Chamoru
Chamorro
Austronesian (Western Malayo-Polynesian)
Chamorro (Finu' Chamoru) is the indigenous language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (a U.S. territory and a U.S. commonwealth respectively), with ~50K speakers. Co-official with English in both Guam and the CNMI. Centuries of Spanish rule (1565–1898) left an enormous Spanish vocabulary layer (estimates of ~50%+ Spanish-derived) and the noun phrase has been thoroughly restructured around Spanish patterns (definite/indefinite articles, the personal "a"). Verb-initial Philippine-type morphosyntax, focus/voice system. Closely related to other Western Malayo-Polynesian languages of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Chamorro
Water
hånom
/ˈhɑnom/
Fire
guafi
/ɡʷafi/
Sun
atdao
/atdao/
Moon
pulan
/pulan/
Star
puti'on
/putiˈʔon/
Mother
nana
/nana/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
guåhu
/ˈɡwɑhu/
You
hågu
/ˈhɑgu/
Name
na'an
/ˈnaʔan/
Eye
måta
/ˈmɑtæ/
Hand
kånnai
/kaːnnai/
Heart
korason
/koɾason/
Love
guaiya
/ɡʷaidza/
Tree
trongkon
/tɾoŋkon/
House
guma'
/ɡumaʔ/
Dog
ga'lågu
/ɡaʔlaːɡu/
Cat
katu
/katu/
Eat
kånno'
/kaːnnoʔ/
Drink
gimen
/ɡimen/
One
unu
/unu/
Two
dos
/dos/
Hello
håfa adai
/haːfa adai/
Thank you
si yu'os ma'åse'
/si juʔos maʔaːseʔ/
Good
maolek
/maolek/
Computer
kompiuta
/komˈpiuta/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Western Malayo-Polynesian) languages
| Meaning | Chamorro | Hiligaynon | Bikol Central | Waray | Cebuano | North Moluccan Malay | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hånom /ˈhɑnom/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | aer /aer/ | air /ˈa.ir/ |
| Fire | guafi /ɡʷafi/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ | kalayo /kalajo/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ | kalayo /kalajo/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | atdao /atdao/ | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ | saldang /salˈdaŋ/ | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ | adlaw /adlaw/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ |
| Moon | pulan /pulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | puti'on /putiˈʔon/ | bituon /bituˈʔon/ | bitoon /bituʔon/ | bitoon /bituʔon/ | bituon /bituˈʔon/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | nana /nana/ | nanay /nanaj/ | nanay /nanaj/ | nanay /nanaj/ | inahan /inahan/ | mama /mama/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tatay /tataj/ | tatay /tataj/ | tatay /tataj/ | amahan /amahan/ | papa /papa/ | ayah /ajah/ |
| I | guåhu /ˈɡwɑhu/ | ako /ʔaˈko/ | ako /ʔako/ | ako /ʔako/ | ako /ʔaˈko/ | kita /kita/ | saya /saja/ |
| You | hågu /ˈhɑgu/ | ikaw /ʔiˈkaw/ | ika /ʔika/ | ikaw /ʔikaw/ | ikaw /ʔiˈkaw/ | ngana /ŋana/ | kamu /kamu/ |
| Name | na'an /ˈnaʔan/ | ngalan /ˈŋalan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ngalan /ˈŋalan/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ |
| Eye | måta /ˈmɑtæ/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | kånnai /kaːnnai/ | kamot /kamɔt/ | kamot /kamot/ | kamot /kamɔt/ | kamot /kamot/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Heart | korason /koɾason/ | tagipusoon /taɡipusɔʔɔn/ | puso /puso/ | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | guaiya /ɡʷaidza/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | pagkamoot /paɡkamoʔot/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | cinta /tʃinta/ |
| Tree | trongkon /tɾoŋkon/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ | kahoy /kahoj/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ | kahoy /kahoj/ | pohong /pohoŋ/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | guma' /ɡumaʔ/ | balay /balaj/ | harong /haɾoŋ/ | balay /balaj/ | balay /balaj/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | ga'lågu /ɡaʔlaːɡu/ | ido /ʔidɔ/ | ayam /ajam/ | ayam /ˈʔajam/ | iro /iɾo/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | katu /katu/ | kuting /kutiŋ/ | ikos /ikos/ | misay /misaj/ | iring /iɾiŋ/ | ikung /ikuŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | kånno' /kaːnnoʔ/ | kaon /kaʔɔn/ | kakanon /kakanon/ | kaon /kaʔon/ | kaon /kaʔon/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | gimen /ɡimen/ | inom /ʔinɔm/ | inumon /inumon/ | inom /ʔinɔm/ | inom /inom/ | minong /minoŋ/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | unu /unu/ | isa /ʔisa/ | saro /saɾo/ | usa /ʔusa/ | usa /usa/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | dos /dos/ | duha /duˈha/ | duwa /duwa/ | duha /duha/ | duha /duˈha/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | håfa adai /haːfa adai/ | kamusta /kamusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | halo /ˈhalo/ |
| Thank you | si yu'os ma'åse' /si juʔos maʔaːseʔ/ | salamat /salamat/ | dios mabalos /dios mabalos/ | salamat /salamat/ | salamat /salamat/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ |
| Good | maolek /maolek/ | maayo /maʔajɔ/ | marhay /maɾhaj/ | maupay /maʔupaj/ | maayo /maʔajo/ | bae /bae/ | baik /baiʔ/ |
| Computer | kompiuta /komˈpiuta/ | kompyuter /komˈpjutɛr/ | kompyuter /komˈpjutɛr/ | kompyuter /komˈpjutɛr/ | kompyuter /komˈpjutɛr/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈputər/ |
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