Numu
Northern Paiute
Uto-Aztecan (Numic, Western)
Northern Paiute (Numu "the people") is a Western Numic language of the Great Basin, spoken from eastern Oregon through Nevada into California and Idaho. It features vowel harmony, final-feature devoicing, and a complex system of stem-final consonant mutations (gradation) triggered by a preceding noun or prefix.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Northern Paiute
Water
paa
/paː/
Fire
kuna
/kuna/
Sun
tabe
/tape/
Moon
mua
/mu.a/
Star
pasohoobʉ
/pasohoːbɨ/
Mother
pia
/pi.a/
Father
naa
/naː/
I
nʉʉ
/nɨː/
You
ʉʉ
/ɨː/
Name
nia
/niʔa/
Eye
pui
/pui/
Hand
mai
/mai/
Heart
piwi
/piwi/
Love
suabetɨ
/suapetɨ/
Tree
hupi
/hupi/
House
nobi
/nopi/
Dog
isha
/iʃa/
Cat
mosa
/mosa/
Eat
tɨka
/tɨka/
Drink
hibi
/hipi/
One
simɨ
/simɨ/
Two
waha
/waha/
Hello
maikwa
/maikwa/
Thank you
pesa
/pesa/
Good
pesa
/pesa/
Cuckoo
poboyooha'a
/poboˈjoːhaʔa/
Sources
- Snapp, Allen, John Anderson & Joy Anderson (1982) Northern Paiute. In: Studies in Uto-Aztecan Grammar 3, SIL/UTA, pp. 1-92.
- Thornes, Tim (2003) A Northern Paiute Grammar with Texts. PhD diss., University of Oregon.
- Yerington Paiute Tribe (1987) Numu Yadooape: Northern Paiute Language Dictionary.
- Glottolog: Northern Paiute
Words compared
Compared with related Uto-Aztecan (Numic, Western) languages
| Meaning | Northern Paiute | Comanche | Wixarika | Tarahumara | Cora | Proto-Uto-Aztecan | Sakizaya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | paa /paː/ | paa /paː/ | ha /ha/ | bawí /bawi/ | hapɨn /hapɨn/ | *paʔ /paʔ/ | nanum /nanum/ |
| Fire | kuna /kuna/ | kohtopʉ /kohtopɨ/ | tai /tai/ | nahí /nahi/ | ta'ai /taʔai/ | *na- /na-/ | lamal /lamal/ |
| Sun | tabe /tape/ | taabe /taːbe/ | tau /tau/ | rayó /ɾajo/ | tahaapuá /tahaːpwa/ | *ta /ta/ | cidal /tʃidal/ |
| Moon | mua /mu.a/ | mʉa /mɨa/ | metsa /metsa/ | mecá /metʃa/ | mɨhka /mɨhka/ | *mɨca /mɨca/ | bulad /bulad/ |
| Star | pasohoobʉ /pasohoːbɨ/ | tatsinuupi /tatsinuːpi/ | xurawe /ʃuˈrawe/ | sopolí /sopoli/ | sɨɨrabe /sɨːˈrabe/ | — /—/ | bo'is /boʔis/ |
| Mother | pia /pi.a/ | pia /pia/ | nana /nana/ | iyé /ije/ | naana /naːna/ | — /—/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | naa /naː/ | ahpʉ /ahpɨ/ | yawe /jawe/ | onó /ono/ | hahuá /hahwa/ | — /—/ | ama /ama/ |
| I | nʉʉ /nɨː/ | nʉ /nɨ/ | nee /neː/ | nejé /nehe/ | neʼu /ˈneʔu/ | *nɨ /nɨ/ | zaku /ʐaku/ |
| You | ʉʉ /ɨː/ | ʉ /ɨ/ | eekɨ /ˈeːkɨ/ | mujé /muhe/ | aʼu /ˈaʔu/ | — /—/ | kisu /kisu/ |
| Name | nia /niʔa/ | nahnia /nahnia/ | tewa /ˈtewa/ | riwá /ɾiwa/ | yeuwa /ˈjeuwa/ | *tewa /tewa/ | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ |
| Eye | pui /pui/ | puui /puːi/ | tukite /tukite/ | pusí /pusi/ | húi /hwi/ | *pusi /pusi/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | mai /mai/ | mo'o /moʔo/ | mama /mama/ | sekuá /sekwa/ | mam /mam/ | *maʔ /maʔ/ | kamay /kamai/ |
| Heart | piwi /piwi/ | — /—/ | iyari /ijari/ | surí /suɾi/ | hɨurí /hɨuri/ | — /—/ | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ |
| Love | suabetɨ /suapetɨ/ | wʊʊʰa /wʊːhɑ/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | nakí /naki/ | ka'na /kaʔna/ | — /—/ | maolah /maolah/ |
| Tree | hupi /hupi/ | huupi /huːpi/ | kiyé /kije/ | gokó /ɡoko/ | kɨré /kɨre/ | — /—/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ |
| House | nobi /nopi/ | kahni /kahni/ | ki /ki/ | kalí /kali/ | kíh /kih/ | *ki /ki/ | luma /luma/ |
| Dog | isha /iʃa/ | sarii /saɾiː/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | kochí /kotʃi/ | tsɨ'ɨ /tsɨʔɨ/ | — /—/ | waco /watʃo/ |
| Cat | mosa /mosa/ | ɨsʉ /ɪsɨ/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | misí /misi/ | mistú /mistu/ | — /—/ | posi /posi/ |
| Eat | tɨka /tɨka/ | tʉhkarʉ /tɨhkarɨ/ | kuye /kuje/ | koʼa /koʔa/ | kuá /kwa/ | *kwaʔa /kwaʔa/ | hekal /hekal/ |
| Drink | hibi /hipi/ | hibi /hibi/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | bahí /bahi/ | hi'i /hiʔi/ | — /—/ | mihecak /mihetʃak/ |
| One | simɨ /simɨ/ | sʉmʉ /sɨmɨ/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | bilé /bile/ | cei /tsei/ | *sɨmɨ /sɨmɨ/ | cacay /tʃatʃai/ |
| Two | waha /waha/ | waha /waha/ | huta /huˈta/ | okuá /okwa/ | huapoa /waˈpoa/ | *wo /wo/ | tusa /tusa/ |
| Hello | maikwa /maikwa/ | marʉawe /maɾɨawe/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | kuira /kuiɾa/ | ke'kuanenki /keʔkwanenki/ | — /—/ | marayas /maɾajas/ |
| Thank you | pesa /pesa/ | ʉra /ɨɾa/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | matéterabá /mateteɾaba/ | atsipiraá /atsipiraː/ | — /—/ | lalumahan /lalumahan/ |
| Good | pesa /pesa/ | tsaatʉ /tsaːtɨ/ | waxa /waʃa/ | galá /ɡala/ | huá'i /hwaʔi/ | — /—/ | kapah /kapah/ |
| Cuckoo | poboyooha'a /poboˈjoːhaʔa/ | — /—/ | — | — | — | — | — |
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