Yapese
Austronesian (Admiralty Islands or independent Oceanic)
Yapese is the language of Yap state in the Federated States of Micronesia. Its precise position within Austronesian is debated — sometimes classed as an outlier within the Oceanic branch, sometimes outside it. Yap is famous for its rai stones, large limestone disks quarried in Palau and ferried by canoe to Yap, whose value is set by oral histories of acquisition and danger. The language preserves elaborate honorifics tied to traditional caste rank.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Yapese
Water
raen
/raen/
Fire
nifiy
/nifij/
Sun
yaal
/jaːl/
Moon
pul
/pul/
Star
t'uf
/tʼuf/
Mother
chitiningin
/tʃitiniŋin/
Father
chiitamoog
/tʃiːtamoːɡ/
I
gaeg
/ɡaːɡ/
You
guur
/ɡuːr/
Name
fithingan
/fiθiŋan/
Eye
miit
/miːt/
Hand
pa'
/paʔ/
Heart
gam
/ɡam/
Love
t'uf
/tʔuf/
Tree
gaak'iy
/ɡaːkʔij/
House
naun
/naun/
Dog
pilibthir
/pilibtʰir/
Cat
katuu
/katuː/
Eat
kay
/kaj/
Drink
unum
/unum/
One
reb
/reb/
Two
l'agruw
/laʔɡruw/
Hello
mogethin
/moɡetʰin/
Thank you
kammagar
/kamːaɡar/
Good
feel'
/feːlʔ/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Admiralty Islands or independent Oceanic) languages
| Meaning | Yapese | Tongan | Tokelauan | Rapanui | Wallisian | Tuvaluan | Samoan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | raen /raen/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | nifiy /nifij/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /aˈfi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | yaal /jaːl/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | la /la/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | laʻā /laˈʔaː/ | laa /laː/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | pul /pul/ | māhina /maːhina/ | malama /malama/ | mahina /mahina/ | māhina /maːˈhina/ | masina /masina/ | māsina /maːsina/ |
| Star | t'uf /tʼuf/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetu /fetu/ | hetuʻu /heˈtuʔu/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ |
| Mother | chitiningin /tʃitiniŋin/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | mātua /maːtua/ | matuʻa vahine /matuʔa vahine/ | faʻē /faˈʔeː/ | maatua /maːtua/ | tinā /tinaː/ |
| Father | chiitamoog /tʃiːtamoːɡ/ | tamai /tamai/ | tamana /tamana/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | tāmai /taːˈmai/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamā /tamaː/ |
| I | gaeg /ɡaːɡ/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | a'u /aʔu/ |
| You | guur /ɡuːr/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | 'oe /ʔoe/ |
| Name | fithingan /fiθiŋan/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | higoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ |
| Eye | miit /miːt/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /ˈmata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | pa' /paʔ/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | nima /ˈnima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | gam /ɡam/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | mafu /ˈmafu/ | fatu /fatu/ | loto /loto/ |
| Love | t'uf /tʔuf/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | ʻofa /ˈʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Tree | gaak'iy /ɡaːkʔij/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lakau /lakau/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | ʻakau /ʔaˈkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ |
| House | naun /naun/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /ˈfale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | pilibthir /pilibtʰir/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kuli /kuli/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kulī /kuˈliː/ | kuli /kuli/ | maile /maile/ |
| Cat | katuu /katuː/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /ˈpusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | kay /kaj/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | ʻai /ʔai/ |
| Drink | unum /unum/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /ˈinu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| One | reb /reb/ | taha /taha/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /ˈtahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Two | l'agruw /laʔɡruw/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | rua /ˈrua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | lua /lua/ |
| Hello | mogethin /moɡetʰin/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | mālō te maʻuli /maːloː te maˈʔuli/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | talofa /talofa/ |
| Thank you | kammagar /kamːaɡar/ | mālō /maːloː/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | mālō /maːˈloː/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ |
| Good | feel' /feːlʔ/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | riva /ɾiva/ | lelei /leˈlei/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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