Asháninka
Arawakan (Southern, Kampan)
Asháninka is the largest Arawakan language of Peru and one of the principal indigenous languages of the Peruvian Amazon. The Asháninka people, with their characteristic kushma robes, are one of the most populous Amazonian indigenous groups. Like other Arawakan languages, it has cross-referencing pronominal affixes and noun-classifier morphology. Survived massacres during the Sendero Luminoso conflict (1980s-90s) and remains in active intergenerational use.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Asháninka
Water
nija
/nidʒa/
Fire
paamari
/paːmaɾi/
Sun
oorya
/oːɾja/
Moon
kashiri
/kaʃiɾi/
Star
impoquiro
/impokiɾo/
Mother
ina
/ina/
Father
apa
/apa/
I
naaka
/naːka/
You
aviro
/aβiɾo/
Name
ivairo
/iβaiɾo/
Eye
noki
/noki/
Hand
nako
/nako/
Heart
nosanto
/nosanto/
Love
nonintsi
/nonintsi/
Tree
inchato
/intʃato/
House
pankotsi
/paŋkotsi/
Dog
otsiti
/otsiti/
Cat
mishito
/miʃito/
Eat
noyaki
/nojaki/
Drink
noiri
/noiɾi/
One
aparoni
/apaɾoni/
Two
apite
/apite/
Hello
aviro
/aβiɾo/
Thank you
naranki
/naɾaŋki/
Good
kameetsa
/kameːtsa/
Cuckoo
tsiya
/ˈtsija/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan (Southern, Kampan) languages
| Meaning | Asháninka | Shipibo-Conibo | Central Huasteca Nahuatl | Western Huasteca Nahuatl | Samburu | Pemón | Guerrero Nahuatl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nija /nidʒa/ | jene /hene/ | atl /atɬ/ | atl /atɬ/ | nkare /ŋkaɾe/ | kü /ky/ | atl /atɬ/ |
| Fire | paamari /paːmaɾi/ | chii /tʃiː/ | tlitl /tɬitɬ/ | tlitl /tɬitɬ/ | nkima /ŋkima/ | apok /apɔk/ | tletl /tɬetɬ/ |
| Sun | oorya /oːɾja/ | bari /bari/ | tonati /tonati/ | tonati /tonati/ | lakwa /lakʷa/ | wato /watɯ/ | tonatih /tonatih/ |
| Moon | kashiri /kaʃiɾi/ | oxe /oʃe/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | lapa /lapa/ | karo /kaɾɯ/ | metztli /metstɬi/ |
| Star | impoquiro /impokiɾo/ | wishati /wiʃati/ | sitlalij /siˈtlalih/ | sitlalij /siˈtlalih/ | lakira /lakira/ | chirikö /tʃiɾikø/ | sitlalin /siˈtlalin/ |
| Mother | ina /ina/ | tita /tita/ | nana /nana/ | nana /nana/ | yieyo /jiejo/ | mamã /mamɑ̃/ | nanan /nanan/ |
| Father | apa /apa/ | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | papai /papɑ̃i/ | tatah /tatah/ |
| I | naaka /naːka/ | ea /ea/ | na /na/ | na /na/ | nanu /nanʊ/ | yuurö /juːɾø/ | nejua /neˈwa/ |
| You | aviro /aβiɾo/ | mia /mia/ | ta /ta/ | ta /ta/ | iye /ije/ | amörö /amøɾø/ | tejua /teˈwa/ |
| Name | ivairo /iβaiɾo/ | jane /ˈhane/ | tocaxtli /toˈkaʃtli/ | tocaxtli /toˈkaʃtli/ | nkarna /ŋkarna/ | ese' /eseʔ/ | tocaitl /toˈkaitɬ/ |
| Eye | noki /noki/ | bero /bero/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | nkoŋu /ŋkoŋu/ | poki /pɯki/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ |
| Hand | nako /nako/ | mëken /mɯken/ | maitl /maitl/ | maitl /maitl/ | nkaina /ŋkaina/ | tïna /tina/ | maitl /maitɬ/ |
| Heart | nosanto /nosanto/ | joínti /hoˈinti/ | yollotl /jolːotɬ/ | yollotl /jolːotɬ/ | ltau /ltau/ | sïköpoka /sikɯpɯka/ | yolotl /jolotɬ/ |
| Love | nonintsi /nonintsi/ | noi /noi/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | eitalu /eitalu/ | kemenü /kemenü/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ |
| Tree | inchato /intʃato/ | jiwi /xiwi/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitl/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitl/ | lchani /ltʃani/ | tïmö /timɯ/ | kuauitl /kʷawitl/ |
| House | pankotsi /paŋkotsi/ | xobo /ʃobo/ | calli /kalːi/ | calli /kalːi/ | nkang /ŋkaŋ/ | karata /kaɾata/ | kalli /kalːi/ |
| Dog | otsiti /otsiti/ | ochiti /otʃiti/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | ldia /ldia/ | yaremoro /jaɾeɯɾɯ/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ |
| Cat | mishito /miʃito/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mizton /miston/ | mizton /miston/ | paka /paka/ | kïrïmï /kirimi/ | miston /miston/ |
| Eat | noyaki /nojaki/ | piti /piti/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | anya /aɲa/ | manepotaro /manepoɾaɾɯ/ | tlakua /tɬakʷa/ |
| Drink | noiri /noiɾi/ | xeati /ʃeati/ | atli /atɬi/ | atli /atɬi/ | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | atü /atu/ | atli /atɬi/ |
| One | aparoni /apaɾoni/ | westíora /westioɾa/ | ce /se/ | ce /se/ | obo /obo/ | potakoron /potakaɾɯn/ | ce /se/ |
| Two | apite /apite/ | rabé /ɾaˈbe/ | ome /ˈome/ | ome /ˈome/ | aare /aːre/ | saköne /sakøne/ | ome /ˈome/ |
| Hello | aviro /aβiɾo/ | jakon raoma /xakon raoma/ | niltze /niltse/ | niltze /niltse/ | sopa /sopa/ | apî /api/ | niltze /niltse/ |
| Thank you | naranki /naɾaŋki/ | irake /iɾake/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | ashe /aʃe/ | mïrako /miɾakɯ/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ |
| Good | kameetsa /kameːtsa/ | jakon /xakon/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | supat /supat/ | mïratö /miɾatɯ/ | kuajli /kʷahli/ |
| Cuckoo | tsiya /ˈtsija/ | — | — | — | — | pika /ˈpika/ | — |
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