Aymar aru
Aymara
Aymaran
Aymara (Aymar aru) is the principal language of the Aymara people of the Andean altiplano, with ~2M speakers centered around Lake Titicaca on the Bolivia-Peru border. One of three official languages of Bolivia (alongside Spanish and Quechua) and an official language in Peru (in regions where it predominates). Famous for its evidential marking system (whether the speaker witnessed an event firsthand vs. inferred or hearsay) and for spatial-temporal metaphors that place the past in front and the future behind (the inverse of most languages). The Aymaran family includes Jaqaru and Kawki of central Peru. Pre-Columbian writing was via tocapu and quipu.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Aymara
Water
uma
/uma/
Fire
nina
/nina/
Sun
inti
/inti/
Moon
phaxsi
/pʰaχsi/
Star
warawara
/waɾawaɾa/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
naya
/naja/
You
juma
/huma/
Name
suti
/suti/
Eye
nayra
/najɾa/
Hand
ampara
/ampaɾa/
Heart
chuyma
/tʃujma/
Love
munasiña
/munasiɲa/
Tree
quqa
/quqa/
House
uta
/uta/
Dog
anu
/anu/
Cat
phisi
/pʰisi/
Eat
manqʼaña
/manqʼaɲa/
Drink
umaña
/umaɲa/
One
maya
/maja/
Two
paya
/paja/
Hello
kamisaki
/kamisaki/
Thank you
yuspagara
/juspaɣaɾa/
Good
suma
/suma/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Aymaran languages
| Meaning | Aymara | Jaqaru | Classical Quechua | Cusco Quechua | Quechua | Misak | Ayacucho Quechua |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | uma /uma/ | uma /uma/ | yaku /jaku/ | unu /unu/ | yaku /jaku/ | unø /unø/ | yaku /jaku/ |
| Fire | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | nipi /nipi/ | nina /nina/ |
| Sun | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | shi /ʃi/ | inti /inti/ |
| Moon | phaxsi /pʰaχsi/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ | killa /kiʎa/ | killa /kiʎa/ | killa /kiʎa/ | atru /atɾu/ | killa /kiʎa/ |
| Star | warawara /waɾawaɾa/ | wara /waɾa/ | quyllur /qojʎur/ | quyllur /ˈqojʎur/ | quyllur /ˈqojʎʊr/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | quyllur /ˈqojʎur/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | awki /awki/ | tayta /tajta/ | tayta /tajta/ | tayta /tajta/ | tata /tata/ | tayta /tajta/ |
| I | naya /naja/ | naya /naja/ | ñuqa /ɲoqa/ | ñuqa /ˈɲoqa/ | ñuqa /ˈɲʊqa/ | na /na/ | ñuqa /ˈɲoqa/ |
| You | juma /huma/ | juma /huma/ | qam /qam/ | qan /qan/ | qam /qam/ | ñui /ɲui/ | qam /qam/ |
| Name | suti /suti/ | suti /suti/ | suti /suti/ | suti /ˈsuti/ | suti /ˈsuti/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | suti /ˈsuti/ |
| Eye | nayra /najɾa/ | nayra /najɾa/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | kab /kab/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ |
| Hand | ampara /ampaɾa/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | maki /maki/ | maki /maki/ | maki /maki/ | mar /maɾ/ | maki /maki/ |
| Heart | chuyma /tʃujma/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | mun /mun/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ |
| Love | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | munay /munaj/ | munay /munaj/ | munay /munaj/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | kuyay /kujaj/ |
| Tree | quqa /quqa/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ | sach'a /satʃʼa/ | sachʼa /satʃʼa/ | sacha /satʃa/ | yu /ju/ | sacha /satʃa/ |
| House | uta /uta/ | uta /uta/ | wasi /wasi/ | wasi /wasi/ | wasi /wasi/ | ya /ja/ | wasi /wasi/ |
| Dog | anu /anu/ | anu /anu/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | allqu /aʎqu/ |
| Cat | phisi /pʰisi/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ | misi /misi/ | misi /misi/ | misi /misi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | michi /mitʃi/ |
| Eat | manqʼaña /manqʼaɲa/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ | mikhuy /mikʰuj/ | mikhuy /mikʰuj/ | mikhuy /mikʰuj/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | mikuy /mikuj/ |
| Drink | umaña /umaɲa/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | upyay /upjaj/ | upyay /upjaj/ | upyay /upjaj/ | ushi /uʃi/ | upyay /upjaj/ |
| One | maya /maja/ | maya /maja/ | huk /huk/ | huk /huk/ | huk /huk/ | kan /kan/ | huk /huk/ |
| Two | paya /paja/ | paya /paja/ | iskay /iskaj/ | iskay /ˈiskaj/ | iskay /ˈiskaj/ | pa /pa/ | iskay /ˈiskaj/ |
| Hello | kamisaki /kamisaki/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ | rimaykullayki /rimajkuʎajki/ | rimaykullayki /rimajkuʎajki/ | allillanchu /aʎiʎantʃu/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | napaykullayki /napajkuʎajki/ |
| Thank you | yuspagara /juspaɣaɾa/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ | añay /aɲaj/ | añay /aɲaj/ | sulpayki /sulpajki/ | payn /pajn/ | añay /aɲaj/ |
| Good | suma /suma/ | shuma /ʃuma/ | allin /aʎin/ | allin /aʎin/ | allin /aʎin/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | allin /aʎin/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.