Muysccubun
Chibcha (Muisca)
Chibchan · historical / hidden variety
Chibcha (Muysccubun, the language of the Muisca) was the principal language of the Muisca Confederation in the highlands of central Colombia (Bogotá, Tunja). Recorded in Lugo's grammar (1619) and the Anonymous grammar (early 17c.). It became extinct in the late 18th century but contemporary efforts at revival are underway. Many Colombian place names (Bogotá, Bacatá, Funza) are Chibcha in origin.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Chibcha (Muisca)
Water
sié
/sje/
Fire
gata
/ɡata/
Sun
súa
/sua/
Moon
chía
/tʃia/
Star
fagua
/faɣwa/
Mother
waia
/waia/
Father
paba
/paba/
I
hycha
/hɨtʃa/
You
mue
/mue/
Name
obtas
/obtas/
Eye
upcua
/upkʷa/
Hand
ytaca
/ytaka/
Heart
puyquy
/pujkʷɨ/
Love
chihizagosqua
/tʃihizaɡoskwa/
Tree
quye
/kʷye/
House
gué
/ɡwe/
Dog
to
/to/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
quychua
/kʷitʃwa/
Drink
biohotysuca
/bjohotɨsuka/
One
ata
/ata/
Two
boza
/boza/
Hello
chibu
/tʃibu/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
choin
/tʃoin/
Words compared
Compared with related Chibchan languages
| Meaning | Chibcha (Muisca) | Hajong | Caucasian Albanian | Makasae | Old Persian | Kryts | Avestan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | sié /sje/ | pani /pa.ni/ | xe /xe/ | ira /ˈira/ | 𐎠𐎱 /aːpi/ | xed /xed/ | 𐬁𐬞 /aːp/ |
| Fire | gata /ɡata/ | ag /aɡ/ | ow /oʊ/ | ata /ˈata/ | 𐎠𐎫𐎼 /aːtar/ | ts'a /tsʼa/ | 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /aːtar/ |
| Sun | súa /sua/ | bela /be.la/ | beɣ /beɣ/ | watu /ˈwatu/ | 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎼 /huwar/ | vïrïğ /vɨrɨʁ/ | 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 /huwarə/ |
| Moon | chía /tʃia/ | jon /dʒon/ | ḳac̣ḳac̣ /kʼatsʼkʼatsʼ/ | uru /ˈuru/ | 𐎶𐎠𐏃 /maːha/ | vats /vats/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬵 /maːh/ |
| Star | fagua /faɣwa/ | tara /taɾa/ | — /—/ | ipi /ipi/ | 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎼 /staːra/ | xed /xed/ | 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭 /star/ |
| Mother | waia /waia/ | ma /ma/ | nana /nana/ | ina /ˈina/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎼 /maːtar/ | dada /dada/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /maːtar/ |
| Father | paba /paba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /ˈbaba/ | 𐎱𐎡𐎫𐎠 /pitaː/ | buba /buba/ | 𐬞𐬌𐬙𐬀𐬭 /pitar/ |
| I | hycha /hɨtʃa/ | moi /muɪ/ | zu /zu/ | ani /ani/ | 𐎠𐎭𐎶 /adam/ | zin /zin/ | 𐬀𐬰𐬆𐬨 /azəm/ |
| You | mue /mue/ | tui /tuɪ/ | un /un/ | ai /ai/ | 𐎬𐎢𐎺𐎶 /tuvam/ | vun /vun/ | 𐬙𐬏𐬨 /tuːm/ |
| Name | obtas /obtas/ | nam /nam/ | cʼi /tsʼi/ | naran /naran/ | 𐎴𐎠𐎶 /naːma/ | tʼʷar /tʼʷar/ | 𐬥𐬁𐬨𐬀𐬥 /naːman/ |
| Eye | upcua /upkʷa/ | soku /sɔku/ | pʼul /pʼul/ | nana /ˈnana/ | 𐏂𐏁𐎶𐎴 /tʃaʃman/ | ul /ul/ | 𐬗𐬀𐬱𐬨𐬀𐬥 /tʃaʃman/ |
| Hand | ytaca /ytaka/ | hat /hat/ | kʼul /kʼul/ | tana /ˈtana/ | 𐎭𐎿𐎫 /dasta/ | kul /kul/ | 𐬰𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀 /zasta/ |
| Heart | puyquy /pujkʷɨ/ | mon /mon/ | ükʼ /ykʼ/ | — /—/ | 𐏀𐎼𐎭 /zard/ | rikʼ /rikʼ/ | 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 /zərəd/ |
| Love | chihizagosqua /tʃihizaɡoskwa/ | — /—/ | besown /besun/ | — /—/ | 𐎳𐎼𐎡𐎹 /frija/ | mukan /muˈkan/ | 𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 /frija/ |
| Tree | quye /kʷye/ | gas /ɡas/ | xod /xod/ | ate /ˈate/ | — /—/ | xer /xer/ | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 /waesa/ |
| House | gué /ɡwe/ | ghor /ɡʱoɾ/ | ḳoǰ /kʼodʒ/ | oma /ˈoma/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎡𐎹 /maːnija/ | xal /xal/ | 𐬥𐬨𐬁𐬥𐬀 /nmaːna/ |
| Dog | to /to/ | kuthura /kutʰuɾa/ | xa /xa/ | defa /ˈdɛfa/ | 𐎿𐎱𐎣 /spaka/ | xveqʼ /χveqʼ/ | 𐬯𐬞𐬁 /spaː/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | quychua /kʷitʃwa/ | kha /kʰa/ | ows- /us/ | nawa /ˈnawa/ | 𐎧𐎼 /xar/ | ulkura /ulˈkura/ | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬭 /xwar/ |
| Drink | biohotysuca /bjohotɨsuka/ | pi /pi/ | owɣ- /uɣ/ | gehe /ˈɡɛhɛ/ | 𐎱𐎠 /paː/ | hatsra /hatsˈra/ | 𐬞𐬁 /paː/ |
| One | ata /ata/ | ek /ek/ | sa /sa/ | u /ʔu/ | 𐎠𐎡𐎺 /aiwa/ | sa /sa/ | 𐬀𐬉𐬬𐬀 /aewa/ |
| Two | boza /boza/ | dui /duɪ/ | pʼa /pʼa/ | lolae /loˈlae/ | 𐎯𐎢𐎺 /duva/ | qʼʷad /qʼʷad/ | 𐬛𐬬𐬀 /dva/ |
| Hello | chibu /tʃibu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | choin /tʃoin/ | bhalo /bʱalo/ | kʼačʼal /kʼatʃʼal/ | rau /rau/ | 𐎴𐎡𐎲 /naiba/ | yiğin /jiˈʁin/ | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 /vohu/ |
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