Yanesha'
Yanesha
Arawakan
Yanesha (formerly Amuesha; autonymously Yanesha') is an Arawakan language of the Andes-Amazon ecotone of central Peru, geographically and linguistically isolated within the Arawakan family — Yanesha is its own subgroup within Maipurean Arawakan, with no close sister languages. The Yanesha people developed a distinctive cultural identity in the Selva Central, with intensive yuca/manioc cultivation and ceremonial connections to the cloud-forest landscape. UNESCO classifies definitely endangered with intergenerational transmission largely lost; younger generations are Spanish-dominant. The Mexican Bible Society and SIL have produced literacy materials since the 1960s, with the New Testament published 1980.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Yanesha
Water
acopcho
/akopt͡ʃo/
Fire
oña
/oɲa/
Sun
mtsho
/mt͡so/
Moon
ojets
/od͡ʒet͡s/
Mother
neñ
/neɲ/
Father
oñ
/oɲ/
Eat
epam
/epam/
Drink
epcham
/ept͡ʃam/
Love
ehueñ
/eweɲ/
Heart
nemueñ
/nemweɲ/
Tree
ñeñoph
/ɲeɲopʰ/
House
pamoñ
/pamoɲ/
Dog
atso
/at͡so/
Cat
michi
/mit͡ʃi/
Hand
neyepy
/nejepɨ/
Eye
oqueño
/okeɲo/
Hello
salud
/salud/
Thank you
gracia
/ɡɾasia/
One
quesoll
/kesoʎ/
Good
paretem
/paɾetem/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan languages
| Meaning | Yanesha | Sasak | Bahnar | Ladino | Romanian | Spanish (Mexico) | Spanish (Colombia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | acopcho /akopt͡ʃo/ | aiq /aiʔ/ | dak /dak/ | agua /aɣwa/ | apă /apə/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ |
| Fire | oña /oɲa/ | api /api/ | unh /uɲ/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | foc /fok/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ |
| Sun | mtsho /mt͡so/ | mataari /mataari/ | mat trơ /mat trə/ | sol /sol/ | soare /so̯are/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | ojets /od͡ʒet͡s/ | bulan /bulan/ | khe /kʰe/ | luna /luna/ | lună /lunə/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Mother | neñ /neɲ/ | inaq /inaʔ/ | mei /mei/ | madre /madɾe/ | mamă /mamə/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ |
| Father | oñ /oɲ/ | amaq /amaʔ/ | bă /bə/ | padre /padɾe/ | tată /tatə/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ |
| Eat | epam /epam/ | mangan /maŋan/ | sa /sa/ | komer /komeɾ/ | a mânca /a mɨnka/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ |
| Drink | epcham /ept͡ʃam/ | nginem /ŋinəm/ | ngoah /ŋoah/ | bever /beveɾ/ | a bea /a be̯a/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ |
| Love | ehueñ /eweɲ/ | tresne /tresne/ | rơngư /rəŋɨ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | iubire /jubire/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ |
| Heart | nemueñ /nemweɲ/ | ate /ate/ | blei /blei/ | korasón /koɾason/ | inimă /inimə/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ |
| Tree | ñeñoph /ɲeɲopʰ/ | lolon kayu /lolon kaju/ | lông /loŋ/ | árvol /aɾvol/ | copac /kopak/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ |
| House | pamoñ /pamoɲ/ | bale /bale/ | hnam /hnam/ | kaza /kaza/ | casă /kasə/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Dog | atso /at͡so/ | aco /atʃo/ | cho /tʃo/ | pero /pero/ | câine /kɨine/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ |
| Cat | michi /mit͡ʃi/ | meong /meoŋ/ | miao /miao/ | gato /ɡato/ | pisică /pisikə/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ |
| Hand | neyepy /nejepɨ/ | ime /ime/ | ti /ti/ | mano /mano/ | mână /mɨnə/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ |
| Eye | oqueño /okeɲo/ | mate /mate/ | mat /mat/ | ojo /oʒo/ | ochi /okʲ/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ |
| Hello | salud /salud/ | salam /salam/ | ô /o/ | shalom /ʃalom/ | salut /salut/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ |
| Thank you | gracia /ɡɾasia/ | tampi asih /tampi asih/ | kơbi /kəbi/ | grasias /ɡɾasjas/ | mulțumesc /mult͡sumesk/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ |
| One | quesoll /kesoʎ/ | esa /esa/ | minh /miɲ/ | uno /uno/ | unu /unu/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ |
| Good | paretem /paɾetem/ | solah /solah/ | ling /liŋ/ | bueno /bweno/ | bun /bun/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ |
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