Pemon
Pemón
Cariban
Pemón (ISO 639-3: aoc) is a vulnerable Cariban language spoken chiefly by the Pemón people in southeastern Venezuela, especially the Gran Sabana and Canaima National Park in Bolívar State, with related communities across the borders in Guyana and Brazil. The name Pemón means “person” or “people” and is used across several regional communities. Three major mutually intelligible varieties are commonly recognized: Arekuna, Kamarakoto, and Taurepan, whose distribution spans the Venezuela–Guyana–Brazil borderlands. Pemón is written in practical Latin-based orthographies used in education, religious texts, and linguistic documentation; pressure from Spanish and Portuguese varies by country, but the language remains an important marker of identity and intergenerational transmission continues in many communities.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Pemón
Water
kü
/ky/
Fire
apok
/apɔk/
Sun
wato
/watɯ/
Moon
karo
/kaɾɯ/
Star
chirikö
/tʃiɾikø/
Mother
mamã
/mamɑ̃/
Father
papai
/papɑ̃i/
I
yuurö
/juːɾø/
You
amörö
/amøɾø/
Name
ese'
/eseʔ/
Eye
poki
/pɯki/
Hand
tïna
/tina/
Heart
sïköpoka
/sikɯpɯka/
Love
kemenü
/kemenü/
Tree
tïmö
/timɯ/
House
karata
/kaɾata/
Dog
yaremoro
/jaɾeɯɾɯ/
Cat
kïrïmï
/kirimi/
Eat
manepotaro
/manepoɾaɾɯ/
Drink
atü
/atu/
One
potakoron
/potakaɾɯn/
Two
saköne
/sakøne/
Hello
apî
/api/
Thank you
mïrako
/miɾakɯ/
Good
mïratö
/miɾatɯ/
Cuckoo
pika
/ˈpika/
Words compared
Compared with related Cariban languages
| Meaning | Pemón | Akawaio | Galibi Carib | Asháninka | Bororo | Tahitian | Ainu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kü /ky/ | tuna /tu.na/ | tuna /tuna/ | nija /nidʒa/ | yje /ʝje/ | pape /pape/ | ワッカ /wakka/ |
| Fire | apok /apɔk/ | abɔk /ə.bɔk/ | wàto /wahto/ | paamari /paːmaɾi/ | owe /ɔwe/ | auahi /auahi/ | アペ /ape/ |
| Sun | wato /watɯ/ | weyu /we.ju/ | weju /weju/ | oorya /oːɾja/ | parado /paɾadu/ | mahana /mahana/ | チュプ /tɕup/ |
| Moon | karo /kaɾɯ/ | nuno /nu.no/ | nuno /nuno/ | kashiri /kaʃiɾi/ | aroe /aɾɔe/ | marama /maɾama/ | クンネチュプ /kunnetɕup/ |
| Star | chirikö /tʃiɾikø/ | sirikö /siɾikɯ/ | siriko /siɾiko/ | impoquiro /impokiɾo/ | kajewu /kaˈʒewu/ | fetiʻa /feˈtiʔa/ | ノチウ /notɕiw/ |
| Mother | mamã /mamɑ̃/ | saŋ /sɑŋ/ | sano /sano/ | ina /ina/ | e /e/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | ハポ /hapo/ |
| Father | papai /papɑ̃i/ | papai /pa.pai/ | papa /papa/ | apa /apa/ | apyge /apɨɡe/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | アチャ /atɕa/ |
| I | yuurö /juːɾø/ | üürü /ɯːɾɯ/ | au /au/ | naaka /naːka/ | imi /imi/ | au /au/ | カニ /kani/ |
| You | amörö /amøɾø/ | amürü /amɯɾɯ/ | amoro /amoɾo/ | aviro /aβiɾo/ | aki /aki/ | ʻoe /ʔoe/ | エアニ /eani/ |
| Name | ese' /eseʔ/ | ese' /eseʔ/ | eeti /eːti/ | ivairo /iβaiɾo/ | ie /iɛ/ | iʻoa /iˈʔoa/ | レ /ɾe/ |
| Eye | poki /pɯki/ | emïk /e.mɨk/ | enu /enu/ | noki /noki/ | ba /ba/ | mata /mata/ | シㇰ /ɕik/ |
| Hand | tïna /tina/ | pana /pa.na/ | aina /aina/ | nako /nako/ | ekra /ekɾa/ | rima /ɾima/ | テㇰ /tek/ |
| Heart | sïköpoka /sikɯpɯka/ | mïda /mɨ.da/ | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | nosanto /nosanto/ | mara /maɾa/ | mafatu /mafatu/ | サンペ /sampe/ |
| Love | kemenü /kemenü/ | waiko /wai.ko/ | kataneko /kataneko/ | nonintsi /nonintsi/ | cya /tʃja/ | here /heɾe/ | オマプ /omap/ |
| Tree | tïmö /timɯ/ | pupö /pu.pɔ/ | wewe /wewe/ | inchato /intʃato/ | mae /mae/ | tumu rāʻau /tumu ɾaːʔau/ | ニ /ni/ |
| House | karata /kaɾata/ | enna /en.na/ | paty /pati/ | pankotsi /paŋkotsi/ | jara /jaɾa/ | fare /faɾe/ | チセ /tɕise/ |
| Dog | yaremoro /jaɾeɯɾɯ/ | inu /i.nu/ | pero /peɾo/ | otsiti /otsiti/ | rebo /ɾebo/ | ʻūrī /ʔuːɾiː/ | セタ /seta/ |
| Cat | kïrïmï /kirimi/ | mïta /mɨ.ta/ | meu /meu/ | mishito /miʃito/ | kuie /kwie/ | mīmī /miːmiː/ | チャペ /tɕape/ |
| Eat | manepotaro /manepoɾaɾɯ/ | enu /e.nu/ | onökö /onøkø/ | noyaki /nojaki/ | paje /paje/ | ʻamu /ʔamu/ | イペ /ipe/ |
| Drink | atü /atu/ | pʉra /pɨ.ra/ | ëne /ɘne/ | noiri /noiɾi/ | aru /aɾu/ | inu /inu/ | ク /ku/ |
| One | potakoron /potakaɾɯn/ | teginnö /te.ɡin.nɔ/ | o:wi /oːwi/ | aparoni /apaɾoni/ | mokojie /mokɔje/ | hōʻē /hoːʔeː/ | シネプ /ɕinep/ |
| Two | saköne /sakøne/ | asa'rö /asaʔɾɯ/ | oko /oko/ | apite /apite/ | pobe /pobe/ | piti /piti/ | トゥ /tu/ |
| Hello | apî /api/ | kapon /ka.pon/ | mary /maɾi/ | aviro /aβiɾo/ | are /aɾe/ | ʻia ora na /ʔia oɾa na/ | イランカラプテ /iɾankaɾapte/ |
| Thank you | mïrako /miɾakɯ/ | tabe /ta.be/ | irombo /iɾombo/ | naranki /naɾaŋki/ | iya /ija/ | māuruuru /maːuɾuuɾu/ | イヤイライケレ /ijairaikeɾe/ |
| Good | mïratö /miɾatɯ/ | wagɨ /wa.ɡɨ/ | epoja /epoja/ | kameetsa /kameːtsa/ | boe /bɔe/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ | ピリカ /piɾika/ |
| Cuckoo | pika /ˈpika/ | pika /piˈka/ | pika /piˈka/ | tsiya /ˈtsija/ | — | ʻārevareva /ʔaːɾevaˈɾeva/ | カッコㇰ /ˈkakkok/ |
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