Naáyarite
Cora
Uto-Aztecan
Cora (autonymously Naáyarite) is a Uto-Aztecan language of the Corachol sub-branch, spoken by around 17,000 people in the Sierra del Nayar region of Nayarit, Mexico. Linguistically, Cora is most closely related to Wixarika/Huichol (hch) — its sister Corachol language — but distinct enough that the two are mutually unintelligible. The Cora maintain their traditional indigenous religion centered on the goddess Tatei Náa'arí and continue ancient pilgrimage practices to sacred mountain sites including Tete Naayéri (the Mesa del Nayar). The Cora dialect cluster includes Mariteco, Mountain Cora, and Eastern/Central varieties. Despite its small speaker numbers, Cora has maintained intergenerational transmission in the more remote Sierra del Nayar settlements due to the region's geographic isolation and traditional cultural integrity.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cora
Water
hapɨn
/hapɨn/
Fire
ta'ai
/taʔai/
Sun
tahaapuá
/tahaːpwa/
Moon
mɨhka
/mɨhka/
Mother
naana
/naːna/
Father
hahuá
/hahwa/
Eat
kuá
/kwa/
Drink
hi'i
/hiʔi/
Love
ka'na
/kaʔna/
Heart
hɨurí
/hɨuri/
Tree
kɨré
/kɨre/
House
kíh
/kih/
Dog
tsɨ'ɨ
/tsɨʔɨ/
Cat
mistú
/mistu/
Hand
mam
/mam/
Eye
húi
/hwi/
Hello
ke'kuanenki
/keʔkwanenki/
Thank you
atsipiraá
/atsipiraː/
One
cei
/tsei/
Good
huá'i
/hwaʔi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uto-Aztecan languages
| Meaning | Cora | Wixarika | Central Huasteca Nahuatl | Western Huasteca Nahuatl | Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl | Guerrero Nahuatl | Nawat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hapɨn /hapɨn/ | ha /ha/ | atl /atɬ/ | atl /atɬ/ | atl /atɬ/ | atl /atɬ/ | at /at/ |
| Fire | ta'ai /taʔai/ | tai /tai/ | tlitl /tɬitɬ/ | tlitl /tɬitɬ/ | titl /titɬ/ | tletl /tɬetɬ/ | tit /tit/ |
| Sun | tahaapuá /tahaːpwa/ | tau /tau/ | tonati /tonati/ | tonati /tonati/ | tonatih /tonatih/ | tonatih /tonatih/ | tunal /tunal/ |
| Moon | mɨhka /mɨhka/ | metsa /metsa/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | metsti /metsti/ |
| Mother | naana /naːna/ | nana /nana/ | nana /nana/ | nana /nana/ | mama /mama/ | nanan /nanan/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | hahuá /hahwa/ | yawe /jawe/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tatah /tatah/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | kuá /kwa/ | kuye /kuje/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | tlakua /tɬakʷa/ | takwa /takwa/ |
| Drink | hi'i /hiʔi/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | atli /atɬi/ | atli /atɬi/ | atli /atɬi/ | atli /atɬi/ | ati /ati/ |
| Love | ka'na /kaʔna/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | nesa /nesa/ |
| Heart | hɨurí /hɨuri/ | iyari /ijari/ | yollotl /jolːotɬ/ | yollotl /jolːotɬ/ | yollotl /jolːotɬ/ | yolotl /jolotɬ/ | yulu /julu/ |
| Tree | kɨré /kɨre/ | kiyé /kije/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitl/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitl/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitɬ/ | kuauitl /kʷawitl/ | kwawit /kʷawit/ |
| House | kíh /kih/ | ki /ki/ | calli /kalːi/ | calli /kalːi/ | calli /kalːi/ | kalli /kalːi/ | kal /kal/ |
| Dog | tsɨ'ɨ /tsɨʔɨ/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ |
| Cat | mistú /mistu/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | mizton /miston/ | mizton /miston/ | mizton /miston/ | miston /miston/ | mishin /miʃin/ |
| Hand | mam /mam/ | mama /mama/ | maitl /maitl/ | maitl /maitl/ | maitl /maitl/ | mahpi /mahpi/ | mey /mei/ |
| Eye | húi /hwi/ | tukite /tukite/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ish /iʃ/ |
| Hello | ke'kuanenki /keʔkwanenki/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | niltze /niltse/ | niltze /niltse/ | nimitzpaca /nimitspaka/ | niltze /niltse/ | ne pakua /ne pakwa/ |
| Thank you | atsipiraá /atsipiraː/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | padiush /padjuʃ/ |
| One | cei /tsei/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | ce /se/ | ce /se/ | ce /se/ | ce /se/ | se /se/ |
| Good | huá'i /hwaʔi/ | waxa /waʃa/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | kuajli /kʷahli/ | kwahli /kʷahli/ |
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