Mayangna
Sumo
Misumalpan
Sumo (Mayangna) is one of the two surviving Misumalpan languages, sister to Miskito (msu/miq). The Misumalpan family is a small isolated language family of Central America (Nicaragua, Honduras), comprising only Sumo and Miskito as living languages plus several extinct varieties. The Sumo (or Mayangna, the autonym) people are concentrated in the Bonanza-Rosita-Siuna mining triangle of the Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua, with smaller populations in Honduras's Mosquitia. Linguistically, Sumo shares Misumalpan features with Miskito: SOV constituent order, postpositions, complex polypersonal verb morphology, and a tonal system. The Mayangna identity has been the focus of community-led revitalization since the 1990s, with the Mayangna Yamni Indigenous Federation supporting language preservation.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Sumo
Water
was
/was/
Fire
kuh
/kuh/
Sun
waiku
/waiku/
Moon
waikuh
/waikuh/
Mother
nuh
/nuh/
Father
papang
/papaŋ/
Eat
piru
/piɾu/
Drink
di
/di/
Love
walai
/walai/
Heart
mâ
/maː/
Tree
âu
/aːu/
House
utla
/utla/
Dog
suluk
/suluk/
Cat
mistuh
/mistuh/
Hand
ting
/tiŋ/
Eye
nakra
/nakɾa/
Hello
naksa
/naksa/
Thank you
yaisi
/jaisi/
One
as
/as/
Good
pain
/pain/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Misumalpan languages
| Meaning | Sumo | Tuvaluan | Mussau-Emira | Lampung | Buginese | Iban | Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | was /was/ | vai /vai/ | eai /eai/ | way /waj/ | wae /wae/ | ai /ai/ | wai /wai/ |
| Fire | kuh /kuh/ | afi /afi/ | kapok /kapok/ | apui /apui/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | waiku /waiku/ | laa /laː/ | ariu /aɾiu/ | matarani /matarani/ | mata esso /mata esːo/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | rā /ɾaː/ |
| Moon | waikuh /waikuh/ | masina /masina/ | malam /malam/ | bulan /bulan/ | uleng /uleŋ/ | bulan /bulan/ | marama /maɾama/ |
| Mother | nuh /nuh/ | maatua /maːtua/ | nia /nia/ | ina /ina/ | indo /indo/ | indai /indai/ | whaea /ɸaea/ |
| Father | papang /papaŋ/ | tamana /tamana/ | tama /tama/ | kemamang /kemamaŋ/ | ambo /ambo/ | apai /apai/ | matua /matua/ |
| Eat | piru /piɾu/ | kai /kai/ | anu /anu/ | nganik /ŋanik/ | mandre /mandɾe/ | makai /makai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | di /di/ | inu /inu/ | inum /inum/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minung /minuŋ/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | walai /walai/ | alofa /alofa/ | talimi /talimi/ | gawoh /ɡawoh/ | poji /podʒi/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | aroha /aɾoha/ |
| Heart | mâ /maː/ | fatu /fatu/ | lalota /lalota/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Tree | âu /aːu/ | laakau /laːkau/ | rikei /ɾikei/ | batang kayu /bataŋ kaju/ | aju /adʒu/ | kayu /kaju/ | rākau /ɾaːkau/ |
| House | utla /utla/ | fale /fale/ | ulemi /ulemi/ | lamban /lamban/ | bola /bola/ | rumah /rumah/ | whare /ɸaɾe/ |
| Dog | suluk /suluk/ | kuli /kuli/ | kovur /kovuɾ/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | ukui /ukui/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | mistuh /mistuh/ | pusi /pusi/ | busi /busi/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | meong /meoŋ/ | mayau /majau/ | ngeru /ŋeɾu/ |
| Hand | ting /tiŋ/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | pungow /puŋow/ | lima /lima/ | jari /dʒari/ | ringa /ɾiŋa/ |
| Eye | nakra /nakɾa/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | kanohi /kanohi/ |
| Hello | naksa /naksa/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | emua /emua/ | tabik /tabik/ | tabe' /tabeʔ/ | salam /salam/ | kia ora /kia oɾa/ |
| Thank you | yaisi /jaisi/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | poasi /poasi/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | kurru sumange /kurːu sumaŋe/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | ngā mihi /ŋaː mihi/ |
| One | as /as/ | tasi /tasi/ | esa /esa/ | sai /sai/ | séddi /sedːi/ | satu /satu/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Good | pain /pain/ | lei /lei/ | rop /ɾop/ | hayep /hajep/ | makanja /makandʒa/ | manah /manah/ | pai /pai/ |
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