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
20 core words in Marshallese
Water
dān
/tʲaːn/
Fire
kijeek
/kʲideːk/
Sun
aḷ
/alˠ/
Moon
aḷḷōñ
/alˠːəŋ/
Mother
jinō
/tʲinə/
Father
jemān
/tʲemʲaːn/
Eat
ṃōñā
/mˠəɲˠaː/
Drink
idaak
/idˠaːkʲ/
Love
yokwe
/jokwe/
Heart
bōro
/pˠəɾə/
Tree
wōjke
/wətʲkʲe/
House
eṃ
/emˠ/
Dog
kidu
/kʲidˠu/
Cat
kuuj
/kʲuːtʲ/
Hand
pā
/pˠaː/
Eye
mej
/mʲetʲ/
Hello
yokwe
/jokwe/
Thank you
koṃṃool
/komˠːoːlˠ/
One
juon
/tʲuon/
Good
eṃṃan
/emˠːanʲ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Marshallese | Norwegian | Samogitian | Breton | Jiamao | Lithuanian | Old Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dān /tʲaːn/ | vann /vɑnː/ | vondou /vɔndɔu/ | dour /duːɾ/ | noːm /noːm/ | vanduo /vɐnˈduɔ/ | uisce /ˈusʲkʲe/ |
| Fire | kijeek /kʲideːk/ | ild /ilː/ | ognės /ɔɡneːs/ | tan /tɑ̃ːn/ | hoːi /hoːi/ | ugnis /uɡʲˈnʲɪs/ | tene /tene/ |
| Sun | aḷ /alˠ/ | sol /suːl/ | saulė /sauleː/ | heol /heːɔl/ | mau /mau/ | saulė /ˈsaʊlʲeː/ | grían /ɡrian/ |
| Moon | aḷḷōñ /alˠːəŋ/ | måne /moːnə/ | mienou /mʲeːnɔu/ | loar /lwaːɾ/ | naː /naː/ | mėnulis /mʲeːˈnʊlʲɪs/ | éscae /eːskai/ |
| Mother | jinō /tʲinə/ | mor /muːr/ | mama /mama/ | mamm /mɑ̃m/ | miə /miə/ | motina /ˈmotʲɪnɐ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ |
| Father | jemān /tʲemʲaːn/ | far /fɑːr/ | tievs /tʲieːvs/ | tad /taːd/ | paː /paː/ | tėvas /ˈtʲeːvɐs/ | athair /aθirʲ/ |
| Eat | ṃōñā /mˠəɲˠaː/ | spise /spiːsə/ | valgītė /vaɫɡʲiːteː/ | debriñ /debɾĩː/ | kɛːn /kɛːn/ | valgyti /ˈvɐlɡʲiːtʲɪ/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ |
| Drink | idaak /idˠaːkʲ/ | drikke /drɪkːə/ | gertė /ɡʲɛrteː/ | evañ /eːvɑ̃/ | ɲom /ɲom/ | gerti /ˈɡʲɛrtʲɪ/ | ibid /iβʲiðʲ/ |
| Love | yokwe /jokwe/ | kjærlighet /çæːɾliheːt/ | meilė /mʲɛileː/ | karantez /kaɾɑ̃ntes/ | kʰaː /kʰaː/ | meilė /ˈmʲɛɪlʲeː/ | serc /serk/ |
| Heart | bōro /pˠəɾə/ | hjerte /jæɾtə/ | šėrdės /ʃʲeːrdʲeːs/ | kalon /kalɔ̃n/ | kə /kə/ | širdis /ˈʃʲɪrdʲɪs/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ |
| Tree | wōjke /wətʲkʲe/ | tre /treː/ | medis /mʲɛdʲɪs/ | gwezenn /ˈɡweːzɛn/ | mai /mai/ | medis /ˈmʲɛdʲɪs/ | crann /kran/ |
| House | eṃ /emˠ/ | hus /hʉːs/ | noms /nɔms/ | ti /tiː/ | vɛn /vɛn/ | namas /ˈnamɐs/ | tech /tex/ |
| Dog | kidu /kʲidˠu/ | hund /hʉnː/ | šou /ʃɔu/ | ki /kiː/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | šuo /ʃuɔ/ | cú /kuː/ |
| Cat | kuuj /kʲuːtʲ/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katė /katʲeː/ | kazh /kaːs/ | miau /miau/ | katė /ˈkatʲeː/ | cat /kat/ |
| Hand | pā /pˠaː/ | hånd /hɔnː/ | ronka /rɔŋka/ | dorn /dɔɾn/ | baː /baː/ | ranka /rɐŋˈkɐ/ | lám /laːv/ |
| Eye | mej /mʲetʲ/ | øye /øjə/ | akės /akʲeːs/ | lagad /laɡat/ | ta /ta/ | akis /ˈakʲɪs/ | súil /suːlʲ/ |
| Hello | yokwe /jokwe/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | labs /labs/ | demat /deːmat/ | niː /niː/ | labas /ˈlabɐs/ | fochen /foxʲen/ |
| Thank you | koṃṃool /komˠːoːlˠ/ | takk /tɑkː/ | ačiū /atʃuː/ | trugarez /tɾyɡaɾes/ | χaːi /χaːi/ | ačiū /ˈɐtʃʲuː/ | atlochur /atloxur/ |
| One | juon /tʲuon/ | en /eːn/ | vins /vʲɪns/ | unan /yːnɑ̃n/ | tsuː /tsuː/ | vienas /ˈvʲɪɛnɐs/ | oín /oːin/ |
| Good | eṃṃan /emˠːanʲ/ | bra /brɑː/ | gers /ɡʲɛrs/ | mat /maːt/ | pʰaː /pʰaː/ | geras /ˈɡʲɛrɐs/ | maith /maθʲ/ |
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