Xapagí
Pirahã
Mura (isolate)
Pirahã is famous in linguistics for its extreme typological features: no embedded clauses, no exact numerals (only 'small' vs 'larger' amounts), no colour terms, no perfect-tense distinction, and minimal kinship vocabulary. Spoken by about 250 hunter-gatherers along the Maici river, a tributary of the Amazon, Pirahã has been the subject of major debates over Universal Grammar after Daniel Everett's analyses challenged Chomskyan recursion claims and stirred years of fieldwork response.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Pirahã
Water
piigi
/piiɡi/
Fire
hoa
/hoa/
Sun
hisi
/hisi/
Moon
kapiigaísao
/kapiiɡaísao/
Star
apapaí
/àpàpàí/
Mother
ʔaaí
/ʔaaí/
Father
baíxi
/baíʃi/
I
ti
/tì/
You
gíxai
/ɡíʔàì/
Name
íga
/ígà/
Eye
ʔai
/ʔai/
Hand
piíʔai
/piíʔai/
Heart
aoʔaago
/aoʔaaɡo/
Love
gí
/ɡí/
Tree
hoí
/hoí/
House
kaiʔii
/kaiʔii/
Dog
kobaí
/kobaí/
Cat
xowí
/ʃowí/
Eat
ʔaʔaí
/ʔaʔaí/
Drink
gao
/ɡao/
One
hói
/hói/
Two
hoí
/hòí/
Hello
gaíhií
/ɡaíhií/
Thank you
kapiíhií
/kapiíhií/
Good
aoʔaago
/aoʔaaɡo/
Words compared
Compared with related Mura (isolate) languages
| Meaning | Pirahã | Wichita | Juǀ'hoan | Lepcha | Senoufo Supyire | Wayuu | Aari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | piigi /piiɡi/ | kicʔa /kitsʔa/ | gǃú /ᶢǃú/ | ᰣᰫᰵ /ʔuŋ/ | lwɔ /lwɔ/ | wuin /wuin/ | waki /waki/ |
| Fire | hoa /hoa/ | hatʔihks /hatʔihks/ | dahm /dã̀m/ | ᰕᰧ /mi/ | fyaa /fjaː/ | siki /siki/ | mola /mola/ |
| Sun | hisi /hisi/ | saːkihirikiʔis /saːkihiɾikiʔis/ | ǃhúí /ᵑǃʰúí/ | ᰠᰗᰪᰭ /sətsɯk/ | kanha /kaɲa/ | kaʼi /kaʔi/ | háy /haj/ |
| Moon | kapiigaísao /kapiiɡaísao/ | — /—/ | nǁháí /ᵑǁʰáí/ | ᰜᰦᰟᰨ /lavo/ | cuoꞌngo /tʃuoŋɡo/ | kashi /kaʃi/ | arfi /arfi/ |
| Star | apapaí /àpàpàí/ | hokʼwahriʔ /hokʼʷahriʔ/ | ǀqhùbi /ǀqʰùbí/ | ᰠᰝᰩᰲ /səhɔr/ | lɔhɔ /lɔ̀hɔ̀/ | jolotsü /holotsɨ/ | manka /ˈmanka/ |
| Mother | ʔaaí /ʔaaí/ | ʔatsi /ʔatsi/ | taqe /tàʔè/ | ᰣᰦᰕᰫ /ʔamu/ | naa /naː/ | ei /ei/ | inde /inde/ |
| Father | baíxi /baíʃi/ | ʔaːsi /ʔaːsi/ | ba /bà/ | ᰣᰦᰓᰨ /ʔabo/ | saa /saː/ | ashi /aʃi/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ti /tì/ | náⁱʔ /náːʔ/ | mi /mí/ | ᰃᰨ /go/ | mii /mìː/ | taya /taja/ | ita /ʔiˈta/ |
| You | gíxai /ɡíʔàì/ | áⁱʔ /áːʔ/ | a /à/ | ᰝᰩ /hɔ/ | mu /mú/ | pia /pia/ | ahna /ahˈna/ |
| Name | íga /ígà/ | -riʔ /riʔ/ | ǀ'hòà /ǀʼhòà/ | ᰣᰦᰓᰥᰤᰦᰵ /ʔabrjaŋ/ | yabɛ /jàbɛ̀/ | anülia /anɨlia/ | naami /naːˈmi/ |
| Eye | ʔai /ʔai/ | kiriːkihinaʔ /kiɾiːkihinaʔ/ | ǃʼàqè /ᶢǃʼàʔè/ | ᰣᰦᰕᰧᰭᰶ /ʔamik/ | fyaha /fjaha/ | oʼu /oʔu/ | aafi /aːfi/ |
| Hand | piíʔai /piíʔai/ | ʔiskʔa /ʔiskʔa/ | ǃʼau /ǃʼau/ | ᰣᰦᰀᰶ /ʔakə/ | kya /kja/ | ajapü /axapɨ/ | kushum /kuʃum/ |
| Heart | aoʔaago /aoʔaaɡo/ | kaːc /kaːts/ | ǂʼàn /ǂʼàn/ | ᰣᰦᰜᰪᰳ /ʔalɯt/ | urɔ /uɾɔ/ | aaʼin /aːʔin/ | lubba /lubːa/ |
| Love | gí /ɡí/ | — /—/ | ǀʼán /ǀʼán/ | ᰣᰦᰆᰬ /ʔace/ | lyɛnɛ /ʎɛnɛ/ | alasüin /alasɨin/ | gaya /ɡaja/ |
| Tree | hoí /hoí/ | tahaːriʔ /tahaːɾiʔ/ | ǃaìh /ǃaìh/ | ᰀᰫᰵ /kuŋ/ | kapyiŋi /kapjiŋi/ | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ | miza /miza/ |
| House | kaiʔii /kaiʔii/ | kaːhikʔa /kaːhikʔa/ | tjù /tʃù/ | ᰜᰧᰶ /li/ | nyiŋkanaŋa /ɲiŋkanaŋa/ | miichi /miːtʃi/ | kara /kara/ |
| Dog | kobaí /kobaí/ | kicʔariːh /kitsʔaɾiːh/ | ǂhòã /ᵑǂʰòã/ | ᰀᰈᰫ /kəʒu/ | fwo /fwo/ | erü /eɾɨː/ | kana /kana/ |
| Cat | xowí /ʃowí/ | — /—/ | ǃhòè /ᵑǃʰòè/ | ᰣᰦᰜᰤᰫ /ʔalju/ | baha /baha/ | misho /miʃo/ | shanɡo /ʃaŋɡo/ |
| Eat | ʔaʔaí /ʔaʔaí/ | taʔac /taʔats/ | ǃʼám /ǃʼám/ | ᰙᰨ /dzo/ | kanyi /kaɲi/ | ekaa /ekaː/ | itte /itːe/ |
| Drink | gao /ɡao/ | kiːckiriʔeːhirʔa /kiːtskiɾiʔeːhiɾʔa/ | kxʼáí /kxʼái/ | ᰋᰩᰵ /tʰɔŋ/ | nyaha /ɲaha/ | asaa /asaː/ | ushe /uʃe/ |
| One | hói /hói/ | cʔiːʔas /tsʔiːʔas/ | nǀèʼè /ᵑǀèʼè/ | ᰀᰦᰳ /kat/ | ni /ni/ | wanee /waneː/ | kollo /kolːo/ |
| Two | hoí /hòí/ | wic /wits/ | tsàn /tsã̀/ | ᰉᰬᰳ /ɲet/ | shuunni /ʃùːnːì/ | piama /piama/ | qasken /qasˈken/ |
| Hello | gaíhií /ɡaíhií/ | nakahaʔahirʔa /nakahaʔahiɾʔa/ | mí kúrùwà /mí kúrùwà/ | ᰂᰦᰮᰛᰧᰶ /kʰamri/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | jamaya /xamaja/ | saro /saro/ |
| Thank you | kapiíhií /kapiíhií/ | — /—/ | mí ǁʼàmà /mí ǁʼàmà/ | ᰀ᰷ᰥᰩᰭᰇᰧᰶ /ʈɔkcʰi/ | fenge /feŋɡe/ | talé /tale/ | galatoma /ɡalatoma/ |
| Good | aoʔaago /aoʔaaɡo/ | — /—/ | ǀʼàn /ǀʼàn/ | ᰣᰦᰛᰤᰫᰮ /ʔarjum/ | nyaha /ɲaha/ | anasü /anasɨ/ | goodi /ɡoːdi/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.