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
31 core words in Yanesha
Water
acopcho
/akoptʃo/
Fire
oña
/oɲa/
Sun
mtsho
/mtso/
Moon
ojets
/odʒets/
Star
puell
/pweʎ/
Mother
neñ
/neɲ/
Father
oñ
/oɲ/
I
ña
/ɲa/
You
ama
/ama/
Name
resh
/reʃ/
Eye
oqueño
/okeɲo/
Hand
neyepy
/nejepɨ/
Heart
nemueñ
/nemweɲ/
Love
ehueñ
/eweɲ/
Tree
ñeñoph
/ɲeɲopʰ/
House
pamoñ
/pamoɲ/
Dog
atso
/atso/
Cat
michi
/mitʃi/
Eat
epam
/epam/
Drink
epcham
/eptʃam/
One
quesoll
/kesoʎ/
Two
epaʼ
/epaʔ/
Hello
salud
/salud/
Thank you
gracia
/ɡɾasia/
Good
paretem
/paɾetem/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan languages
| Meaning | Yanesha | Misak | Pemón | Bahnar | Shuar | Shipibo-Conibo | Gayo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | acopcho /akoptʃo/ | unø /unø/ | kü /ky/ | dak /dak/ | yumi /jumi/ | jene /hene/ | weih /weih/ |
| Fire | oña /oɲa/ | nipi /nipi/ | apok /apɔk/ | unh /uɲ/ | ji /hi/ | chii /tʃiː/ | rara /ɾaɾa/ |
| Sun | mtsho /mtso/ | shi /ʃi/ | wato /watɯ/ | mat trơ /mat trə/ | etsa /etsa/ | bari /bari/ | matanlo /matanlo/ |
| Moon | ojets /odʒets/ | atru /atɾu/ | karo /kaɾɯ/ | khe /kʰe/ | nantu /nantu/ | oxe /oʃe/ | ulen /ulən/ |
| Star | puell /pweʎ/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | chirikö /tʃiɾikø/ | hmang /hmaːŋ/ | yaa /jaː/ | wishati /wiʃati/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | neñ /neɲ/ | mama /mama/ | mamã /mamɑ̃/ | mei /mei/ | nukur /nukuɾ/ | tita /tita/ | ine /ine/ |
| Father | oñ /oɲ/ | tata /tata/ | papai /papɑ̃i/ | bă /bə/ | apar /apaɾ/ | papa /papa/ | ama /ama/ |
| I | ña /ɲa/ | na /na/ | yuurö /juːɾø/ | inh /iɲ/ | wi /wi/ | ea /ea/ | aku /aku/ |
| You | ama /ama/ | ñui /ɲui/ | amörö /amøɾø/ | ih /ʔih/ | ame /ame/ | mia /mia/ | ko /ko/ |
| Name | resh /reʃ/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | ese' /eseʔ/ | anĕ /anɛ/ | naari /naːɾi/ | jane /ˈhane/ | gerel /gərəl/ |
| Eye | oqueño /okeɲo/ | kab /kab/ | poki /pɯki/ | mat /mat/ | jii /hiː/ | bero /bero/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | neyepy /nejepɨ/ | mar /maɾ/ | tïna /tina/ | ti /ti/ | uwej /uweh/ | mëken /mɯken/ | pumu /pumu/ |
| Heart | nemueñ /nemweɲ/ | mun /mun/ | sïköpoka /sikɯpɯka/ | blei /blei/ | enentai /enentai/ | joínti /hoˈinti/ | ate /ate/ |
| Love | ehueñ /eweɲ/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | kemenü /kemenü/ | rơngư /rəŋɨ/ | anentaiti /anentaiti/ | noi /noi/ | kunyung /kuɲuŋ/ |
| Tree | ñeñoph /ɲeɲopʰ/ | yu /ju/ | tïmö /timɯ/ | lông /loŋ/ | numi /numi/ | jiwi /xiwi/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| House | pamoñ /pamoɲ/ | ya /ja/ | karata /kaɾata/ | hnam /hnam/ | jea /hea/ | xobo /ʃobo/ | umah /umah/ |
| Dog | atso /atso/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | yaremoro /jaɾeɯɾɯ/ | cho /tʃo/ | yawá /jaˈwa/ | ochiti /otʃiti/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | michi /mitʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | kïrïmï /kirimi/ | miao /miao/ | micha /mitʃa/ | mishi /miʃi/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | epam /epam/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | manepotaro /manepoɾaɾɯ/ | sa /sa/ | yuata /juata/ | piti /piti/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | epcham /eptʃam/ | ushi /uʃi/ | atü /atu/ | ngoah /ŋoah/ | umarta /umaɾta/ | xeati /ʃeati/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | quesoll /kesoʎ/ | kan /kan/ | potakoron /potakaɾɯn/ | minh /miɲ/ | chikichik /tʃikitʃik/ | westíora /westioɾa/ | sara /saɾa/ |
| Two | epaʼ /epaʔ/ | pa /pa/ | saköne /sakøne/ | bar /ɓaːr/ | jimiará /himiaɾa/ | rabé /ɾaˈbe/ | roa /roa/ |
| Hello | salud /salud/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | apî /api/ | ô /o/ | pujamek /puhamek/ | jakon raoma /xakon raoma/ | salam /salam/ |
| Thank you | gracia /ɡɾasia/ | payn /pajn/ | mïrako /miɾakɯ/ | kơbi /kəbi/ | yuminsajme /juminsahme/ | irake /iɾake/ | berejen /bərədʒən/ |
| Good | paretem /paɾetem/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | mïratö /miɾatɯ/ | ling /liŋ/ | penker /peŋkeɾ/ | jakon /xakon/ | jeroh /dʒeɾoh/ |
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