Mojeño Trinitario
Trinitario Mojeño
Arawakan
Mojeño Trinitario is a Southern Arawakan language spoken by about 3,000 people in Bolivia’s Beni Department, including Trinidad, communities along the Mamoré River, and the Isiboro Sécure and Multiethnic Indigenous Territories. It is one of the two widely spoken surviving Mojeño varieties, alongside Mojeño Ignaciano, and the two are linguistically distinct. Trinitario is polysynthetic, with complex verbal morphology and a fluid active–stative system of person marking. It uses a standardized Latin-based alphabet and is supported by community dictionaries, educational materials, and a dedicated language and culture institute. Bolivia’s 2009 Constitution recognizes Mojeño Trinitario as an official state language, although everyday transmission remains endangered by the growing dominance of Spanish.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Trinitario Mojeño
Water
oka
/oka/
Fire
yuku
/juku/
Sun
choo
/tʃo/
Moon
moõ
/moõ/
Star
wai'i
/waiʔi/
Mother
meme
/meme/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
nuti
/nuti/
You
piti
/piti/
Name
ini
/ini/
Eye
ugua
/uɣwa/
Hand
wokõ
/wokõ/
Heart
nokõ
/nokõ/
Love
timosi
/timosi/
Tree
iti
/iti/
House
tano
/tano/
Dog
wai
/wai/
Cat
ojchi
/otʃi/
Eat
chika
/tʃika/
Drink
chimo
/tʃimo/
One
poime
/poime/
Two
apina
/aˈpina/
Hello
pejamikpo
/pehamiho/
Thank you
meri
/meri/
Good
uri
/uri/
Words compared
Compared with related Arawakan languages
| Meaning | Trinitario Mojeño | Ndonga | Kuanyama | Manyika | Herero | Misak | Choctaw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | oka /oka/ | omeya /omeja/ | omeva /omeva/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | omeva /omeva/ | unø /unø/ | oka /oka/ |
| Fire | yuku /juku/ | omulilo /omulilo/ | omundilo /omundilo/ | moto /moto/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | nipi /nipi/ | luak /luak/ |
| Sun | choo /tʃo/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | zuva /zuva/ | eyuva /ejuva/ | shi /ʃi/ | hashi /haʃi/ |
| Moon | moõ /moõ/ | omwedhi /omweði/ | omwedi /omwedi/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | omueze /omueze/ | atru /atɾu/ | hashi ninak /haʃi ninak/ |
| Star | wai'i /waiʔi/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | nyeredzi /ɲeredzi/ | onyose /oˈɲose/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | fichik /fitʃik/ |
| Mother | meme /meme/ | meme /meme/ | meme /meme/ | amai /amai/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | ishki /iʃki/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | baba /baba/ | tate /tate/ | tata /tata/ | inki /inki/ |
| I | nuti /nuti/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ | ini /ini/ | ami /ami/ | na /na/ | ano /ano/ |
| You | piti /piti/ | ngoye /ŋoje/ | ove /ove/ | iwe /iwe/ | ove /ove/ | ñui /ɲui/ | chishno /tʃiʃno/ |
| Name | ini /ini/ | edhina /eðina/ | edina /edina/ | zita /zita/ | ena /ena/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | hohchifo /hohtʃifo/ |
| Eye | ugua /uɣwa/ | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | ziso /ziso/ | eho /eho/ | kab /kab/ | nishkin /niʃkin/ |
| Hand | wokõ /wokõ/ | oshikaha /oʃikaha/ | eke /eke/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | eke /eke/ | mar /maɾ/ | ibbak /ibbak/ |
| Heart | nokõ /nokõ/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | omutima /omutima/ | mun /mun/ | chunkash /tʃunkaʃ/ |
| Love | timosi /timosi/ | ohole /ohole/ | ohole /ohole/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | orusuvero /orusuvero/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | hullo /hulːo/ |
| Tree | iti /iti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | muti /muti/ | omuti /omuti/ | yu /ju/ | itti /itti/ |
| House | tano /tano/ | egumbo /eɡumbo/ | eumbo /eumbo/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ | ya /ja/ | chukka /tʃukka/ |
| Dog | wai /wai/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | ofi /ofi/ |
| Cat | ojchi /otʃi/ | okashima /okaʃima/ | okatufi /okatufi/ | katsi /katsi/ | okatjiru /okatʃiru/ | mishi /miʃi/ | katos /katos/ |
| Eat | chika /tʃika/ | lya /ʎa/ | lya /ʎa/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kuriya /kurija/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | impa /impa/ |
| Drink | chimo /tʃimo/ | nwa /nwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ushi /uʃi/ | ishko /iʃko/ |
| One | poime /poime/ | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | kan /kan/ | achafa /atʃafa/ |
| Two | apina /aˈpina/ | vali /vali/ | vali /vali/ | piri /piri/ | -vari /vari/ | pa /pa/ | tuklo /tʊklo/ |
| Hello | pejamikpo /pehamiho/ | wa lalapo /wa lalapo/ | wa hala po /wa hala po/ | makadii /makadiː/ | wa penduka /wa penduka/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | halito /halito/ |
| Thank you | meri /meri/ | tangi /taŋɡi/ | pandula /pandula/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | okuhepa /okuhepa/ | payn /pajn/ | yakoke /jakoke/ |
| Good | uri /uri/ | -nawa /nawa/ | -wa /wa/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | -wa /wa/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | chukma /tʃukma/ |
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