Eperã pedea
Northern Embera
Chocoan
Northern Emberá (Eperã pedea) is the language of the Emberá people of the Pacific coast of Colombia and the Darién Gap of Panama. The Chocoan family — Emberá and Wounaan — is sometimes proposed as related to Carib or Arawakan, but is generally treated as an independent family. The Emberá have an active oral tradition of healing chants (jaibaná) and have produced a Latin-based literary practice for community schooling and bilingual education.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Northern Embera
Water
do
/do/
Fire
tu
/tu/
Sun
hewa
/hewa/
Moon
ahuru
/ahuɾu/
Star
chidua
/tʃidua/
Mother
papa
/papa/
Father
apa
/apa/
I
mʉ
/mɨ/
You
bʉ
/bɨ/
Name
trʉ̃
/tɾɨ̃/
Eye
tau
/tau/
Hand
jua
/xua/
Heart
ƀakhuru
/ɓakuɾu/
Love
ãỹba
/ãɨba/
Tree
bakuru
/bakuɾu/
House
te
/te/
Dog
usa
/usa/
Cat
misu
/misu/
Eat
ko
/ko/
Drink
dorrare
/doraɾe/
One
aba
/aba/
Two
umé
/ume/
Hello
sake bia
/sake bia/
Thank you
bia bara
/bia baɾa/
Good
bia
/bia/
Cuckoo
b̶ijũẽ
/ɓiˈhũẽ/
Words compared
Compared with related Chocoan languages
| Meaning | Northern Embera | Garifuna | Meadow Mari | Western Cham | Niuean | Thao | Warao |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | do /do/ | huya /huja/ | вӱд /vyd/ | ايا /ja/ | vai /vai/ | nanum /nanum/ | hoidu /hojdu/ |
| Fire | tu /tu/ | watu /watu/ | тул /tul/ | افوي /apuei/ | afi /afi/ | apuy /apuj/ | hekunu /hekunu/ |
| Sun | hewa /hewa/ | weyu /weju/ | кече /ketʃe/ | أديتياء /aditiak/ | lā /laː/ | fitulha /fituʎa/ | ya /ja/ |
| Moon | ahuru /ahuɾu/ | hati /hati/ | тылзе /tɨlze/ | بيلن /bilan/ | mahina /mahina/ | furaz /fuɾað/ | waniku /waniku/ |
| Star | chidua /tʃidua/ | waruguma /waɾuɡuma/ | шӱдыр /ˈʃydɨr/ | فتاۛء /patɨʔ/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fitu'ish /fituʔiʃ/ | kura /kura/ |
| Mother | papa /papa/ | úguchu /uɡutʃu/ | ава /ava/ | ماي /mai/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | ina /ina/ | dani /dani/ |
| Father | apa /apa/ | úguchili /uɡutʃili/ | ача /atʃa/ | أمآ /amaː/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | ama /ama/ | daka /daka/ |
| I | mʉ /mɨ/ | au /au/ | мый /mɨj/ | كاو /kɔw/ | au /au/ | yaku /jaku/ | ine /ine/ |
| You | bʉ /bɨ/ | amürü /amɨɾɨ/ | тый /tɨj/ | هاۛ /hɨ/ | koe /koe/ | ihu /ʔihu/ | ihi /ihi/ |
| Name | trʉ̃ /tɾɨ̃/ | iri /iɾi/ | лӱм /lym/ | أڠن /aŋan/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | tanan /tanan/ | wai /wai/ |
| Eye | tau /tau/ | úgubu /uɡubu/ | шинча /ʃintʃa/ | متا /mata/ | mata /mata/ | maca /maθa/ | mu /mu/ |
| Hand | jua /xua/ | úhabu /uhabu/ | кид /kid/ | تاڠين /taŋin/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | mojo /moho/ |
| Heart | ƀakhuru /ɓakuɾu/ | anigi /aniɡi/ | шӱм /ʃym/ | هتاي /hatai/ | fatu /fatu/ | putul /putul/ | obonona /obonona/ |
| Love | ãỹba /ãɨba/ | hínsiñe /hinsiɲe/ | йӧратымаш /jøratɨmaʃ/ | ڬاوه /ɡauh/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | suka /suka/ | anaubu /anaubu/ |
| Tree | bakuru /bakuɾu/ | wewe /wewe/ | пушеҥге /puʃeŋɡe/ | كايو /kajuv/ | akau /akau/ | lhalum /ʎalum/ | dau /daw/ |
| House | te /te/ | muna /muna/ | пӧрт /pørt/ | تحاڠ /tʰaŋ/ | fale /fale/ | kayan /kajan/ | hanoko /hanoko/ |
| Dog | usa /usa/ | aulamu /aulamu/ | пий /pij/ | أتحو /atʰuv/ | kuli /kuli/ | atu /atu/ | aurahu /auɾahu/ |
| Cat | misu /misu/ | meu /meu/ | пырыс /pɨrɨs/ | ميٛو /meuv/ | pusi /pusi/ | posi /posi/ | mishi /miʃi/ |
| Eat | ko /ko/ | éiga /eiɡa/ | кочкаш /kotʃkaʃ/ | هواء /huak/ | kai /kai/ | kuman /kuman/ | nahoro /nahoɾo/ |
| Drink | dorrare /doraɾe/ | ata /ata/ | йӱаш /jyaʃ/ | ماوم /maum/ | inu /inu/ | naqayan /naqajan/ | osi /osi/ |
| One | aba /aba/ | aban /aban/ | ик /ik/ | تحا /tʰa/ | taha /taha/ | tata /tata/ | hisaka /hisaka/ |
| Two | umé /ume/ | biama /biama/ | кок /kok/ | ڎوا /ɗuə/ | ua /ua/ | tusha /tuʃa/ | manamo /manamo/ |
| Hello | sake bia /sake bia/ | mabuiga /mabuiɡa/ | салам лийже /salam lijʒe/ | سلام /salam/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | ya /ja/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ |
| Thank you | bia bara /bia baɾa/ | seremein /seremein/ | тау /tau/ | تريما كاسيه /tarima kasiʔ/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | mihu /mihu/ | kase /kase/ |
| Good | bia /bia/ | buidu /bwidu/ | сай /saj/ | سيام /siam/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | kapah /kapah/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ |
| Cuckoo | b̶ijũẽ /ɓiˈhũẽ/ | — | куку /ˈkuku/ | — | — | — | — |
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