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
31 core words in Sumo
Water
was
/was/
Fire
kuh
/kuh/
Sun
ma
/ma/
Moon
waikuh
/waikuh/
Star
sirihma
/siɾihma/
Mother
nuh
/nuh/
Father
papang
/papaŋ/
I
yang
/jaŋ/
You
man
/man/
Name
pani
/paˈni/
Eye
nakra
/nakɾa/
Hand
ting
/tiŋ/
Heart
mâ
/maː/
Love
walai
/walai/
Tree
âu
/aːu/
House
utla
/utla/
Dog
suluk
/suluk/
Cat
mistuh
/mistuh/
Eat
piru
/piɾu/
Drink
di
/di/
One
as
/as/
Two
bu
/bu/
Hello
naksa
/naksa/
Thank you
yaisi
/jaisi/
Good
pain
/pain/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Misumalpan languages
| Meaning | Sumo | Iban | Hiri Motu | Tuvaluan | Banjar | Motu | Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | was /was/ | ai /ai/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | vai /vai/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | wai /wai/ |
| Fire | kuh /kuh/ | api /api/ | lahi /lahi/ | afi /afi/ | api /api/ | lahi /lahi/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | ma /ma/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | dina /dina/ | laa /laː/ | matahari /matahari/ | dina /dina/ | rā /ɾaː/ |
| Moon | waikuh /waikuh/ | bulan /bulan/ | hua /hua/ | masina /masina/ | bulan /bulan/ | hua /hua/ | marama /maɾama/ |
| Star | sirihma /siɾihma/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | whetū /ɸɛtuː/ |
| Mother | nuh /nuh/ | indai /indai/ | sina /sina/ | maatua /maːtua/ | uma /uma/ | sinana /sinana/ | whaea /ɸaea/ |
| Father | papang /papaŋ/ | apai /apai/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | abah /abah/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua /matua/ |
| I | yang /jaŋ/ | aku /aku/ | lau /lau/ | au /au/ | aku /aku/ | lau /lau/ | au /au/ |
| You | man /man/ | nuan /nuan/ | oi /oi/ | koe /koe/ | ikam /ikam/ | oi /oi/ | koe /koe/ |
| Name | pani /paˈni/ | nama /nama/ | ladana /laˈdana/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | ladana /ladana/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ |
| Eye | nakra /nakɾa/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ | karu /ˈkaɾu/ |
| Hand | ting /tiŋ/ | jari /dʒari/ | ima /ima/ | lima /lima/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ima /ima/ | ringa /ɾiŋa/ |
| Heart | mâ /maː/ | ati /ati/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | fatu /fatu/ | ati /ati/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Love | walai /walai/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | alofa /alofa/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | aroha /aɾoha/ |
| Tree | âu /aːu/ | kayu /kaju/ | au /au/ | laakau /laːkau/ | batang /bataŋ/ | au /au/ | rākau /ɾaːkau/ |
| House | utla /utla/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | fale /fale/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | whare /ɸaɾe/ |
| Dog | suluk /suluk/ | ukui /ukui/ | sisia /sisia/ | kuli /kuli/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | sisia /sisia/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | mistuh /mistuh/ | mayau /majau/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusa /pusa/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | ngeru /ŋeɾu/ |
| Eat | piru /piɾu/ | makai /makai/ | ania /ania/ | kai /kai/ | makan /makan/ | aniani /aniani/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | di /di/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | inua /inua/ | inu /inu/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | inuinu /inuinu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | as /as/ | satu /satu/ | ta /ta/ | tasi /tasi/ | asa /asa/ | ta /ta/ | tahi /tahi/ |
| Two | bu /bu/ | dua /dua/ | rua /rua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | dua /dua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /ɾua/ |
| Hello | naksa /naksa/ | salam /salam/ | namona /namona/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | salam /salam/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | kia ora /kia oɾa/ |
| Thank you | yaisi /jaisi/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | oi namo /oi namo/ | ngā mihi /ŋaː mihi/ |
| Good | pain /pain/ | manah /manah/ | namo /namo/ | lei /lei/ | bagus /baɡus/ | namo /namo/ | pai /pai/ |
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