Wayuunaiki
Wayuu
Arawakan (Northern)
Wayuu (Wayuunaiki) is the largest indigenous language of northern Colombia and Venezuela, native to the Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, with ~400K speakers. Part of the northern Maipuran branch of the Arawakan family. The Wayuu are matrilineal pastoralists (sheep, goats, cattle) with strong cultural and linguistic continuity despite straddling the Colombia-Venezuela border. Recognized as an official indigenous language of Venezuela (1999 constitution) and protected in Colombia's Guajira department. Verb-initial syntax with rich pronominal morphology. Significant body of literature including traditional storytelling and contemporary works.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Wayuu
Water
wuin
/wuin/
Fire
siki
/siki/
Sun
kaʼi
/kaʔi/
Moon
kashi
/kaʃi/
Mother
ei
/ei/
Father
ashi
/aʃi/
Eat
ekaa
/ekaː/
Drink
asaa
/asaː/
Love
alasüin
/alasɨin/
Heart
aaʼin
/aːʔin/
Tree
wunuʼu
/wunuʔu/
House
miichi
/miːtʃi/
Dog
erü
/eɾɨː/
Cat
misho
/miʃo/
Hand
ajapü
/axapɨ/
Eye
oʼu
/oʔu/
Hello
jamaya
/xamaja/
Thank you
talé
/tale/
One
wanee
/waneː/
Good
anasü
/anasɨ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan (Northern) languages
| Meaning | Wayuu | Sandawe | Akkadian | Maquiritari | Jaqaru | Tashelhit | Konso |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wuin /wuin/ | tsʼa /tsʼa/ | 𒈬 /muː/ | tuna /tuna/ | uma /uma/ | aman /aman/ | inanta /inanta/ |
| Fire | siki /siki/ | tsʼoo /tsʼoː/ | 𒉈𒌋 /iʃaːtu/ | kayuwane /kajuwane/ | nina /nina/ | timsi /timsi/ | iya /ija/ |
| Sun | kaʼi /kaʔi/ | kʼɔɔ /kʼɔː/ | 𒀭𒌓 /ʃamʃu/ | shi /ʃi/ | ñiwi /ɲiwi/ | tafukt /tafukt/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Moon | kashi /kaʃi/ | tsoa /tsoa/ | 𒌗 /warχu/ | nuna /nuna/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ | ayyur /ajːuɾ/ | ayeena /ajeːna/ |
| Mother | ei /ei/ | yei /jei/ | 𒌝𒈬 /umːu/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | mama /mama/ | imma /imːa/ | eedda /eːdːa/ |
| Father | ashi /aʃi/ | ai /ai/ | 𒀊 /abu/ | baba /baba/ | awki /awki/ | baba /baba/ | abba /abːa/ |
| Eat | ekaa /ekaː/ | ǁee /ǁeː/ | 𒀀𒅗𒇻 /akaːlu/ | äsuukai /ɨsuːkai/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ | čč /tʃː/ | ihaa /ihaː/ |
| Drink | asaa /asaː/ | ʔee /ʔeː/ | 𒊮𒌅 /ʃatuː/ | äsoojai /ɨsoːʒai/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | ssu /sːu/ | inakkaa /inakːaː/ |
| Love | alasüin /alasɨin/ | kalokisi /kalokisi/ | 𒊏𒄠 /raːmu/ | ekädäkä /ekɨdɨkɨ/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | jaalla /dʒaːlːa/ |
| Heart | aaʼin /aːʔin/ | ǁʼampoo /ǁʼampoː/ | 𒇷𒅁 /libːu/ | eyiwekä /ejiwekɨ/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | ul /ul/ | onna /onːa/ |
| Tree | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ | hetsʼee /hetsʼeː/ | 𒄑 /isˤu/ | eyu /eju/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ | aseklu /aseklu/ | ergaa /erɡaː/ |
| House | miichi /miːtʃi/ | ge /ɡe/ | 𒂍 /biːtu/ | ätta /ɨtːa/ | uta /uta/ | tigemmi /tiɡemːi/ | mana /mana/ |
| Dog | erü /eɾɨː/ | ǀɔɔ /ǀɔː/ | 𒌨𒁇 /kalbu/ | kaikutshi /kaikutʃi/ | anu /anu/ | aydi /ajdi/ | kareta /kaɾeta/ |
| Cat | misho /miʃo/ | misho /miʃo/ | 𒋗𒊏𒉡 /ʃuraːnu/ | mishi /miʃi/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ | amuš /amuʃ/ | adurree /aduɾːeː/ |
| Hand | ajapü /axapɨ/ | kxʼaa /kxʼaː/ | 𒋗 /qaːtu/ | eñä /eɲɨ/ | amrra /amra/ | afus /afus/ | harka /haɾka/ |
| Eye | oʼu /oʔu/ | gaa /ɡaː/ | 𒅆 /iːnu/ | enu /enu/ | nayri /najɾi/ | tiṭṭ /titˤː/ | ila /ila/ |
| Hello | jamaya /xamaja/ | gabaeesa /ɡabaeːsa/ | 𒁲 /ʃulmu/ | etämä /etɨmɨ/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ | azul /azul/ | akkam /akːam/ |
| Thank you | talé /tale/ | musʼokoyo /musʼokojo/ | 𒁲𒌅 /taʃlimtu/ | enaña /enaɲa/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ | tanmmirt /tanmːiɾt/ | galta /ɡalta/ |
| One | wanee /waneː/ | tsʼekʼe /tsʼekʼe/ | 𒁹 /iʃteːn/ | toune /toune/ | maya /maja/ | yan /jan/ | takka /takːa/ |
| Good | anasü /anasɨ/ | tlʼobe /tɬʼobe/ | 𒄭𒄀 /damqu/ | kataajai /kataːʒai/ | shuma /ʃuma/ | ifulki /ifulki/ | fayye /fajːe/ |
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