Terêna
Terena
Arawakan
Terena is an Arawakan language spoken by roughly 9,000–15,000 Terena people, chiefly in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, with smaller communities in São Paulo and Mato Grosso. Glottolog groups Terena with the closely related or historically named Kinikinao, Chané, and Guaná varieties, and assesses the language as threatened. Terena has active–stative alignment and flexible constituent order, with VOS commonly described as basic. It is written in a Latin-based orthography and is used in some community schools, publications, and religious materials. Most speakers are bilingual in Portuguese, and the strength of transmission varies between settlements, making locally led education and documentation important.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Terena
Water
une
/une/
Fire
yukú
/juku/
Sun
kaché
/kaʃe/
Moon
jaso
/jaso/
Star
uáti
/ˈwaːti/
Mother
õ
/õ/
Father
ãno
/ãno/
I
ûndi
/ˈũndi/
You
îti
/ˈĩti/
Name
ináti
/iˈnaːti/
Eye
õto
/õto/
Hand
uoú
/uou/
Heart
pãho
/pãho/
Love
ono
/ono/
Tree
yõ
/jõ/
House
ovongu
/ovoŋɡu/
Dog
ano
/ano/
Cat
ãno
/ãno/
Eat
yoho
/joho/
Drink
upú
/upu/
One
paisuan
/paisuan/
Two
piá
/piˈa/
Hello
kumé
/kume/
Thank you
obrigado
/obriɡado/
Good
ũ
/ũ/
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan languages
| Meaning | Terena | Trinitario Mojeño | Zulu | Mandinka | Shuar | Turoyo | Lule Sámi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | une /une/ | oka /oka/ | amanzi /amanzi/ | jiyo /dʒijo/ | yumi /jumi/ | ܡܝܐ /majo/ | tjáhtje /tʃaːhtje/ |
| Fire | yukú /juku/ | yuku /juku/ | umlilo /umlilo/ | dimbaa /dimbaː/ | ji /hi/ | ܢܘܪܐ /nuro/ | dålla /tolːa/ |
| Sun | kaché /kaʃe/ | choo /tʃo/ | ilanga /ilaŋɡa/ | tilo /tilo/ | etsa /etsa/ | ܫܡܫܐ /ʃamʃo/ | biejvve /pie̯jvːe/ |
| Moon | jaso /jaso/ | moõ /moõ/ | inyanga /iɲaŋɡa/ | karoo /karoː/ | nantu /nantu/ | ܣܗܪܐ /sahro/ | mánno /maːnːo/ |
| Star | uáti /ˈwaːti/ | wai'i /waiʔi/ | inkanyezi /iŋkaˈɲeːzi/ | looloo /loːloː/ | yaa /jaː/ | ܟܟܒܐ /kəxwo/ | náste /ˈnaːste/ |
| Mother | õ /õ/ | meme /meme/ | umama /umama/ | baa /baː/ | nukur /nukuɾ/ | ܐܡܐ /imo/ | iedne /iedne/ |
| Father | ãno /ãno/ | tata /tata/ | ubaba /uɓaɓa/ | faa /faː/ | apar /apaɾ/ | ܒܒܐ /babo/ | áhttje /aːhtːje/ |
| I | ûndi /ˈũndi/ | nuti /nuti/ | mina /ˈmiːna/ | nte /nte/ | wi /wi/ | ܐܢܐ /ono/ | mån /mɔn/ |
| You | îti /ˈĩti/ | piti /piti/ | wena /ˈweːna/ | ite /ite/ | ame /ame/ | ܗܬ /hat/ | dån /tɔn/ |
| Name | ináti /iˈnaːti/ | ini /ini/ | igama /iˈɡaːma/ | too /toː/ | naari /naːɾi/ | ܐܫܡܐ /eʃmo/ | namma /ˈnamːa/ |
| Eye | õto /õto/ | ugua /uɣwa/ | iso /iso/ | ɲaa /ɲaː/ | jii /hiː/ | ܥܝܢܐ /ʕajno/ | tjalmme /tʃalmːe/ |
| Hand | uoú /uou/ | wokõ /wokõ/ | isandla /isandɮa/ | buloo /buloː/ | uwej /uweh/ | ܐܝܕܐ /iðo/ | gietta /kietːa/ |
| Heart | pãho /pãho/ | nokõ /nokõ/ | inhliziyo /inɬizijo/ | sondomoo /sondomoː/ | enentai /enentai/ | ܠܒܐ /lebo/ | vájmmo /vajmːo/ |
| Love | ono /ono/ | timosi /timosi/ | uthando /utʰando/ | kanu /kanu/ | anentaiti /anentaiti/ | ܚܘܒܐ /ħubo/ | ráhkesvuohta /raːhkesvuɔhta/ |
| Tree | yõ /jõ/ | iti /iti/ | isihlahla /isiɬaɬa/ | yiroo /jiroː/ | numi /numi/ | ܐܝܠܢܐ /ilono/ | muorra /muɔrːa/ |
| House | ovongu /ovoŋɡu/ | tano /tano/ | indlu /indɮu/ | buŋo /buŋo/ | jea /hea/ | ܒܝܬܐ /bajto/ | viesso /viesːo/ |
| Dog | ano /ano/ | wai /wai/ | inja /indʒa/ | wuloo /wuloː/ | yawá /jaˈwa/ | ܟܠܒܐ /kalbo/ | bena /pena/ |
| Cat | ãno /ãno/ | ojchi /otʃi/ | ikati /ikati/ | ñankuma /ɲankuma/ | micha /mitʃa/ | ܫܘܢܪܐ /ʃunoro/ | kássa /kaːsːa/ |
| Eat | yoho /joho/ | chika /tʃika/ | ukudla /ukuɮa/ | domo /domo/ | yuata /juata/ | ܐܟܠ /oxulo/ | bårråt /porːot/ |
| Drink | upú /upu/ | chimo /tʃimo/ | ukuphuza /ukupʰuza/ | miŋ /miŋ/ | umarta /umaɾta/ | ܫܬܐ /ʃote/ | juhkat /juhkat/ |
| One | paisuan /paisuan/ | poime /poime/ | kunye /kuɲe/ | kiliŋ /kiliŋ/ | chikichik /tʃikitʃik/ | ܚܕ /ħað/ | aktan /aktan/ |
| Two | piá /piˈa/ | apina /aˈpina/ | kubili /kuˈɓili/ | fula /fula/ | jimiará /himiaɾa/ | ܬܪܐ /tre/ | guokta /ˈkuoktɑ/ |
| Hello | kumé /kume/ | pejamikpo /pehamiho/ | sawubona /sawuɓona/ | salaam /salaːm/ | pujamek /puhamek/ | ܫܠܡܐ /ʃlomo/ | buoris /puɔris/ |
| Thank you | obrigado /obriɡado/ | meri /meri/ | ngiyabonga /ŋɡijaɓoŋɡa/ | abaraka /abaraka/ | yuminsajme /juminsahme/ | ܬܘܕܝ /tawdi/ | gijttuo /kijtːuɔ/ |
| Good | ũ /ũ/ | uri /uri/ | kuhle /kuɬe/ | beteyaa /betejaː/ | penker /peŋkeɾ/ | ܛܒܐ /tˤobo/ | buorre /puɔrːe/ |
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