Nasa Yuwe
Páez
Language isolate (sometimes grouped as Paezan)
Páez (Nasa Yuwe, "language of the people") is the language of the Nasa people of southwestern Colombia, traditionally classified as a language isolate (the proposed Paezan family grouping it with neighboring isolates is contested). Tonal with ejective consonants and a complex aspectual verb system. The Nasa community runs Colombia's largest indigenous-led education and political movement (CRIC, founded 1971), and Nasa Yuwe is taught in over 100 community schools. Recognised internationally for the Nasa's sustained nonviolent resistance to displacement during Colombia's armed conflict.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Páez
Water
ɨkh
/ɨkʰ/
Fire
ipx
/ipʰ/
Sun
sek
/seɡ/
Moon
a'
/aʔ/
Star
iic
/iːʔ/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
adx
/aⁿdʒ/
You
idx
/iⁿdʒ/
Name
eç
/eʔ/
Eye
yafx
/jafʰ/
Hand
ku'çx
/kuʔçʰ/
Heart
weçx
/weçʰ/
Love
wala
/wala/
Tree
kli
/kli/
House
yat
/jat/
Dog
ul
/ul/
Cat
nasame'
/nasameʔ/
Eat
ku'
/kuʔ/
Drink
ɨçx
/ɨçʰ/
One
teʼ
/teʔ/
Two
eena
/eːna/
Hello
mañi
/maɲi/
Thank you
pay
/paj/
Good
eçxa
/eçʰa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Language isolate (sometimes grouped as Paezan) languages
| Meaning | Páez | Misak | Kimbundu | Gilbertese | Lunda | Tokelauan | Uspanteko |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ɨkh /ɨkʰ/ | unø /unø/ | menha /meɲa/ | ran /ɾan/ | meji /medʒi/ | vai /vai/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | ipx /ipʰ/ | nipi /nipi/ | tubia /tubja/ | ai /ai/ | kesi /kesi/ | afi /afi/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ |
| Sun | sek /seɡ/ | shi /ʃi/ | muanya /mwaɲa/ | taai /taːi/ | itaŋwa /itaŋwa/ | la /la/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ |
| Moon | a' /aʔ/ | atru /atɾu/ | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | malama /malama/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ |
| Star | iic /iːʔ/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | tetembwa /teˈtembwa/ | itoi /iˈtoi/ | katumbwa /katumbwa/ | fetu /fetu/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | tinau /tinau/ | mama /mama/ | mātua /maːtua/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tamau /tamau/ | tata /tata/ | tamana /tamana/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | adx /aⁿdʒ/ | na /na/ | eme /eme/ | ngai /ŋai/ | ami /ami/ | au /au/ | in /in/ |
| You | idx /iⁿdʒ/ | ñui /ɲui/ | eie /eje/ | ngkoe /ŋkoe/ | eyi /eji/ | koe /koe/ | at /at/ |
| Name | eç /eʔ/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | dijina /diˈʒina/ | ara /ˈara/ | ijina /idʒina/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ |
| Eye | yafx /jafʰ/ | kab /kab/ | dixi /diʃi/ | mata /mata/ | disu /disu/ | mata /mata/ | wach /watʃ/ |
| Hand | ku'çx /kuʔçʰ/ | mar /maɾ/ | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | bai /bai/ | chikasa /tʃikasa/ | lima /lima/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Heart | weçx /weçʰ/ | mun /mun/ | muxima /muʃima/ | nano /nano/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | fatu /fatu/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ |
| Love | wala /wala/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | henda /henda/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | kukeŋa /kukeŋa/ | alofa /alofa/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ |
| Tree | kli /kli/ | yu /ju/ | mukune /mukune/ | kai /kai/ | mutondu /mutondu/ | lakau /lakau/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | yat /jat/ | ya /ja/ | inzo /inzo/ | auti /auti/ | itala /itala/ | fale /fale/ | jaa /haː/ |
| Dog | ul /ul/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | kamea /kamea/ | kawa /kawa/ | kuli /kuli/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | nasame' /nasameʔ/ | mishi /miʃi/ | kasalu /kasalu/ | katu /katu/ | — /—/ | pusi /pusi/ | mis /mis/ |
| Eat | ku' /kuʔ/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | kudya /kudja/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | kudya /kudja/ | kai /kai/ | waʼ /waʔ/ |
| Drink | ɨçx /ɨçʰ/ | ushi /uʃi/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | nima /nima/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | inu /inu/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| One | teʼ /teʔ/ | kan /kan/ | -moxi /moʃi/ | teuana /teuana/ | wumu /wumu/ | tahi /tahi/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | eena /eːna/ | pa /pa/ | -iadi /jaːdi/ | uoua /uˈoua/ | ayedi /ajedi/ | lua /lua/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ |
| Hello | mañi /maɲi/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | kiebi /kiebi/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | mwani /mwani/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ |
| Thank you | pay /paj/ | payn /pajn/ | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | nasakalili /nasakalili/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ |
| Good | eçxa /eçʰa/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | kiá /kja/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | chachiwahi /tʃatʃiwahi/ | lelei /lelei/ | utz /uts/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.