Wam
Misak
Barbacoan
Misak (autonymously Wam, also known as Guambiano) is a Barbacoan language of southwestern Colombia, spoken by around 25,000 indigenous Misak people in the Cauca Department, primarily in the Misak Resguardo de Guambía at Silvia, Cauca. Linguistically, Misak is part of the Barbacoan family alongside Awa Pit (kwi) of Colombia/Ecuador, Cha'palaa (cbi) of Ecuador, and Tsafiki (cof) of Ecuador. The Misak are notable for their strong cultural autonomy and distinctive cultural traditions, including their hat-wearing tradition and their political activism — the Misak community has been one of the most prominent indigenous voices in Colombian national politics since the 1970s, with leaders like Lorenzo Muelas serving in the 1991 Constitutional Assembly that recognized indigenous rights in the new Colombian Constitution.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Misak
Water
unø
/unø/
Fire
nipi
/nipi/
Sun
shi
/ʃi/
Moon
atru
/atɾu/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
mɵ
/mɵ/
Drink
ushi
/uʃi/
Love
kausrap
/kawsɾap/
Heart
mun
/mun/
Tree
yu
/ju/
House
ya
/ja/
Dog
kuchi
/kutʃi/
Cat
mishi
/miʃi/
Hand
mar
/maɾ/
Eye
kab
/kab/
Hello
ma'rik
/maʔɾik/
Thank you
payn
/pajn/
One
kan
/kan/
Good
kausrik
/kawsɾik/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Barbacoan languages
| Meaning | Misak | Aymara | Cusco Quechua | Ayacucho Quechua | Maquiritari | Papiamento | Quechua |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | unø /unø/ | uma /uma/ | unu /unu/ | yaku /jaku/ | tuna /tuna/ | awa /awa/ | yaku /jaku/ |
| Fire | nipi /nipi/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | kayuwane /kajuwane/ | kandela /kandela/ | nina /nina/ |
| Sun | shi /ʃi/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | inti /inti/ | shi /ʃi/ | solo /solo/ | inti /inti/ |
| Moon | atru /atɾu/ | phaxsi /pʰaχsi/ | killa /kiʎa/ | killa /kiʎa/ | nuna /nuna/ | luna /luna/ | killa /kiʎa/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tayta /tajta/ | tayta /tajta/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | tayta /tajta/ |
| Eat | mɵ /mɵ/ | manqʼaña /manqʼaɲa/ | mikhuy /mikʰuj/ | mikuy /mikuj/ | äsuukai /ɨsuːkai/ | kome /kome/ | mikhuy /mikʰuj/ |
| Drink | ushi /uʃi/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | upyay /upjaj/ | upyay /upjaj/ | äsoojai /ɨsoːʒai/ | bebe /bebe/ | upyay /upjaj/ |
| Love | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | munay /munaj/ | kuyay /kujaj/ | ekädäkä /ekɨdɨkɨ/ | amor /amor/ | munay /munaj/ |
| Heart | mun /mun/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | eyiwekä /ejiwekɨ/ | kurason /kurason/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ |
| Tree | yu /ju/ | quqa /quqa/ | sachʼa /satʃʼa/ | sacha /satʃa/ | eyu /eju/ | palu /palu/ | sacha /satʃa/ |
| House | ya /ja/ | uta /uta/ | wasi /wasi/ | wasi /wasi/ | ätta /ɨtːa/ | kas /kas/ | wasi /wasi/ |
| Dog | kuchi /kutʃi/ | anu /anu/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | kaikutshi /kaikutʃi/ | kacho /katʃo/ | allqu /aʎqu/ |
| Cat | mishi /miʃi/ | phisi /pʰisi/ | misi /misi/ | michi /mitʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | pushi /puʃi/ | misi /misi/ |
| Hand | mar /maɾ/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | maki /maki/ | maki /maki/ | eñä /eɲɨ/ | man /man/ | maki /maki/ |
| Eye | kab /kab/ | nayra /najɾa/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | enu /enu/ | wowo /wowo/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ |
| Hello | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | kamisaki /kamisaki/ | rimaykullayki /rimajkuʎajki/ | napaykullayki /napajkuʎajki/ | etämä /etɨmɨ/ | bon dia /bon dia/ | allillanchu /aʎiʎantʃu/ |
| Thank you | payn /pajn/ | yuspagara /juspaɣaɾa/ | añay /aɲaj/ | añay /aɲaj/ | enaña /enaɲa/ | danki /daŋki/ | sulpayki /sulpajki/ |
| One | kan /kan/ | maya /maja/ | huk /huk/ | huk /huk/ | toune /toune/ | un /un/ | huk /huk/ |
| Good | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | suma /suma/ | allin /aʎin/ | allin /aʎin/ | kataajai /kataːʒai/ | bon /bon/ | allin /aʎin/ |
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