the Afar people of the Horn of Africa. It is closely related to Somali (both are East Cushitic) and has a marked-nominative case system unusual among the world's languages.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Afar
Water
lee
/leː/
Fire
gira
/ɡira/
Sun
ayró
/ajɾo/
Moon
alsá
/alsa/
Star
cutuk
/ħutuk/
Mother
iná
/iˈna/
Father
abbá
/abːa/
I
anu
/anu/
You
atu
/atu/
Name
migaaq
/migaːʕ/
Eye
intí
/inti/
Hand
gabá
/ɡaba/
Heart
lubbí
/lubːi/
Love
kacanú
/kaħanu/
Tree
caxá
/ħaɖa/
House
qarí
/ʕari/
Dog
kuduú
/kuduː/
Cat
dummú
/dummu/
Eat
akmé
/akme/
Drink
kibé
/kibe/
One
enek
/enek/
Two
namma
/namːa/
Hello
nagá
/naɡa/
Thank you
qungúsa
/ʕuŋɡusa/
Good
meqé
/meʕe/
Words compared
Compared with related Afro-Asiatic (Cushitic) languages
| Meaning | Afar | Saho | Oromo | Konso | Pashai | Sidamo | Cook Islands Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | lee /leː/ | lee /leː/ | bishaan /biʃaːn/ | pishaa /piʃaː/ | واری /waːri/ | waayyo /waːjːo/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | gira /ɡira/ | gira /ɡira/ | ibidda /ibidːa/ | apitta /apitːa/ | انگاری /aŋɡaːri/ | giiraa /ɡiːraː/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | ayró /ajɾo/ | ayro /ajɾo/ | aduu /aduː/ | piirtuta /piːrtuta/ | سور /sur/ | arrishshe /arːiʃːe/ | rā /raː/ |
| Moon | alsá /alsa/ | alsa /alsa/ | jiʼa /dʒiʔa/ | leya /leja/ | مس /mas/ | agana /aɡana/ | marama /marama/ |
| Star | cutuk /ħutuk/ | cutuk /ħutuk/ | urjii /urdʒiː/ | hikkitta /hikːitːa/ | تارا /taːraː/ | beeddakko /beːdːakko/ | etū /eˈtuː/ |
| Mother | iná /iˈna/ | ina /ina/ | haadha /haːɗa/ | aayyaa /aːjːaː/ | نا /naː/ | ama /ama/ | māmā /maːmaː/ |
| Father | abbá /abːa/ | abba /abba/ | abbaa /abːaː/ | aappaa /aːpːaː/ | تاتا /taːtaː/ | anna /anːa/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ |
| I | anu /anu/ | anu /ʔanu/ | ani /ani/ | anti /anti/ | آ /aː/ | ani /ani/ | au /au/ |
| You | atu /atu/ | atu /ʔatu/ | ati /ati/ | atti /atti/ | تو /tu/ | ati /ati/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | migaaq /migaːʕ/ | migaq /miɡaːʕ/ | maqaa /makʼaː/ | maχχa /maχːa/ | نام /naːm/ | suʼma /suʔma/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ |
| Eye | intí /inti/ | inti /inti/ | ija /idʒa/ | ilta /ilta/ | اچی /atʃiː/ | ille /ilːe/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | gabá /ɡaba/ | gaba /ɡaba/ | harka /haɾka/ | harka /harka/ | دست /dast/ | anga /anɡa/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Heart | lubbí /lubːi/ | qalbe /qalbe/ | onnee /onːeː/ | sataʔta /sataʔta/ | دل /dil/ | wodanaa /wodanaː/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Love | kacanú /kaħanu/ | kaxano /kaħano/ | jaalala /dʒaːlala/ | ʄaalaɗiyaa /ʄaːlaɗijaː/ | پیار /pjaːr/ | baxa /batʼa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ |
| Tree | caxá /ħaɖa/ | caar /ħaːr/ | muka /muka/ | ʛoyra /ʛojra/ | درغ /darʁ/ | haqqe /haqːe/ | rākau /raːkau/ |
| House | qarí /ʕari/ | kalo /kalo/ | mana /mana/ | tika /tika/ | جوغ /dʒoʁ/ | mine /mine/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ |
| Dog | kuduú /kuduː/ | kare /kaɾe/ | saree /saɾeː/ | kuta /kuta/ | کوتا /kotaː/ | minceeti /mintʃeːti/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | dummú /dummu/ | dummu /dummu/ | adurree /aduɾːeː/ | aturraata /aturːaːta/ | بلور /baloːr/ | adurree /adurːeː/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ |
| Eat | akmé /akme/ | niitan /niːtan/ | nyaachuu /ɲaːtʃuː/ | ɗamiyaa /ɗamijaː/ | کخن- /kxn/ | itaa /itaː/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | kibé /kibe/ | yaaqab /jaːʕab/ | dhuguu /ɗuɡuː/ | ikiyaa /ikijaː/ | پی- /piː/ | aguraa /aɡuraː/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | enek /enek/ | inki /inki/ | tokko /tokːo/ | takka /takːa/ | ایک /eːk/ | mitto /mitːo/ | ta'i /taʔi/ |
| Two | namma /namːa/ | lammá /lamˈma/ | lama /lama/ | lakki /lakːi/ | دو /duː/ | lame /lame/ | rua /ˈrua/ |
| Hello | nagá /naɡa/ | malaal /malaːl/ | akkam /akːam/ | nakaytaa /nakajtaː/ | سلام /salaːm/ | nagaa yi'ne /naɡaː jiʔne/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ |
| Thank you | qungúsa /ʕuŋɡusa/ | galatto /ɡalatto/ | galatoomi /ɡalatoːmi/ | — /—/ | شکریه /ʃukrija/ | gali'ne /ɡaliʔne/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
| Good | meqé /meʕe/ | meqe /meʕe/ | gaarii /ɡaːriː/ | paʛaari /paʛaːri/ | شو /ʃoː/ | danchu /dantʃu/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
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