Wayuu language

Wayuu (Wayuu: Wayuunaiki [waˈjuːnaiki]), or Guajiro, is a major Arawakan language spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people in northwestern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia on the Guajira Peninsula. The two main dialects are Wüinpümüin and Wopumüin spoken in the northeast and southwest of the peninsula respectively. These dialects are mutually intelligible, as they are minimally distinct. Most of the younger generations speak Spanish fluently, much more so in the southern areas of the peninsula. The extinct Guanebucan language may actually have been a dialect of Wayuu.

This article is about the language spoken in South America. For the language of Nepal, see Wayu language.
Wayuu
Guajiro
Wayuunaiki
Pronunciation[waˈjuːnaiki]
Native toVenezuela, Colombia
EthnicityWayuu people
Native speakers
320,000 (2001–2007)[1]
Arawakan
Latin script
Official status
Regulated byCentro Etnoeducativo Kamusuchiwo’u
Language codes
ISO 639-3guc
Glottologwayu1243
ELPGuajiro[2]
Extent of the Wayuu people and language

To promote bilingual education among Wayuu and other Colombians, the Kamusuchiwo’u Ethno-educative Center or Centro Etnoeducativo Kamusuchiwo’u came up with the initiative of creating the first illustrated Wayuunaiki–Spanish, Spanish–Wayuunaiki dictionary.[3]

Less than 1% of Wayuu speakers are literate in Wayuu while 5 to 15% are literate in Spanish. There are 200,000 speakers in Venezuela and 120,000 in Colombia. Smith (1995) reports that a mixed Guajiro-Spanish language is replacing Wayuu in both countries. However, Campbell (1997) could find no information on this.

Recent developments

In December 2011, the Wayuu Tayá Foundation and Microsoft presented the first ever dictionary of technology terms in the Wayuu language,[4][5] after having developed it for three years with a team of technology professionals and linguists.

Phonology

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i [i] ü [ɨ] u [u]
Mid e [ɛ] o [ɔ]
Open a [a]

Note: "e" and "o" are more open than in English. "a" is slightly front of central, and "ü" is slightly back of central. All vowels can either occur in short or long versions, since vowel length is distinctive.

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m [m] n [n]
Plosive p [p] t [t̪] ch [t͡ʃ] k [k] ' [ʔ]
Fricative s [s] sh [ʃ] j [h]
Flap l [ɺ]
Trill r [r]
Approximant w [w] y [j]

"l" is a lateral flap pronounced with the tongue just behind the position for the Spanish "r," and with a more lateral airflow.

Grammar

The personal pronouns are:[6]

singular plural
1st person taya waya
2nd person pia jia
3rd person nia (he)

shia (she)

 naya

Vocabulary examples[7]

Anaas wattama'at-good morning

Anaas Alikaa-Good afternoon

Anaas Aipa'a-Good night

Jamaya piia?-How are you(singular)?

Jamaya jiia?-How are you(plural)?

Atpanaa-rabbit

Alama-grass

Amüchi-clay jar

Notes
  1. Wayuu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Guajiro.
  3. (in Spanish) El Wayuunaiki impreso
  4. Fundación Wayuu Tayá y Microsoft Venezuela presentan Diccionario de Computación en Wayuunaiki (in Spanish)
  5. Tatiana Chang (2011-12-27). "Venezuela: New computing dictionary enriches Wayuu language". Infosur hoy. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  6. Mansen, Karis; Mansen, Richard A. (1984). Aprendamos guajiro: Gramática pedagógica de guajiro. Bogotá: Editorial Townsend.
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jMXXXgkfeI&feature=youtu.be
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