Rarámuri
Tarahumara
Uto-Aztecan (Taracahitan)
Tarahumara (Rarámuri, "those who run on foot") is a Uto-Aztecan language of Chihuahua's Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico, with ~85K speakers. The Rarámuri are world-famous for ultra-long-distance running traditions (rarajipari ball-races over 100+ km). Spoken across multiple dialect areas (highland/lowland), it features SOV word order, suffix-rich agglutinative morphology, and a 5-vowel system. Latin orthography developed by Jesuits in the 17th century; modern standardization through the SEP Indigenous Education program.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tarahumara
Water
bawí
/bawi/
Fire
nahí
/nahi/
Sun
rayó
/ɾajo/
Moon
mecá
/metʃa/
Mother
iyé
/ije/
Father
onó
/ono/
Eat
koʼa
/koʔa/
Drink
bahí
/bahi/
Love
nakí
/naki/
Heart
surí
/suɾi/
Tree
gokó
/ɡoko/
House
kalí
/kali/
Dog
kochí
/kotʃi/
Cat
misí
/misi/
Hand
sekuá
/sekwa/
Eye
pusí
/pusi/
Hello
kuira
/kuiɾa/
Thank you
matéterabá
/mateteɾaba/
One
bilé
/bile/
Good
galá
/ɡala/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uto-Aztecan (Taracahitan) languages
| Meaning | Tarahumara | Nawat | Northern Paiute | Wixarika | Niuean | Isthmus Nahuatl | Marquesan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | bawí /bawi/ | at /at/ | paa /paː/ | ha /ha/ | vai /vai/ | ahtli /aʔtli/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | nahí /nahi/ | tit /tit/ | kuna /kuna/ | tai /tai/ | afi /afi/ | tit /tit/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | rayó /ɾajo/ | tunal /tunal/ | tabe /tape/ | tau /tau/ | lā /laː/ | tonal /tonal/ | ʻoumati /ʔoumati/ |
| Moon | mecá /metʃa/ | metsti /metsti/ | mua /mu.a/ | metsa /metsa/ | mahina /mahina/ | metz /mets/ | mahina /mahina/ |
| Mother | iyé /ije/ | nan /nan/ | pia /pi.a/ | nana /nana/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | nan /nan/ | kuʻa /kuʔa/ |
| Father | onó /ono/ | tat /tat/ | naa /naː/ | yawe /jawe/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tat /tat/ | motua /motua/ |
| Eat | koʼa /koʔa/ | takwa /takwa/ | tɨka /tɨka/ | kuye /kuje/ | kai /kai/ | tacua /takʷa/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | bahí /bahi/ | ati /ati/ | hibi /hipi/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | inu /inu/ | ati /ati/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | nakí /naki/ | nesa /nesa/ | suabetɨ /suapetɨ/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | nech-nequi /netʃneki/ | hanahana /hanahana/ |
| Heart | surí /suɾi/ | yulu /julu/ | piwi /piwi/ | iyari /ijari/ | fatu /fatu/ | yolio /jolio/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Tree | gokó /ɡoko/ | kwawit /kʷawit/ | hupi /hupi/ | kiyé /kije/ | akau /akau/ | cuahuit /kʷawit/ | tumu kahi /tumu kahi/ |
| House | kalí /kali/ | kal /kal/ | nobi /nopi/ | ki /ki/ | fale /fale/ | cali /kali/ | hae /hae/ |
| Dog | kochí /kotʃi/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | isha /iʃa/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | kuli /kuli/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | peko /peko/ |
| Cat | misí /misi/ | mishin /miʃin/ | mosa /mosa/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | pusi /pusi/ | miston /miston/ | piki /piki/ |
| Hand | sekuá /sekwa/ | mey /mei/ | mai /mai/ | mama /mama/ | lima /lima/ | mahuit /mawit/ | ʻima /ʔima/ |
| Eye | pusí /pusi/ | ish /iʃ/ | pui /pui/ | tukite /tukite/ | mata /mata/ | ix /iʃ/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | kuira /kuiɾa/ | ne pakua /ne pakwa/ | maikwa /maikwa/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | niltze /niltse/ | kaoha /kaoha/ |
| Thank you | matéterabá /mateteɾaba/ | padiush /padjuʃ/ | pesa /pesa/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | tlazohcamati /tlasoʔkamati/ | mauruuru /mauɾuuɾu/ |
| One | bilé /bile/ | se /se/ | simɨ /simɨ/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | taha /taha/ | ce /se/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Good | galá /ɡala/ | kwahli /kʷahli/ | pesa /pesa/ | waxa /waʃa/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | maitaʻi /maitaʔi/ |
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