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
31 core words in Wayuu
Water
wuin
/wuin/
Fire
siki
/siki/
Sun
kaʼi
/kaʔi/
Moon
kashi
/kaʃi/
Star
jolotsü
/holotsɨ/
Mother
ei
/ei/
Father
ashi
/aʃi/
I
taya
/taja/
You
pia
/pia/
Name
anülia
/anɨlia/
Eye
oʼu
/oʔu/
Hand
ajapü
/axapɨ/
Heart
aaʼin
/aːʔin/
Love
alasüin
/alasɨin/
Tree
wunuʼu
/wunuʔu/
House
miichi
/miːtʃi/
Dog
erü
/eɾɨː/
Cat
misho
/miʃo/
Eat
ekaa
/ekaː/
Drink
asaa
/asaː/
One
wanee
/waneː/
Two
piama
/piama/
Hello
jamaya
/xamaja/
Thank you
talé
/tale/
Good
anasü
/anasɨ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan (Northern) languages
| Meaning | Wayuu | Jaqaru | Sandawe | Garifuna | Iban | Aymara | Shipibo-Conibo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wuin /wuin/ | uma /uma/ | tsʼa /tsʼa/ | huya /huja/ | ai /ai/ | uma /uma/ | jene /hene/ |
| Fire | siki /siki/ | nina /nina/ | tsʼoo /tsʼoː/ | watu /watu/ | api /api/ | nina /nina/ | chii /tʃiː/ |
| Sun | kaʼi /kaʔi/ | inti /inti/ | kʼɔɔ /kʼɔː/ | weyu /weju/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | inti /inti/ | bari /bari/ |
| Moon | kashi /kaʃi/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ | tsoa /tsoa/ | hati /hati/ | bulan /bulan/ | phaxsi /pʰaχsi/ | oxe /oʃe/ |
| Star | jolotsü /holotsɨ/ | wara /waɾa/ | hĩǀáwã /hĩ́ǀáwã̀ː/ | waruguma /waɾuɡuma/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | warawara /waɾawaɾa/ | wishati /wiʃati/ |
| Mother | ei /ei/ | mama /mama/ | yei /jei/ | úguchu /uɡutʃu/ | indai /indai/ | mama /mama/ | tita /tita/ |
| Father | ashi /aʃi/ | awki /awki/ | ai /ai/ | úguchili /uɡutʃili/ | apai /apai/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | taya /taja/ | naya /naja/ | tsi /tsíː/ | au /au/ | aku /aku/ | naya /naja/ | ea /ea/ |
| You | pia /pia/ | juma /huma/ | hapu /hapu/ | amürü /amɨɾɨ/ | nuan /nuan/ | juma /huma/ | mia /mia/ |
| Name | anülia /anɨlia/ | suti /suti/ | ǁwâ /ǁʷâ/ | iri /iɾi/ | nama /nama/ | suti /suti/ | jane /ˈhane/ |
| Eye | oʼu /oʔu/ | nayra /najɾa/ | gaa /ɡaː/ | úgubu /uɡubu/ | mata /mata/ | nayra /najɾa/ | bero /bero/ |
| Hand | ajapü /axapɨ/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | kxʼaa /kxʼaː/ | úhabu /uhabu/ | jari /dʒari/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | mëken /mɯken/ |
| Heart | aaʼin /aːʔin/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | ǁʼampoo /ǁʼampoː/ | anigi /aniɡi/ | ati /ati/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | joínti /hoˈinti/ |
| Love | alasüin /alasɨin/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | kalokisi /kalokisi/ | hínsiñe /hinsiɲe/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | noi /noi/ |
| Tree | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ | hetsʼee /hetsʼeː/ | wewe /wewe/ | kayu /kaju/ | quqa /quqa/ | jiwi /xiwi/ |
| House | miichi /miːtʃi/ | uta /uta/ | ge /ɡe/ | muna /muna/ | rumah /rumah/ | uta /uta/ | xobo /ʃobo/ |
| Dog | erü /eɾɨː/ | anu /anu/ | ǀɔɔ /ǀɔː/ | aulamu /aulamu/ | ukui /ukui/ | anu /anu/ | ochiti /otʃiti/ |
| Cat | misho /miʃo/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ | misho /miʃo/ | meu /meu/ | mayau /majau/ | phisi /pʰisi/ | mishi /miʃi/ |
| Eat | ekaa /ekaː/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ | ǁee /ǁeː/ | éiga /eiɡa/ | makai /makai/ | manqʼaña /manqʼaɲa/ | piti /piti/ |
| Drink | asaa /asaː/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | ʔee /ʔeː/ | ata /ata/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | xeati /ʃeati/ |
| One | wanee /waneː/ | maya /maja/ | tsʼekʼe /tsʼekʼe/ | aban /aban/ | satu /satu/ | maya /maja/ | westíora /westioɾa/ |
| Two | piama /piama/ | paya /paja/ | kisó /kísôxì/ | biama /biama/ | dua /dua/ | paya /paja/ | rabé /ɾaˈbe/ |
| Hello | jamaya /xamaja/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ | gabaeesa /ɡabaeːsa/ | mabuiga /mabuiɡa/ | salam /salam/ | kamisaki /kamisaki/ | jakon raoma /xakon raoma/ |
| Thank you | talé /tale/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ | musʼokoyo /musʼokojo/ | seremein /seremein/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | yuspagara /juspaɣaɾa/ | irake /iɾake/ |
| Good | anasü /anasɨ/ | shuma /ʃuma/ | tlʼobe /tɬʼobe/ | buidu /bwidu/ | manah /manah/ | suma /suma/ | jakon /xakon/ |
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