Ngäbere
Chibchan
Ngäbere (also Guaymí, Movere) is the largest Chibchan language by speakers, spoken by ~170,000 Ngäbe people across Panama and Costa Rica. The Chibchan family (~14 living languages, ~300K total speakers) once dominated the Costa Rica-Panama isthmus and northern Colombia/Venezuela before Spanish conquest; Ngäbere is the only Chibchan language with substantial speaker numbers today. The Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca (1997, expanded 2008) is one of the largest indigenous-administered regions in Latin America. Linguistically, Ngäbere has classical Chibchan features: nasal-prenasalized stops, complex vowel system, and SOV constituent order. Active language preservation through bilingual education and Comarca radio broadcasts.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Ngäbere
Water
ñö
/ɲø/
Fire
nio
/nio/
Sun
ngwen
/ŋʷen/
Moon
só
/só/
Mother
meye
/meje/
Father
rün
/rɨn/
Eat
mrö
/mrø/
Drink
ñögö
/ɲøɡø/
Love
tare
/taɾe/
Heart
brukwä
/bɾukwɨ/
Tree
krätä
/kɾɨtɨ/
House
ju
/dʒu/
Dog
nukro
/nukɾo/
Cat
mishi
/miʃi/
Hand
kise
/kise/
Eye
okwä
/okwɨ/
Hello
käre
/kɨɾe/
Thank you
kuin
/kuin/
One
krati
/kɾati/
Good
kuin
/kuin/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Chibchan languages
| Meaning | Ngäbere | Misak | Odia | Mazahua | Northern Ndebele | Jaqaru | Swazi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ñö /ɲø/ | unø /unø/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | ndo /ndo/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | uma /uma/ | emanti /emanti/ |
| Fire | nio /nio/ | nipi /nipi/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | sibi /sibi/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | nina /nina/ | umlilo /umlilo/ |
| Sun | ngwen /ŋʷen/ | shi /ʃi/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | hyadi /hjadi/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | ñiwi /ɲiwi/ | lilanga /lilaŋɡa/ |
| Moon | só /só/ | atru /atɾu/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | zana /zana/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ |
| Mother | meye /meje/ | mama /mama/ | ମା /maː/ | nana /nana/ | umama /umama/ | mama /mama/ | make /make/ |
| Father | rün /rɨn/ | tata /tata/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | tata /tata/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | awki /awki/ | babe /ɓaɓe/ |
| Eat | mrö /mrø/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | ñe /ɲe/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ | kudla /kuɮa/ |
| Drink | ñögö /ɲøɡø/ | ushi /uʃi/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | theni /tʰeni/ | ukunatha /ukunatʰa/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | kunatsa /kunatsa/ |
| Love | tare /taɾe/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | hñu /ɲu/ | uthando /utʰando/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | lutsandvo /luʦandwo/ |
| Heart | brukwä /bɾukwɨ/ | mun /mun/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | mŭiñ /mwiɲ/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | inhlitiyo /inɬitijo/ |
| Tree | krätä /kɾɨtɨ/ | yu /ju/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | za /za/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ | sihlahla /siɬaɬa/ |
| House | ju /dʒu/ | ya /ja/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | ngumi /ŋɡumi/ | indlu /indɮu/ | uta /uta/ | indlu /indɮu/ |
| Dog | nukro /nukɾo/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | nyo /ɲo/ | inja /indʒa/ | anu /anu/ | inja /indʒa/ |
| Cat | mishi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | mishi /miʃi/ | ikati /ikati/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ | likati /likati/ |
| Hand | kise /kise/ | mar /maɾ/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | ye /je/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | amrra /amra/ | sandla /sandɮa/ |
| Eye | okwä /okwɨ/ | kab /kab/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | da /da/ | ilihlo /iliɬo/ | nayri /najɾi/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hello | käre /kɨɾe/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | kjamadhi /kjamaði/ | salibonani /saliɓonani/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ |
| Thank you | kuin /kuin/ | payn /pajn/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | ndios /ndios/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ | ngiyabonga /ŋijaɓoŋɡa/ |
| One | krati /kɾati/ | kan /kan/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | nahi /nahi/ | nye /ɲe/ | maya /maja/ | kunye /kuɲe/ |
| Good | kuin /kuin/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | nzhomu /nʒomu/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | shuma /ʃuma/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ |
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