Karifuna
Garifuna
Arawakan (Caribbean)
Garifuna (Garífuna) is an Arawakan language of the Garifuna people of Central America's Caribbean coast (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua), with ~200K speakers. It is a unique survival: descendants of African Maroons and Carib-Arawak Native Caribbeans on Saint Vincent who, after British deportation in 1797, kept the indigenous Arawakan language of Saint Vincent rather than adopting an African or European tongue. The language famously preserves a pronounced gender-based register difference: many words have separate male-speech and female-speech forms reflecting the historical Carib-Arawak gender split. UNESCO inscribed Garifuna culture as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2001.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Garifuna
Water
huya
/huja/
Fire
watu
/watu/
Sun
weyu
/weju/
Moon
hati
/hati/
Star
waruguma
/waɾuɡuma/
Mother
úguchu
/uɡutʃu/
Father
úguchili
/uɡutʃili/
I
au
/au/
You
amürü
/amɨɾɨ/
Name
iri
/iɾi/
Eye
úgubu
/uɡubu/
Hand
úhabu
/uhabu/
Heart
anigi
/aniɡi/
Love
hínsiñe
/hinsiɲe/
Tree
wewe
/wewe/
House
muna
/muna/
Dog
aulamu
/aulamu/
Cat
meu
/meu/
Eat
éiga
/eiɡa/
Drink
ata
/ata/
One
aban
/aban/
Two
biama
/biama/
Hello
mabuiga
/mabuiɡa/
Thank you
seremein
/seremein/
Good
buidu
/bwidu/
Sources
- Ethnologue: cab
- Suazo (1994) Conversemos en Garífuna
- UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Heritage
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan (Caribbean) languages
| Meaning | Garifuna | Galibi Carib | Warlpiri | Northern Embera | Aymara | Jaqaru | Wayuu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | huya /huja/ | tuna /tuna/ | ngapa /ŋapa/ | do /do/ | uma /uma/ | uma /uma/ | wuin /wuin/ |
| Fire | watu /watu/ | wàto /wahto/ | warlu /waɭu/ | tu /tu/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | siki /siki/ |
| Sun | weyu /weju/ | weju /weju/ | wanta /wanta/ | hewa /hewa/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | kaʼi /kaʔi/ |
| Moon | hati /hati/ | nuno /nuno/ | pira /piɻa/ | ahuru /ahuɾu/ | phaxsi /pʰaχsi/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ | kashi /kaʃi/ |
| Star | waruguma /waɾuɡuma/ | siriko /siɾiko/ | wanjirlpirri /waɲɟiɭpiri/ | chidua /tʃidua/ | warawara /waɾawaɾa/ | wara /waɾa/ | jolotsü /holotsɨ/ |
| Mother | úguchu /uɡutʃu/ | sano /sano/ | ngati /ŋati/ | papa /papa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | ei /ei/ |
| Father | úguchili /uɡutʃili/ | papa /papa/ | kirda /kiɖa/ | apa /apa/ | tata /tata/ | awki /awki/ | ashi /aʃi/ |
| I | au /au/ | au /au/ | ngaju /ŋaɟu/ | mʉ /mɨ/ | naya /naja/ | naya /naja/ | taya /taja/ |
| You | amürü /amɨɾɨ/ | amoro /amoɾo/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | bʉ /bɨ/ | juma /huma/ | juma /huma/ | pia /pia/ |
| Name | iri /iɾi/ | eeti /eːti/ | yirdi /jiɖi/ | trʉ̃ /tɾɨ̃/ | suti /suti/ | suti /suti/ | anülia /anɨlia/ |
| Eye | úgubu /uɡubu/ | enu /enu/ | milpa /milpa/ | tau /tau/ | nayra /najɾa/ | nayra /najɾa/ | oʼu /oʔu/ |
| Hand | úhabu /uhabu/ | aina /aina/ | rdaka /ɖaka/ | jua /xua/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | ajapü /axapɨ/ |
| Heart | anigi /aniɡi/ | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | wankaru /waŋkaɻu/ | ƀakhuru /ɓakuɾu/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | aaʼin /aːʔin/ |
| Love | hínsiñe /hinsiɲe/ | kataneko /kataneko/ | nyangu /ɲaŋu/ | ãỹba /ãɨba/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | alasüin /alasɨin/ |
| Tree | wewe /wewe/ | wewe /wewe/ | watiya /watija/ | bakuru /bakuɾu/ | quqa /quqa/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ |
| House | muna /muna/ | paty /pati/ | ngurra /ŋura/ | te /te/ | uta /uta/ | uta /uta/ | miichi /miːtʃi/ |
| Dog | aulamu /aulamu/ | pero /peɾo/ | jarntu /caɳʈu/ | usa /usa/ | anu /anu/ | anu /anu/ | erü /eɾɨː/ |
| Cat | meu /meu/ | meu /meu/ | mungalpa /muŋalpa/ | misu /misu/ | phisi /pʰisi/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ | misho /miʃo/ |
| Eat | éiga /eiɡa/ | onökö /onøkø/ | ngarni /ŋaɳi/ | ko /ko/ | manqʼaña /manqʼaɲa/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ | ekaa /ekaː/ |
| Drink | ata /ata/ | ëne /ɘne/ | purrami /purami/ | dorrare /doraɾe/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | asaa /asaː/ |
| One | aban /aban/ | o:wi /oːwi/ | jinta /cinta/ | aba /aba/ | maya /maja/ | maya /maja/ | wanee /waneː/ |
| Two | biama /biama/ | oko /oko/ | jirrama /ɟiɾama/ | umé /ume/ | paya /paja/ | paya /paja/ | piama /piama/ |
| Hello | mabuiga /mabuiɡa/ | mary /maɾi/ | — /—/ | sake bia /sake bia/ | kamisaki /kamisaki/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ | jamaya /xamaja/ |
| Thank you | seremein /seremein/ | irombo /iɾombo/ | — /—/ | bia bara /bia baɾa/ | yuspagara /juspaɣaɾa/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ | talé /tale/ |
| Good | buidu /bwidu/ | epoja /epoja/ | ngurrju /ŋurcu/ | bia /bia/ | suma /suma/ | shuma /ʃuma/ | anasü /anasɨ/ |
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