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
31 core words in Tarahumara
Water
bawí
/bawi/
Fire
nahí
/nahi/
Sun
rayó
/ɾajo/
Moon
mecá
/metʃa/
Star
sopolí
/sopoli/
Mother
iyé
/ije/
Father
onó
/ono/
I
nejé
/nehe/
You
mujé
/muhe/
Name
riwá
/ɾiwa/
Eye
pusí
/pusi/
Hand
sekuá
/sekwa/
Heart
surí
/suɾi/
Love
nakí
/naki/
Tree
gokó
/ɡoko/
House
kalí
/kali/
Dog
kochí
/kotʃi/
Cat
misí
/misi/
Eat
koʼa
/koʔa/
Drink
bahí
/bahi/
One
bilé
/bile/
Two
okuá
/okwa/
Hello
kuira
/kuiɾa/
Thank you
matéterabá
/mateteɾaba/
Good
galá
/ɡala/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Uto-Aztecan (Taracahitan) languages
| Meaning | Tarahumara | Wixarika | Northern Paiute | Isthmus Nahuatl | Nawat | Rapanui | Niuean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | bawí /bawi/ | ha /ha/ | paa /paː/ | ahtli /aʔtli/ | at /at/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | nahí /nahi/ | tai /tai/ | kuna /kuna/ | tit /tit/ | tit /tit/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | rayó /ɾajo/ | tau /tau/ | tabe /tape/ | tonal /tonal/ | tunal /tunal/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | mecá /metʃa/ | metsa /metsa/ | mua /mu.a/ | metz /mets/ | metsti /metsti/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ |
| Star | sopolí /sopoli/ | xurawe /ʃuˈrawe/ | pasohoobʉ /pasohoːbɨ/ | sitlalin /siˈtlalin/ | sital /ˈsital/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ |
| Mother | iyé /ije/ | nana /nana/ | pia /pi.a/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ |
| Father | onó /ono/ | yawe /jawe/ | naa /naː/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ |
| I | nejé /nehe/ | nee /neː/ | nʉʉ /nɨː/ | naja /ˈnaha/ | naja /ˈnaha/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | mujé /muhe/ | eekɨ /ˈeːkɨ/ | ʉʉ /ɨː/ | taja /ˈtaha/ | taja /ˈtaha/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | riwá /ɾiwa/ | tewa /ˈtewa/ | nia /niʔa/ | tocayotl /tokaˈjotɬ/ | tukay /ˈtukaj/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ |
| Eye | pusí /pusi/ | tukite /tukite/ | pui /pui/ | ix /iʃ/ | ish /iʃ/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | sekuá /sekwa/ | mama /mama/ | mai /mai/ | mahuit /mawit/ | mey /mei/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | surí /suɾi/ | iyari /ijari/ | piwi /piwi/ | yolio /jolio/ | yulu /julu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Love | nakí /naki/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | suabetɨ /suapetɨ/ | nequi /neki/ | tasujta /tasuhta/ | hanga /haŋa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ |
| Tree | gokó /ɡoko/ | kiyé /kije/ | hupi /hupi/ | cuahuit /kʷawit/ | kwawit /kʷawit/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | akau /akau/ |
| House | kalí /kali/ | ki /ki/ | nobi /nopi/ | cali /kali/ | kal /kal/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | kochí /kotʃi/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | isha /iʃa/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | misí /misi/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | mosa /mosa/ | miston /miston/ | mishin /miʃin/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | koʼa /koʔa/ | kuye /kuje/ | tɨka /tɨka/ | tacua /takʷa/ | takwa /takwa/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | bahí /bahi/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | hibi /hipi/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | bilé /bile/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | simɨ /simɨ/ | ce /se/ | se /se/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ |
| Two | okuá /okwa/ | huta /huˈta/ | waha /waha/ | ome /ˈome/ | ume /ˈume/ | rua /ˈrua/ | ua /ua/ |
| Hello | kuira /kuiɾa/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | maikwa /maikwa/ | niltze /niltse/ | ne pakua /ne pakwa/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ |
| Thank you | matéterabá /mateteɾaba/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | pesa /pesa/ | tlazohcamati /tlasoʔkamati/ | padiush /padjuʃ/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ |
| Good | galá /ɡala/ | waxa /waʃa/ | pesa /pesa/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | kwahli /kʷahli/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mitaki /mitaki/ |
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