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
20 core words in Northern Embera
Water
do
/do/
Fire
tu
/tu/
Sun
hewa
/hewa/
Moon
ahuru
/ahuɾu/
Mother
papa
/papa/
Father
apa
/apa/
Eat
ko
/ko/
Drink
dorrare
/doraɾe/
Love
ãỹba
/ãɨba/
Heart
ƀakhuru
/ɓakuɾu/
Tree
bakuru
/bakuɾu/
House
te
/te/
Dog
usa
/usa/
Cat
misu
/misu/
Hand
jua
/xua/
Eye
tau
/tau/
Hello
sake bia
/sake bia/
Thank you
bia bara
/bia baɾa/
One
aba
/aba/
Good
bia
/bia/
Words compared
Compared with related Chocoan languages
| Meaning | Northern Embera | Warao | Niuean | Tokelauan | Iban | Eastern Lawa | Mongghul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | do /do/ | hoidu /hojdu/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | ai /ai/ | lo /lo/ | usu /usu/ |
| Fire | tu /tu/ | hekunu /hekunu/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | api /api/ | nem /nem/ | ghal /ʁal/ |
| Sun | hewa /hewa/ | ya /ja/ | lā /laː/ | la /la/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | vüa /vɨa/ | nara /nara/ |
| Moon | ahuru /ahuɾu/ | waniku /waniku/ | mahina /mahina/ | malama /malama/ | bulan /bulan/ | mëi /məi/ | sara /sara/ |
| Mother | papa /papa/ | dani /dani/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | matua /matua/ | indai /indai/ | ame /ame/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | apa /apa/ | daka /daka/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | apai /apai/ | apa /apa/ | ada /ada/ |
| Eat | ko /ko/ | nahoro /nahoɾo/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | makai /makai/ | ngui /ŋui/ | idi- /idi/ |
| Drink | dorrare /doraɾe/ | osi /osi/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | ndüet /ndɨət/ | uu- /uː/ |
| Love | ãỹba /ãɨba/ | anaubu /anaubu/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | kruŋ /kɾuŋ/ | durala- /durala/ |
| Heart | ƀakhuru /ɓakuɾu/ | obonona /obonona/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | ati /ati/ | kavüa /kavɨa/ | jürige /dʒyriɡe/ |
| Tree | bakuru /bakuɾu/ | dau /daw/ | akau /akau/ | lakau /lakau/ | kayu /kaju/ | ŋoŋ /ŋoŋ/ | modu /modu/ |
| House | te /te/ | hanoko /hanoko/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | rumah /rumah/ | nyëa /ɲəa/ | ger /ɡer/ |
| Dog | usa /usa/ | aurahu /auɾahu/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | ukui /ukui/ | ke /ke/ | noghui /noʁui/ |
| Cat | misu /misu/ | mishi /miʃi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | mayau /majau/ | mai /mai/ | mau /mau/ |
| Hand | jua /xua/ | mokomoko /mokomoko/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | jari /dʒari/ | miŋ /miŋ/ | ghar /ʁar/ |
| Eye | tau /tau/ | mu /mu/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mat /mat/ | nidu /nidu/ |
| Hello | sake bia /sake bia/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | salam /salam/ | lavüa /lavɨa/ | amur sain /amur sain/ |
| Thank you | bia bara /bia baɾa/ | kase /kase/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | kop khun /kop kʰun/ | bayarla- /bajarla/ |
| One | aba /aba/ | hisaka /hisaka/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | satu /satu/ | mvüa /mvɨa/ | nige /niɡe/ |
| Good | bia /bia/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | manah /manah/ | hua /hua/ | sain /sain/ |
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