Tule
San Blas Kuna
Chibchan
San Blas Kuna (autonymously Tule, also written Kuna or Guna) is the language of the Guna people of the Caribbean coast of Panama and the borderlands of Colombia. The Kuna live primarily in the Guna Yala (San Blas) Comarca, an autonomous indigenous territory established in 1953 after the 1925 Tule Revolution that won Kuna self-rule. Linguistically, Kuna is a Chibchan language though its position within Chibchan is debated — it shows substantial divergence from other Chibchan languages and may represent an early branch off the family tree. The Kuna are world-famous for their distinctive cultural artifacts: molas (intricate reverse-applique fabric panels created by Kuna women) which are now collected as folk art globally, and the matrilineal cultural organization that gives Kuna women significant economic and political authority. The Kuna have one of the strongest indigenous polities in the Americas, with an active Cultural Congress that publishes Kuna-language books and protects intellectual property over Kuna cultural designs.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in San Blas Kuna
Water
di
/di/
Fire
so
/so/
Sun
olo
/olo/
Moon
nii
/niː/
Star
bisir
/pisiɾ/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
an
/an/
You
be
/pe/
Name
nug
/nuk/
Eye
ibya
/ibja/
Hand
arigan
/aɾiɡan/
Heart
kurgin
/kuɾɡin/
Love
sabbi
/sabːi/
Tree
sappi
/sapːi/
House
nega
/neɡa/
Dog
achu
/atʃu/
Cat
miji
/midʒi/
Eat
gunne
/ɡune/
Drink
gobe
/ɡobe/
One
kuenki
/kweŋki/
Two
bo
/po/
Hello
nuedi
/nweðiː/
Thank you
nuedi malo
/nweðiː malo/
Good
nuegan
/nweɡan/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Chibchan languages
| Meaning | San Blas Kuna | Kanite | Papiamento | Susu | Galibi Carib | Bakhtiari | Otomi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | di /di/ | nai /nai/ | awa /awa/ | yi /ji/ | tuna /tuna/ | ئاو /aw/ | dehe /tehe/ |
| Fire | so /so/ | lo /lo/ | kandela /kandela/ | te /te/ | wàto /wahto/ | تش /teʃ/ | tsibi /tsibi/ |
| Sun | olo /olo/ | suka /suka/ | solo /solo/ | soge /soɡe/ | weju /weju/ | خور /xor/ | hyadi /hjadi/ |
| Moon | nii /niː/ | ika /ika/ | luna /luna/ | kike /kike/ | nuno /nuno/ | مانگ /mãŋ/ | zänä /zãnã/ |
| Star | bisir /pisiɾ/ | ka'nefi /kaʔnefi/ | strea /ˈstre.a/ | tunbi /tunbi/ | siriko /siɾiko/ | ئستاره /estɒːɾe/ | tsʼe /tsʼe/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nene /nene/ | mama /mama/ | nga /ŋɡa/ | sano /sano/ | دا /daː/ | nänä /nãnã/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | nafa /nafa/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | papa /papa/ | بوا /bowa/ | tada /tada/ |
| I | an /an/ | nagaya /naɡaja/ | mi /mi/ | n /n/ | au /au/ | مو /mo/ | nugä /nuɡæ/ |
| You | be /pe/ | kagaya /kaɡaja/ | bo /bo/ | i /i/ | amoro /amoɾo/ | تو /to/ | nuʼi /nuʔi/ |
| Name | nug /nuk/ | agi /aɡi/ | nòmber /ˈnɔmbər/ | xili /xili/ | eeti /eːti/ | نوم /num/ | thuhu /tʰũhũ/ |
| Eye | ibya /ibja/ | avu /avu/ | wowo /wowo/ | ya /ja/ | enu /enu/ | تیه /tijah/ | da /da/ |
| Hand | arigan /aɾiɡan/ | azana /azana/ | man /man/ | belexɛ /belexɛ/ | aina /aina/ | دست /das/ | 'ye /ʔje/ |
| Heart | kurgin /kuɾɡin/ | agu /aɡu/ | kurason /kurason/ | biye /bije/ | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | دل /del/ | mui /mui/ |
| Love | sabbi /sabːi/ | avesi /avesi/ | amor /amor/ | xanunteya /xanunteja/ | kataneko /kataneko/ | عشق /eʃq/ | mädi /mãdi/ |
| Tree | sappi /sapːi/ | yafa /jafa/ | palu /palu/ | wuri /wuɾi/ | wewe /wewe/ | دار /dɒːr/ | za /za/ |
| House | nega /neɡa/ | no /no/ | kas /kas/ | banxi /banxi/ | paty /pati/ | حونه /xune/ | ngu /ŋɡu/ |
| Dog | achu /atʃu/ | ovava /ovava/ | kacho /katʃo/ | barɛ /baɾɛ/ | pero /peɾo/ | کچک /kotʃok/ | yo /jo/ |
| Cat | miji /midʒi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pushi /puʃi/ | nyɛɛsu /ɲɛːsu/ | meu /meu/ | پشی /peʃi/ | mixi /miʃi/ |
| Eat | gunne /ɡune/ | ne /ne/ | kome /kome/ | don /don/ | onökö /onøkø/ | خواردن /xwoɾdan/ | ñuni /ɲuni/ |
| Drink | gobe /ɡobe/ | ne /ne/ | bebe /bebe/ | min /min/ | ëne /ɘne/ | خواردن /xwoɾdan/ | tsi /tsi/ |
| One | kuenki /kweŋki/ | magoke /maɡoke/ | un /un/ | keren /keɾen/ | o:wi /oːwi/ | یه /je/ | 'ra /ʔɾa/ |
| Two | bo /po/ | tole /tole/ | dos /dos/ | firin /firin/ | oko /oko/ | دو /do/ | yoho /joho/ |
| Hello | nuedi /nweðiː/ | naipa /naipa/ | bon dia /bon dia/ | inu uxara /inu uxaɾa/ | mary /maɾi/ | سلام /salaːm/ | hatsi /hatsi/ |
| Thank you | nuedi malo /nweðiː malo/ | susu /susu/ | danki /daŋki/ | inu wali /inu wali/ | irombo /iɾombo/ | ممنون /mamnun/ | jamädi /hamãdi/ |
| Good | nuegan /nweɡan/ | knaga /knaɡa/ | bon /bon/ | fanyi /faɲi/ | epoja /epoja/ | خو /xoːu/ | hño /hɲo/ |
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