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
20 core words in Yapese
Water
raen
/raen/
Fire
nifiy
/nifij/
Sun
yaal
/jaːl/
Moon
pul
/pul/
Mother
mangiy
/maŋij/
Father
chiitamoog
/tʃiːtamoːɡ/
Eat
kay
/kaj/
Drink
unum
/unum/
Love
t'uf
/tʔuf/
Heart
gam
/ɡam/
Tree
gaak'iy
/ɡaːkʔij/
House
naun
/naun/
Dog
pilibthir
/pilibtʰir/
Cat
katuu
/katuː/
Hand
pa'
/paʔ/
Eye
oow
/oːw/
Hello
mogethin
/moɡetʰin/
Thank you
kammagar
/kamːaɡar/
One
reb
/reb/
Good
feel'
/feːlʔ/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Admiralty Islands or independent Oceanic) languages
| Meaning | Yapese | Tongan | Tuvaluan | Tokelauan | Rapanui | Niuean | Cook Islands Māori |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | raen /raen/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | nifiy /nifij/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ | afi /afi/ | ahi /ahi/ |
| Sun | yaal /jaːl/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | laa /laː/ | la /la/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | lā /laː/ | rā /raː/ |
| Moon | pul /pul/ | māhina /maːhina/ | masina /masina/ | malama /malama/ | mahina /mahina/ | mahina /mahina/ | marama /marama/ |
| Mother | mangiy /maŋij/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua /matua/ | matuʻa /matuʔa/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | māmā /maːmaː/ |
| Father | chiitamoog /tʃiːtamoːɡ/ | tamai /tamai/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ |
| Eat | kay /kaj/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | unum /unum/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | unu /unu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | t'uf /tʔuf/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ |
| Heart | gam /ɡam/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ |
| Tree | gaak'iy /ɡaːkʔij/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | lakau /lakau/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | akau /akau/ | rākau /raːkau/ |
| House | naun /naun/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | hare /haɾe/ | fale /fale/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ |
| Dog | pilibthir /pilibtʰir/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | kuli /kuli/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ |
| Cat | katuu /katuː/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | kati /kati/ | pusi /pusi/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ |
| Hand | pa' /paʔ/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | rima /ɾima/ |
| Eye | oow /oːw/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | mogethin /moɡetʰin/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ |
| Thank you | kammagar /kamːaɡar/ | mālō /maːloː/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
| One | reb /reb/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | ta'i /taʔi/ |
| Good | feel' /feːlʔ/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | lelei /lelei/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | meitaki /meitaki/ |
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