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
20 core words in Pirahã
Water
piigi
/piiɡi/
Fire
hoa
/hoa/
Sun
hisi
/hisi/
Moon
kapiigaísao
/kapiiɡaísao/
Mother
ʔaaí
/ʔaaí/
Father
baíxi
/baíʃi/
Eat
ʔaʔaí
/ʔaʔaí/
Drink
gao
/ɡao/
Love
gí
/ɡí/
Heart
aoʔaago
/aoʔaaɡo/
Tree
hoí
/hoí/
House
kaiʔii
/kaiʔii/
Dog
kobaí
/kobaí/
Cat
xowí
/ʃowí/
Hand
piíʔai
/piíʔai/
Eye
ʔai
/ʔai/
Hello
gaíhií
/ɡaíhií/
Thank you
kapiíhií
/kapiíhií/
One
hói
/hói/
Good
aoʔaago
/aoʔaaɡo/
Words compared
Compared with related Mura (isolate) languages
| Meaning | Pirahã | Wa | Hurrian | Wichita | Mandaic | Aramaic | Wayuu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | piigi /piiɡi/ | rom /rɔm/ | 𒅆𒂊 /ʃie/ | kicʔa /kit͡sʔa/ | ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ | ܡܝܐ /majjaː/ | wuin /wuin/ |
| Fire | hoa /hoa/ | ngo /ŋo/ | 𒋫𒌅 /tatu/ | hatʔihks /hatʔihks/ | ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ | ܢܘܪܐ /nuːraː/ | siki /siki/ |
| Sun | hisi /hisi/ | cangaiʔ /tʃaŋaiʔ/ | 𒅆𒈨𒄀 /ʃimeɡi/ | saːkihirikiʔis /saːkihiɾikiʔis/ | ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ | ܫܡܫܐ /ʃemʃaː/ | kaʼi /kaʔi/ |
| Moon | kapiigaísao /kapiiɡaísao/ | khaiʔ /kʰaiʔ/ | 𒆪𒋢𒄴 /kuʃuh/ | — /—/ | ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ | ܣܗܪܐ /sahraː/ | kashi /kaʃi/ |
| Mother | ʔaaí /ʔaaí/ | yaʔ /jaʔ/ | 𒂊𒈾 /ena/ | ʔatsi /ʔatsi/ | ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ | ܐܡܐ /ʔemmaː/ | ei /ei/ |
| Father | baíxi /baíʃi/ | paiʔ /paiʔ/ | 𒀜𒋫𒀀𒄿 /attai/ | ʔaːsi /ʔaːsi/ | ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ | ܐܒܐ /ʔabbaː/ | ashi /aʃi/ |
| Eat | ʔaʔaí /ʔaʔaí/ | cha /tʃa/ | 𒄠 /am/ | taʔac /taʔat͡s/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡋ /akal/ | ܐܟܠ /ʔaːχel/ | ekaa /ekaː/ |
| Drink | gao /ɡao/ | ɔk /ɔk/ | 𒈾𒄴𒉿 /nahw/ | kiːckiriʔeːhirʔa /kiːt͡skiɾiʔeːhiɾʔa/ | ࡔࡕࡀ /ʃta/ | ܫܬܐ /ʃtaː/ | asaa /asaː/ |
| Love | gí /ɡí/ | hak /hak/ | 𒋫𒁺 /tadu/ | — /—/ | ࡓࡅࡄࡌࡀ /ɾuhma/ | ܚܘܒܐ /ħubbaː/ | alasüin /alasɨin/ |
| Heart | aoʔaago /aoʔaaɡo/ | nuim /nuim/ | 𒋾𒊭 /tiʃa/ | kaːc /kaːt͡s/ | ࡋࡉࡁࡀ /liba/ | ܠܒܐ /lebbaː/ | aaʼin /aːʔin/ |
| Tree | hoí /hoí/ | maiʔ /maiʔ/ | 𒋫𒁉 /tappi/ | tahaːriʔ /tahaːɾiʔ/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡍࡀ /akana/ | ܐܝܠܢܐ /ʔiːlaːnaː/ | wunuʼu /wunuʔu/ |
| House | kaiʔii /kaiʔii/ | nyiex /ɲiɛʔ/ | 𒅁𒊑 /ipri/ | kaːhikʔa /kaːhikʔa/ | ࡁࡉࡕࡀ /bita/ | ܒܝܬܐ /bajtaː/ | miichi /miːtʃi/ |
| Dog | kobaí /kobaí/ | so /so/ | 𒅕𒈠 /irma/ | kicʔariːh /kit͡sʔaɾiːh/ | ࡊࡀࡋࡁࡀ /kalba/ | ܟܠܒܐ /kalbaː/ | erü /eɾɨː/ |
| Cat | xowí /ʃowí/ | meo /meo/ | 𒊭𒉿𒍣 /ʃawazi/ | — /—/ | ࡔࡅࡍࡀࡓࡀ /ʃunara/ | ܫܘܢܪܐ /ʃunnaːraː/ | misho /miʃo/ |
| Hand | piíʔai /piíʔai/ | tai /tai/ | 𒋗𒉌 /ʃuni/ | ʔiskʔa /ʔiskʔa/ | ࡏࡃࡀ /ʔida/ | ܐܝܕܐ /ʔiːðaː/ | ajapü /axapɨ/ |
| Eye | ʔai /ʔai/ | ngai /ŋai/ | 𒅆𒉌 /ʃini/ | kiriːkihinaʔ /kiɾiːkihinaʔ/ | ࡏࡉࡍࡀ /ʔina/ | ܥܝܢܐ /ʕajnaː/ | oʼu /oʔu/ |
| Hello | gaíhií /ɡaíhií/ | sao /sao/ | 𒄭𒇻 /hilːu/ | nakahaʔahirʔa /nakahaʔahiɾʔa/ | ࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ /ʃlama/ | ܫܠܡܐ /ʃlaːmaː/ | jamaya /xamaja/ |
| Thank you | kapiíhií /kapiíhií/ | ban prix /ban priʔ/ | 𒀀𒅆 /aʃi/ | — /—/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ /ʈabuta/ | ܬܘܕܝ /tawdiː/ | talé /tale/ |
| One | hói /hói/ | ti /ti/ | 𒊭 /ʃa/ | cʔiːʔas /t͡sʔiːʔas/ | ࡄࡀࡃ /had/ | ܚܕ /ħað/ | wanee /waneː/ |
| Good | aoʔaago /aoʔaaɡo/ | dim /dim/ | 𒀀𒍣 /aʦi/ | — /—/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡀ /tˤaba/ | ܛܒܐ /tˤaːβaː/ | anasü /anasɨ/ |
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