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
31 core words in Mapudungun
Water
ko
/ko/
Fire
kütral
/kɨʈʂal/
Sun
antü
/antɨ/
Moon
küyen
/kɨjen/
Star
wangülen
/waŋɘlen/
Mother
ñuke
/ɲuke/
Father
chao
/tʃao/
I
iñche
/iɲtʃe/
You
eymi
/ejmi/
Name
üy
/ɘj/
Eye
nge
/ŋe/
Hand
kuwü
/kuwɨ/
Heart
piwke
/piwke/
Love
poyen
/pojen/
Tree
aliwen
/aliwen/
House
ruka
/ɻuka/
Dog
trewa
/ʈʂewa/
Cat
ñayki
/ɲajki/
Eat
in
/in/
Drink
pütun
/pɨtun/
One
kiñe
/kiɲe/
Two
epu
/epu/
Hello
mari mari
/maɻi maɻi/
Thank you
chaltu
/tʃaltu/
Good
küme
/kɨme/
Words compared
Compared with related Araucanian (isolate or small family) languages
| Meaning | Mapudungun | Ainu | Middle Mongol | Machame | Classical Mongolian | Adangme | Eastern Lawa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ko /ko/ | ワッカ /wakka/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ | ᠤᠰᠤᠨ /usun/ | nyu /ɲu/ | lo /lo/ |
| Fire | kütral /kɨʈʂal/ | アペ /ape/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɣal/ | mòò /moːʔ/ | ᠭᠠᠯ /ɡal/ | la /la/ | nem /nem/ |
| Sun | antü /antɨ/ | チュプ /tɕup/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ | ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ /naran/ | hyɛ /çɛ/ | vüa /vɨa/ |
| Moon | küyen /kɨjen/ | クンネチュプ /kunnetɕup/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | ᠰᠠᠷᠠ /sara/ | nyɔnyɔɛ /ɲɔɲɔɛ/ | mëi /məi/ |
| Star | wangülen /waŋɘlen/ | ノチウ /notɕiw/ | ᠬᠣᠳᠤᠨ /hodun/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | ᠣᠳᠣᠨ /odun/ | ŋulami /ŋulami/ | sngaɰ /sŋaɰ/ |
| Mother | ñuke /ɲuke/ | ハポ /hapo/ | ᠡᠭᠡ /eke/ | mama /mama/ | ᠡᠬᠡ /eke/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | ame /ame/ |
| Father | chao /tʃao/ | アチャ /atɕa/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | baba /baba/ | ᠡᠴᠢᠭᠡ /etʃiɡe/ | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | apa /apa/ |
| I | iñche /iɲtʃe/ | カニ /kani/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | inyi /iɲi/ | ᠪᠢ /bi/ | i /i/ | ʔoʔ /ʔoʔ/ |
| You | eymi /ejmi/ | エアニ /eani/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | uwe /uwe/ | ᠴᠢ /tʃi/ | mo /mo/ | maiʔ /maɪʔ/ |
| Name | üy /ɘj/ | レ /ɾe/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | irina /irina/ | ᠨᠡᠷᠡ /nere/ | biɛ /biɛ/ | yum /jɔm/ |
| Eye | nge /ŋe/ | シㇰ /ɕik/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦᠨ /nidyn/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ | ᠨᠢᠳᠦ /nidü/ | hiŋmɛ /hiŋmɛ/ | mat /mat/ |
| Hand | kuwü /kuwɨ/ | テㇰ /tek/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɣar/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ | ᠭᠠᠷ /ɡar/ | nine /nine/ | miŋ /miŋ/ |
| Heart | piwke /piwke/ | サンペ /sampe/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠭᠡ /dʒiryke/ | mòyò /mojo/ | ᠵᠢᠷᠦᠬᠡ /dʒirüke/ | tsui /tsui/ | kavüa /kavɨa/ |
| Love | poyen /pojen/ | オマプ /omap/ | ᠳᠤᠷᠠ /dura/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ | ᠬᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠ /xajira/ | suɔmi /suɔmi/ | kruŋ /kɾuŋ/ |
| Tree | aliwen /aliwen/ | ニ /ni/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ /modun/ | mtí /mti/ | ᠮᠣᠳᠤ /modu/ | tso /tso/ | ŋoŋ /ŋoŋ/ |
| House | ruka /ɻuka/ | チセ /tɕise/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ᠭᠡᠷ /ɡer/ | we /we/ | nyëa /ɲəa/ |
| Dog | trewa /ʈʂewa/ | セタ /seta/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noqai/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢ /noxai/ | gbe /ɡbe/ | ke /ke/ |
| Cat | ñayki /ɲajki/ | チャペ /tɕape/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | paka /paka/ | ᠮᠢᠭᠤᠢ /miɣui/ | adi /adi/ | mai /mai/ |
| Eat | in /in/ | イペ /ipe/ | ᠢᠳᠡ /ide/ | ìlya /iʎa/ | ᠢᠳᠡ- /ide-/ | ye /je/ | ngui /ŋui/ |
| Drink | pütun /pɨtun/ | ク /ku/ | ᠤᠭᠤ /uɣu/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ | ᠤᠭᠤ- /uɣu-/ | nu /nu/ | ndüet /ndɨət/ |
| One | kiñe /kiɲe/ | シネプ /ɕinep/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | ìmwí /imwi/ | ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠨ /niɡen/ | kake /kake/ | mvüa /mvɨa/ |
| Two | epu /epu/ | トゥ /tu/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | iwi /iwi/ | ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ /qojar/ | enyɔ /eɲɔ/ | lʔua /lʔua/ |
| Hello | mari mari /maɻi maɻi/ | イランカラプテ /iɾankaɾapte/ | ᠠᠮᠤᠷ /amur/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠤᠤ /sajin uu/ | daa /daː/ | lavüa /lavɨa/ |
| Thank you | chaltu /tʃaltu/ | イヤイライケレ /ijairaikeɾe/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠪᠠ /bajarlaba/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ | ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷᠯᠠᠯᠠ /bajarlala/ | ojakuɛ /odʒakwɛ/ | kop khun /kop kʰun/ |
| Good | küme /kɨme/ | ピリカ /piɾika/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sain/ | ìchá /itʃa/ | ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ /sajin/ | hɛŋmi /hɛŋmi/ | hua /hua/ |
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