Kari'na
Galibi Carib
Cariban
Galibi Carib (autonymously Kari'na, also known as Kalinha or Karina) is the type-language for the entire Cariban language family — the Spanish term "caribe" derived from the Carib autonym, and gave rise to both "Caribbean" (the geographic region) and "cannibal" (Carib was a feared warrior people in colonial Spanish accounts). The Galibi Carib language is spoken by around 7,000 people across Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. The Carib peoples were the dominant indigenous group of the southern Caribbean and northern South American coast at the time of European contact in the 1490s, having migrated north from the Amazon basin to displace the earlier Arawak peoples. The Carib language was a lingua franca of the southern Caribbean before being largely replaced by colonial languages, with surviving Carib speech communities now concentrated along the Atlantic coast of the Guianas and the Lesser Antilles (where Carib has effectively been replaced by Garifuna cab — descended from a Carib-Arawak-Spanish-French creole that developed on St. Vincent).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Galibi Carib
Water
tuna
/tuna/
Fire
wàto
/wahto/
Sun
weju
/weju/
Moon
nuno
/nuno/
Star
siriko
/siɾiko/
Mother
sano
/sano/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
au
/au/
You
amoro
/amoɾo/
Name
eeti
/eːti/
Eye
enu
/enu/
Hand
aina
/aina/
Heart
emanga
/emaŋɡa/
Love
kataneko
/kataneko/
Tree
wewe
/wewe/
House
paty
/pati/
Dog
pero
/peɾo/
Cat
meu
/meu/
Eat
onökö
/onøkø/
Drink
ëne
/ɘne/
One
o:wi
/oːwi/
Two
oko
/oko/
Hello
mary
/maɾi/
Thank you
irombo
/iɾombo/
Good
epoja
/epoja/
Cuckoo
pika
/piˈka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Cariban languages
| Meaning | Galibi Carib | Akawaio | Garifuna | Maquiritari | Pemón | Māori | Marquesan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tuna /tuna/ | tuna /tu.na/ | huya /huja/ | tuna /tuna/ | kü /ky/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | wàto /wahto/ | abɔk /ə.bɔk/ | watu /watu/ | kayuwane /kajuwane/ | apok /apɔk/ | ahi /ahi/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | weju /weju/ | weyu /we.ju/ | weyu /weju/ | shi /ʃi/ | wato /watɯ/ | rā /ɾaː/ | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ |
| Moon | nuno /nuno/ | nuno /nu.no/ | hati /hati/ | nuna /nuna/ | karo /kaɾɯ/ | marama /maɾama/ | mahina /mahina/ |
| Star | siriko /siɾiko/ | sirikö /siɾikɯ/ | waruguma /waɾuɡuma/ | sirikö /ʃirikœ/ | chirikö /tʃiɾikø/ | whetū /ɸɛtuː/ | hetu /hetu/ |
| Mother | sano /sano/ | saŋ /sɑŋ/ | úguchu /uɡutʃu/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | mamã /mamɑ̃/ | whaea /ɸaea/ | kuʻa /kuʔa/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papai /pa.pai/ | úguchili /uɡutʃili/ | baba /baba/ | papai /papɑ̃i/ | matua /matua/ | motua /motua/ |
| I | au /au/ | üürü /ɯːɾɯ/ | au /au/ | üwü /ɨwɨ/ | yuurö /juːɾø/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | amoro /amoɾo/ | amürü /amɯɾɯ/ | amürü /amɨɾɨ/ | amöödö /amœːdœ/ | amörö /amøɾø/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | eeti /eːti/ | ese' /eseʔ/ | iri /iɾi/ | eesedi /eːsedi/ | ese' /eseʔ/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | ikoa /ikoa/ |
| Eye | enu /enu/ | emïk /e.mɨk/ | úgubu /uɡubu/ | enu /enu/ | poki /pɯki/ | karu /ˈkaɾu/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | aina /aina/ | pana /pa.na/ | úhabu /uhabu/ | eñä /eɲɨ/ | tïna /tina/ | ringa /ɾiŋa/ | ʻima /ʔima/ |
| Heart | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | mïda /mɨ.da/ | anigi /aniɡi/ | eyiwekä /ejiwekɨ/ | sïköpoka /sikɯpɯka/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Love | kataneko /kataneko/ | waiko /wai.ko/ | hínsiñe /hinsiɲe/ | ekädäkä /ekɨdɨkɨ/ | kemenü /kemenü/ | aroha /aɾoha/ | hanahana /hanahana/ |
| Tree | wewe /wewe/ | pupö /pu.pɔ/ | wewe /wewe/ | eyu /eju/ | tïmö /timɯ/ | rākau /ɾaːkau/ | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ |
| House | paty /pati/ | enna /en.na/ | muna /muna/ | ätta /ɨtːa/ | karata /kaɾata/ | whare /ɸaɾe/ | hae /hae/ |
| Dog | pero /peɾo/ | inu /i.nu/ | aulamu /aulamu/ | kaikutshi /kaikutʃi/ | yaremoro /jaɾeɯɾɯ/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | peko /peko/ |
| Cat | meu /meu/ | mïta /mɨ.ta/ | meu /meu/ | mishi /miʃi/ | kïrïmï /kirimi/ | ngeru /ŋeɾu/ | piki /piki/ |
| Eat | onökö /onøkø/ | enu /e.nu/ | éiga /eiɡa/ | äsuukai /ɨsuːkai/ | manepotaro /manepoɾaɾɯ/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | ëne /ɘne/ | pʉra /pɨ.ra/ | ata /ata/ | äsoojai /ɨsoːʒai/ | atü /atu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | o:wi /oːwi/ | teginnö /te.ɡin.nɔ/ | aban /aban/ | toune /toune/ | potakoron /potakaɾɯn/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Two | oko /oko/ | asa'rö /asaʔɾɯ/ | biama /biama/ | aake /aːke/ | saköne /sakøne/ | rua /ɾua/ | ʻua /ʔua/ |
| Hello | mary /maɾi/ | kapon /ka.pon/ | mabuiga /mabuiɡa/ | etämä /etɨmɨ/ | apî /api/ | kia ora /kia oɾa/ | kaoha /kaoha/ |
| Thank you | irombo /iɾombo/ | tabe /ta.be/ | seremein /seremein/ | enaña /enaɲa/ | mïrako /miɾakɯ/ | ngā mihi /ŋaː mihi/ | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ |
| Good | epoja /epoja/ | wagɨ /wa.ɡɨ/ | buidu /bwidu/ | kataajai /kataːʒai/ | mïratö /miɾatɯ/ | pai /pai/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ |
| Cuckoo | pika /piˈka/ | pika /piˈka/ | — | — | pika /ˈpika/ | koekoeā /kɔɛkɔɛˈaː/ | — |
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