Kajin Majeḷ
Marshallese
Austronesian (Micronesian)
Marshallese (Kajin M̧ajeļ) is the national language of the Marshall Islands, with ~55K speakers in the country and a substantial diaspora in the U.S. (especially Springdale, Arkansas, with ~15K). Co-official with English. Phonologically unusual for Micronesian, with a four-way velarized/palatalized contrast on consonants and a vowel system traditionally analyzed as having only 4 underlying vowels (with positional allophones). Two main dialects: Rālik (western) and Ratak (eastern). Uses an extended Latin script with sub-dotted/cedilla letters (ḷ, ṃ, ņ, ñ). The Compact of Free Association (1986) ties Marshallese closely to the U.S.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Marshallese
Water
dān
/tʲaːn/
Fire
kijeek
/kʲideːk/
Sun
aḷ
/alˠ/
Moon
aḷḷōñ
/alˠːəŋ/
Star
iju
/izʲiw/
Mother
jinō
/tʲinə/
Father
jemān
/tʲemʲaːn/
I
ña
/ŋˠa/
You
kwe
/kʷɛ/
Name
āt
/æt/
Eye
mej
/mʲetʲ/
Hand
pā
/pˠaː/
Heart
bōro
/pˠəɾə/
Love
yokwe
/jokwe/
Tree
wōjke
/wətʲkʲe/
House
eṃ
/emˠ/
Dog
kidu
/kʲidˠu/
Cat
kuuj
/kʲuːtʲ/
Eat
ṃōñā
/mˠəɲˠaː/
Drink
idaak
/idˠaːkʲ/
One
juon
/tʲuon/
Two
ruo
/rˠuɔ/
Hello
yokwe
/jokwe/
Thank you
koṃṃool
/komˠːoːlˠ/
Good
eṃṃan
/emˠːanʲ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Marshallese | Parauk Wa | Norwegian | Yapese | Chuukese | Kurukh | Samogitian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dān /tʲaːn/ | tʃɔː /tʃɔː/ | vann /vɑnː/ | raen /raen/ | kkonik /kːonik/ | अम्म /amm/ | vondou /vɔndɔu/ |
| Fire | kijeek /kʲideːk/ | miː /miː/ | ild /ilː/ | nifiy /nifij/ | ekkei /ekːei/ | चिच /tʃitʃ/ | ognės /ɔɡneːs/ |
| Sun | aḷ /alˠ/ | waː /waː/ | sol /suːl/ | yaal /jaːl/ | akkar /akːaɾ/ | बेरी /beɾiː/ | saulė /sauleː/ |
| Moon | aḷḷōñ /alˠːəŋ/ | lɔː /lɔː/ | måne /moːnə/ | pul /pul/ | maram /maɾam/ | चांदो /tʃaːndoː/ | mienou /mʲeːnɔu/ |
| Star | iju /izʲiw/ | si-ngai /sŋaɪ/ | stjerne /ˈʂæːɳə/ | t'uf /tʼuf/ | fúú /fɨː/ | बिनको /binkoː/ | žvaigždė /ʒvaɪɡʒdeː/ |
| Mother | jinō /tʲinə/ | maː /maː/ | mor /muːr/ | chitiningin /tʃitiniŋin/ | in /in/ | अयो /ajoː/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | jemān /tʲemʲaːn/ | pʰaː /pʰaː/ | far /fɑːr/ | chiitamoog /tʃiːtamoːɡ/ | sam /sam/ | बाबा /baːbaː/ | tievs /tʲieːvs/ |
| I | ña /ŋˠa/ | ê /ʔɤʔ/ | jeg /jæɪ/ | gaeg /ɡaːɡ/ | ngang /ŋaŋ/ | एन /eːn/ | aš /aʃ/ |
| You | kwe /kʷɛ/ | mêh /mɤʔ/ | du /dʉː/ | guur /ɡuːr/ | en /en/ | नीन /niːn/ | tŭ /tʊ/ |
| Name | āt /æt/ | yaom /jɔm/ | navn /nɑʋn/ | fithingan /fiθiŋan/ | it /iːt/ | नाम /naːm/ | vards /vards/ |
| Eye | mej /mʲetʲ/ | miːn /miːn/ | øye /øjə/ | miit /miːt/ | maas /maːs/ | ख़न्न /xanː/ | akės /akʲeːs/ |
| Hand | pā /pˠaː/ | miːk /miːk/ | hånd /hɔnː/ | pa' /paʔ/ | paaw /paːw/ | खेखा /xekːʰaː/ | ronka /rɔŋka/ |
| Heart | bōro /pˠəɾə/ | sɛɛ /sɛɛ/ | hjerte /jæɾtə/ | gam /ɡam/ | letip /letip/ | ठांगरा /tʰaːŋɡɾaː/ | šėrdės /ʃʲeːrdʲeːs/ |
| Love | yokwe /jokwe/ | rəŋ /rəŋ/ | kjærlighet /çæːɾliheːt/ | t'uf /tʔuf/ | tóng /təŋ/ | मरटी /maɾʈiː/ | meilė /mʲɛileː/ |
| Tree | wōjke /wətʲkʲe/ | tʰɔː /tʰɔː/ | tre /treː/ | gaak'iy /ɡaːkʔij/ | irá /iɾaː/ | मन्ना /manːaː/ | medis /mʲɛdʲɪs/ |
| House | eṃ /emˠ/ | miː /miː/ | hus /hʉːs/ | naun /naun/ | imw /imʷ/ | एरपा /eɾpaː/ | noms /nɔms/ |
| Dog | kidu /kʲidˠu/ | kʰɔː /kʰɔː/ | hund /hʉnː/ | pilibthir /pilibtʰir/ | kkoluk /kːoluk/ | अल्ला /alːaː/ | šou /ʃɔu/ |
| Cat | kuuj /kʲuːtʲ/ | mɛː /mɛː/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katuu /katuː/ | kkááset /kːaːset/ | बिल्ली /bilːiː/ | katė /katʲeː/ |
| Eat | ṃōñā /mˠəɲˠaː/ | sɛː /sɛː/ | spise /spiːsə/ | kay /kaj/ | mwóngó /mʷəŋːə/ | ओनना /onːaː/ | valgītė /vaɫɡʲiːteː/ |
| Drink | idaak /idˠaːkʲ/ | pə /pə/ | drikke /drɪkːə/ | unum /unum/ | nimwomw /nimʷomʷ/ | ओंकना /oŋkːnaː/ | gertė /ɡʲɛrteː/ |
| One | juon /tʲuon/ | tʃit /tʃit/ | en /eːn/ | reb /reb/ | éét /eːt/ | ओंटा /oːnʈaː/ | vins /vʲɪns/ |
| Two | ruo /rˠuɔ/ | rao /ra̤ɯ/ | to /tuː/ | l'agruw /laʔɡruw/ | ruu /ruːw/ | एण्ड /eːɳɖ/ | du /dʊ/ |
| Hello | yokwe /jokwe/ | sawʔdiː /sawʔdiː/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | mogethin /moɡetʰin/ | ráán annim /raːn annim/ | खद्दी /kʰadːiː/ | labs /labs/ |
| Thank you | koṃṃool /komˠːoːlˠ/ | tʰɔk /tʰɔk/ | takk /tɑkː/ | kammagar /kamːaɡar/ | kinisou /kinisou/ | धोन्नोबाद /dʱonːobaːd/ | ačiū /atʃuː/ |
| Good | eṃṃan /emˠːanʲ/ | jɔː /jɔː/ | bra /brɑː/ | feel' /feːlʔ/ | múrinnó /muːɾinːo/ | होय /hoːj/ | gers /ɡʲɛrs/ |
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