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
31 core words in Wichí
Water
inot
/inot/
Fire
itoj
/itox/
Sun
ifwala
/ifʷala/
Moon
hawu
/hawu/
Star
katʼes
/katʼes/
Mother
ko
/ko/
Father
lo
/lo/
I
olham
/olam/
You
am
/am/
Name
lhey
/ɬej/
Eye
titsej
/titsex/
Hand
kuwej
/kuwex/
Heart
kahayl
/kahajl/
Love
lhayanej
/ʎajanex/
Tree
halaj
/halax/
House
wek
/wek/
Dog
asinaj
/asinax/
Cat
mishi
/miʃi/
Eat
lechek
/letʃek/
Drink
yim
/jim/
One
ifwa
/ifʷa/
Two
nitewk
/nitewk/
Hello
hayej
/hajex/
Thank you
nehayij
/nehajix/
Good
is
/is/
Cuckoo
hotsen'i
/hotsenˈʔi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mataco-Mataguayan languages
| Meaning | Wichí | Achuar | Shuar | Sora language | Northern Embera | Ayacucho Quechua | Atikamekw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | inot /inot/ | yumi /jumi/ | yumi /jumi/ | daŋa /daŋa/ | do /do/ | yaku /jaku/ | nipi /nipi/ |
| Fire | itoj /itox/ | ji /hi/ | ji /hi/ | tin /tin/ | tu /tu/ | nina /nina/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ |
| Sun | ifwala /ifʷala/ | etsa /etsa/ | etsa /etsa/ | dag /dag/ | hewa /hewa/ | inti /inti/ | pisim /pisim/ |
| Moon | hawu /hawu/ | nantu /nantu/ | nantu /nantu/ | dian /dian/ | ahuru /ahuɾu/ | killa /kiʎa/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ |
| Star | katʼes /katʼes/ | yaa /jaː/ | yaa /jaː/ | tərɖaŋ /tərɖaŋ/ | chidua /tʃidua/ | quyllur /ˈqojʎur/ | atcakos /atʃakos/ |
| Mother | ko /ko/ | nukur /nukuɾ/ | nukur /nukuɾ/ | ayo /ajo/ | papa /papa/ | mama /mama/ | okawi /okawi/ |
| Father | lo /lo/ | apar /apaɾ/ | apar /apaɾ/ | aba /aba/ | apa /apa/ | tayta /tajta/ | ohi /ohi/ |
| I | olham /olam/ | wi /wi/ | wi /wi/ | ɲen /ɲɛn/ | mʉ /mɨ/ | ñuqa /ˈɲoqa/ | nir /niɾ/ |
| You | am /am/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | am /am/ | bʉ /bɨ/ | qam /qam/ | kir /kiɾ/ |
| Name | lhey /ɬej/ | naari /naːɾi/ | naari /naːɾi/ | ɲum /ɲum/ | trʉ̃ /tɾɨ̃/ | suti /ˈsuti/ | wirowin /wiɾowin/ |
| Eye | titsej /titsex/ | jii /hiː/ | jii /hiː/ | siʔi /siʔi/ | tau /tau/ | ñawi /ɲawi/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ |
| Hand | kuwej /kuwex/ | uwej /uweh/ | uwej /uweh/ | si /si/ | jua /xua/ | maki /maki/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ |
| Heart | kahayl /kahajl/ | enentai /enentai/ | enentai /enentai/ | suʔun /suʔun/ | ƀakhuru /ɓakuɾu/ | sunqu /suŋqu/ | mite /mite/ |
| Love | lhayanej /ʎajanex/ | anentin /anentin/ | anentaiti /anentaiti/ | adi /adi/ | ãỹba /ãɨba/ | kuyay /kujaj/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ |
| Tree | halaj /halax/ | numi /numi/ | numi /numi/ | dar /dar/ | bakuru /bakuɾu/ | sacha /satʃa/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ |
| House | wek /wek/ | jea /hea/ | jea /hea/ | suʔuŋ /suʔuŋ/ | te /te/ | wasi /wasi/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ |
| Dog | asinaj /asinax/ | yawa /jawa/ | yawá /jaˈwa/ | sua /sua/ | usa /usa/ | allqu /aʎqu/ | atim /atim/ |
| Cat | mishi /miʃi/ | micha /mitʃa/ | micha /mitʃa/ | biri /biri/ | misu /misu/ | michi /mitʃi/ | minoc /minotʃ/ |
| Eat | lechek /letʃek/ | yuata /juata/ | yuata /juata/ | kay /kaj/ | ko /ko/ | mikuy /mikuj/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ |
| Drink | yim /jim/ | umarta /umaɾta/ | umarta /umaɾta/ | pim /pim/ | dorrare /doraɾe/ | upyay /upjaj/ | minikwa /minikwa/ |
| One | ifwa /ifʷa/ | kichik /kitʃik/ | chikichik /tʃikitʃik/ | aboy /aboj/ | aba /aba/ | huk /huk/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ |
| Two | nitewk /nitewk/ | jimiar /himiaɾ/ | jimiará /himiaɾa/ | baguu /baɡu/ | umé /ume/ | iskay /ˈiskaj/ | niso /niso/ |
| Hello | hayej /hajex/ | pujamek /puhamek/ | pujamek /puhamek/ | limtam /limtam/ | sake bia /sake bia/ | napaykullayki /napajkuʎajki/ | kwei /kwej/ |
| Thank you | nehayij /nehajix/ | mai-tikut /majtikut/ | yuminsajme /juminsahme/ | surai /surai/ | bia bara /bia baɾa/ | añay /aɲaj/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ |
| Good | is /is/ | penker /peŋkeɾ/ | penker /peŋkeɾ/ | mando /mando/ | bia /bia/ | allin /aʎin/ | miloci /milotʃi/ |
| Cuckoo | hotsen'i /hotsenˈʔi/ | — | — | — | b̶ijũẽ /ɓiˈhũẽ/ | — | — |
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