Mapuzugun
Mapudungun
Araucanian (isolate or small family)
Mapudungun is the language of the Mapuche people of southern Chile and adjacent western Argentina. Its precise genetic relationships are uncertain — it has been variously grouped with Penutian, with Andean languages, or treated as an isolate. The Raguileo alphabet, designed in 1982 by Anselmo Raguileo to express Mapuche cultural autonomy, competes with the Unified Mapuche Alphabet in literacy programmes. Mapuche cosmology preserves rich shamanic vocabulary in machi healing chants.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Mapudungun
Water
ko
/ko/
Fire
kütral
/kɨʈʂal/
Sun
antü
/antɨ/
Moon
küyen
/kɨjen/
Mother
ñuke
/ɲuke/
Father
chao
/tʃao/
Eat
in
/in/
Drink
pütun
/pɨtun/
Love
poyen
/pojen/
Heart
piwke
/piwke/
Tree
aliwen
/aliwen/
House
ruka
/ɻuka/
Dog
trewa
/ʈʂewa/
Cat
ñayki
/ɲajki/
Hand
kuwü
/kuwɨ/
Eye
nge
/ŋe/
Hello
mari mari
/maɻi maɻi/
Thank you
chaltu
/tʃaltu/
One
kiñe
/kiɲe/
Good
küme
/kɨme/
Words compared
Compared with related Araucanian (isolate or small family) languages
| Meaning | Mapudungun | Middle Mongol | Olkol | Udmurt | Machame | Mampruli | Classical Mongolian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ko /ko/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | kupa /kupa/ | ву /vu/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ | kuom /kuom/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ |
| Fire | kütral /kɨʈʂal/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | paral /paɻal/ | тыл /tɨl/ | mòò /moːʔ/ | booma /boːma/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ |
| Sun | antü /antɨ/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | шунды /ʃundɨ/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ | wuntiri /wuntiri/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ |
| Moon | küyen /kɨjen/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | kakal /kakal/ | толэзь /tolezʲ/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | gɔoŋ /ɡɔːŋ/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ |
| Mother | ñuke /ɲuke/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | мумы /mumɨ/ | mama /mama/ | ma /ma/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ |
| Father | chao /tʃao/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | kaba /kaba/ | атай /ataj/ | baba /baba/ | ba /ba/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /et͡ʃiɡe/ |
| Eat | in /in/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | сиыны /siɨnɨ/ | ìlya /iʎa/ | di /di/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ |
| Drink | pütun /pɨtun/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | юыны /juɨnɨ/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ |
| Love | poyen /pojen/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | яратон /jaraton/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ | paaba /paːba/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ |
| Heart | piwke /piwke/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | piku /piku/ | сюлэм /sʲulem/ | mòyò /mojo/ | suuri /suːri/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /d͡ʒirüke/ |
| Tree | aliwen /aliwen/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | warray /waɾaj/ | писпу /pispu/ | mtí /mti/ | tia /tia/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ |
| House | ruka /ɻuka/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | корка /korka/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | yiri /jiri/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ |
| Dog | trewa /ʈʂewa/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | пуны /punɨ/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | baaga /baːɡa/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ |
| Cat | ñayki /ɲajki/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | paka /paka/ | коӵыш /kotɕɨʃ/ | paka /paka/ | nyusi /ɲusi/ | ᠮᠠᠭᠣ /maɣu/ |
| Hand | kuwü /kuwɨ/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | mara /maɻa/ | ки /ki/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ | nuusi /nuːsi/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ |
| Eye | nge /ŋe/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | mil /mil/ | син /sin/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ | nini /nini/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ |
| Hello | mari mari /maɻi maɻi/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | palya /paʎa/ | ӟечбур /d͡ʑet͡ɕˈbur/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ | n na ti bʋɔ /n na ti bʊɔ/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ |
| Thank you | chaltu /tʃaltu/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | тау /tau/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ | barika /barika/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ |
| One | kiñe /kiɲe/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | kuyu /kuju/ | одӥг /odiɡ/ | ìmwí /imwi/ | yini /jini/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ |
| Good | küme /kɨme/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | palya /paʎa/ | умой /umoj/ | ìchá /itʃa/ | vɛla /vɛla/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ |
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