Wichí Lhamtés
Wichí
Mataco-Mataguayan
Wichí (formerly Mataco; autonymously Wichí Lhamtés "the Wichí speech") is the principal Mataco-Mataguayan language, spoken by ~50,000-60,000 Wichí people across the Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The Mataco-Mataguayan family is small and isolated within South American linguistics, with Wichí being the largest member alongside Nivaclé, Maká, and Chorote. Linguistically, Wichí has typical Mataco-Mataguayan features: nominative-accusative alignment, classifier-like noun particles, and SVO constituent order with verb-final tendencies. The Wichí community has been active in Argentine indigenous-rights movements since the 1990s, with bilingual education in Salta and Formosa provinces.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Wichí
Water
inot
/inot/
Fire
itoj
/itox/
Sun
ifwala
/ifʷala/
Moon
hawu
/hawu/
Mother
ko
/ko/
Father
lo
/lo/
Eat
lechek
/letʃek/
Drink
yim
/jim/
Love
lhayanej
/ʎajanex/
Heart
kahayl
/kahajl/
Tree
halaj
/halax/
House
wek
/wek/
Dog
asinaj
/asinax/
Cat
mishi
/miʃi/
Hand
kuwej
/kuwex/
Eye
titsej
/titsex/
Hello
hayej
/hajex/
Thank you
nehayij
/nehajix/
One
ifwa
/ifʷa/
Good
is
/is/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mataco-Mataguayan languages
| Meaning | Wichí | Northern Embera | Warao | Shawiya | Amis | Nzima | Tao/Yami |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | inot /inot/ | do /do/ | hoidu /hojdu/ | aman /aman/ | nanom /nanom/ | nzule /nzule/ | ranom /ranom/ |
| Fire | itoj /itox/ | tu /tu/ | hekunu /hekunu/ | times /times/ | namal /namal/ | sinya /sinja/ | apuy /apuj/ |
| Sun | ifwala /ifʷala/ | hewa /hewa/ | ya /ja/ | ittij /itːiʒ/ | cidal /tsiðal/ | ewia /ewia/ | araw /araw/ |
| Moon | hawu /hawu/ | ahuru /ahuɾu/ | waniku /waniku/ | ayur /ajuɾ/ | folad /folað/ | siane /sjane/ | vehan /vehan/ |
| Mother | ko /ko/ | papa /papa/ | dani /dani/ | ima /ima/ | ina /ina/ | enwo /enwo/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | lo /lo/ | apa /apa/ | daka /daka/ | baba /baba/ | ama /ama/ | ekyele /ecele/ | ama /ama/ |
| Eat | lechek /letʃek/ | ko /ko/ | nahoro /nahoɾo/ | etš /etʃ/ | komaen /komaen/ | di /di/ | kuman /kuman/ |
| Drink | yim /jim/ | dorrare /doraɾe/ | osi /osi/ | su /su/ | minom /minom/ | nu /nu/ | minum /minum/ |
| Love | lhayanej /ʎajanex/ | ãỹba /ãɨba/ | anaubu /anaubu/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | maolah /maolah/ | ɛlɔlɛ /ɛlɔlɛ/ | makakdeng /makakdəŋ/ |
| Heart | kahayl /kahajl/ | ƀakhuru /ɓakuɾu/ | obonona /obonona/ | ul /ul/ | faloko' /falokoʔ/ | ahonle /ahonle/ | paso /paso/ |
| Tree | halaj /halax/ | bakuru /bakuɾu/ | dau /daw/ | aseklu /asekːlu/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | baka /baka/ | kayo /kajo/ |
| House | wek /wek/ | te /te/ | hanoko /hanoko/ | axxam /axːam/ | loma' /lomaʔ/ | suakɛ /suakɛ/ | vahay /vahaj/ |
| Dog | asinaj /asinax/ | usa /usa/ | aurahu /auɾahu/ | aydi /ajdi/ | wacu /watsu/ | kraman /kraman/ | ino /ino/ |
| Cat | mishi /miʃi/ | misu /misu/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mucc /mutʃː/ | posi /posi/ | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | koving /koviŋ/ |
| Hand | kuwej /kuwex/ | jua /xua/ | mokomoko /mokomoko/ | afus /afus/ | kamay /kamaj/ | ɛsa /ɛsa/ | kamay /kamaj/ |
| Eye | titsej /titsex/ | tau /tau/ | mu /mu/ | tiṭ /titˤ/ | mata /mata/ | anye /anje/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | hayej /hajex/ | sake bia /sake bia/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | azul /azul/ | nga'ay ho /ŋaʔaj ho/ | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akokay /akokaj/ |
| Thank you | nehayij /nehajix/ | bia bara /bia baɾa/ | kase /kase/ | tanmirt /tanmiɾt/ | aray /araj/ | medaase /medaase/ | ayoy /ajoj/ |
| One | ifwa /ifʷa/ | aba /aba/ | hisaka /hisaka/ | ijj /ijː/ | cecay /tsetsaj/ | kʊ /kʊ/ | asa /asa/ |
| Good | is /is/ | bia /bia/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | ighwdha /iʁʷða/ | kapah /kapah/ | kpa /kpa/ | mapia /mapia/ |
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