Akawaio
Cariban
Akawaio (also called Kapon or Kapóng) is a Cariban language spoken mainly in Guyana's Upper Mazaruni region, with related communities in Venezuela and Brazil. Glottolog groups it with Ingarikó under Akawaio–Ingarikó, while other classifications use Kapóng for a broader grouping that may also involve Patamona, so names and boundaries vary. It is morphologically complex and largely suffixing: verbs may carry several markers for participants, tense, aspect, direction, and other meanings, and basic constituent order is commonly described as subject–object–verb. Akawaio is written in Latin-based practical orthographies; community work has produced primers, translated materials, and an Akawaio–English dictionary published in 2014. The language remains in use in Upper Mazaruni communities and in cultural and religious life, but Glottolog classifies it as threatened as English, Portuguese, and Spanish increasingly dominate schooling and wider communication.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Akawaio
Sources
- Akawaio New Testament, Wycliffe Bible Translators (ebible.org akeNT)
- confirmation: ASJP AKAWAIO and AKAWAIO_2 (Velupillai; Epps & Wichmann)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Cariban
| Meaning | Akawaio | Pemón | Makuxi | Galibi Carib | Maquiritari | Yangkaal | Bororo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tuna /tuna/ | tuna /tuna/ | tuna /tuna/ | tuna /tuna/ | tuna /tuna/ | nguku /ŋuku/ | pobo /pobo/ |
| Fire | apok /apok/ | apok /apok/ | apóó /apóó/ | wàto /wahto/ | waʼto /waʔto/ | ngida /ŋida/ | joru /dʒoɾu/ |
| Sun | wïi /wɨi/ | wei /wei/ | wéi /wéi/ | weju /weju/ | shii /ʃiː/ | warrku /waɾku/ | meri /meɾi/ |
| Moon | kapïi /kapɨi/ | kapüi /kapɨi/ | kapói /kapói/ | nuno /nuno/ | nuunö /nuːnə/ | waldarra /waldaɾa/ | ari /aɾi/ |
| Star | sirikö /siɾikɔ/ | chirikö /tʃiɾikə/ | sírikɨ́ /sírikɨ́/ | siriko /siɾiko/ | shidiichö /ʃiɾ̠iːtʃə/ | miburlda thungalda /mibuɭda t̪uŋalda/ | kuieje /kuiedʒe/ |
| Night | ewaron /ewaɾon/ | ewaron /ewaɾon/ | ewaron /ewaron/ | koko /koko/ | chomomüdü /tʃomomɨɾ̠ɨ/ | ngimi /ŋimi/ | boecho /bɔetʃo/ |
| Snow | sino /sino/ | — | — /—/ | — | — | — | — |
| Wind | aʼsetun /aʔsetun/ | aʼchitun /aʔtʃitun/ | aʔsitun /aʔsitun/ | pepeito /pepeito/ | jejeenchö /heheːntʃə/ | — | bakuru /bakuɾu/ |
| Earth | non /non/ | non /non/ | non /non/ | nono /nono/ | nono /nono/ | — | moto /moto/ |
| Stone | tök /tɔk/ | ötök /ətək/ | tɨʔ /tɨʔ/ | topu /topu/ | töʼju /təʔhu/ | — | tori /toɾi/ |
| Sea | parau /paɾau/ | — | pɨranna /pɨranːa/ | parana /paɾana/ | dama /dama/ | — | pobo maereu /pobo maeɾew/ |
| Mother | saŋ /saŋ/ | mamã /mamɑ̃/ | maʔmá /maʔmá/ | sano /sano/ | denü /denɨ/ | ngamathu /ŋamat̪u/ | muga /mɨɡa/ |
| Father | papai /papai/ | papai /papai/ | paʔpá /paʔpá/ | papa /papa/ | jaja /haha/ | kanthathu /kant̪at̪u/ | iogwa /ioɡwa/ |
| Daughter | ensi /ensi/ | ensi /ensi/ | yensi /jensi/ | emyiry /emɨiɾɨ/ | — | — | onaregody aredy /onaɾeɡodɨ aɾedɨ/ |
| I | urɨ /uɾɨ/ | yuurö /juːɾø/ | urɨ /urɨ/ | au /au/ | üwü /ɨwɨ/ | ngada /ŋada/ | imi /imi/ |
| You | amürü /amɯɾɯ/ | amörö /amøɾø/ | ámɨrɨ́ /ámɨrɨ́/ | amoro /amoɾo/ | amöödö /aməːɾ̠ə/ | nyingka /ɲiŋka/ | aki /aki/ |
| We | urüʼnokon / ina /uɾɯʔnokon / ina/ | urönokon / ina /uɾønokon / ina/ | uurɨʔnɨkon / anna /uurɨʔnɨkon / anna/ | kʉʼkaron / naʼna /kəʔkaɾon / naʔna/ | künwanno /kɨnwanːo/ | ngakulda / ngalda /ŋakulda / ŋalda/ | pagi / cegi /paɡi / tʃeɡi/ |
| Name | eseʼ /eseʔ/ | eseʼ /eseʔ/ | yeseʔ /jeseʔ/ | eeti /eːti/ | eesedi /eːseɾ̠i/ | nida /nida/ | ie /ie/ |
| Person | kaʼpon /kaʔpon/ | pemon /pemon/ | pemonkon /pemoŋkoŋ/ | kariʼna /kaɾiʔna/ | soto /soto/ | — | — |
| Head | puʼpai /puʔpai/ | pupai /pupai/ | puʔpai /puʔpai/ | upuʼpo /upuʔpo/ | juʼhö /huʔhə/ | — | ao /ao/ |
| Eye | enu /enu/ | enu /enu/ | énu /énu/ | enu /enu/ | enu /enu/ | miburlda /mibuɭda/ | joku /dʒoku/ |
| Ear | pana /pana/ | pana /pana/ | pana /pana/ | panari /panari/ | jaana /haːna/ | — | bija /bidʒa/ |
| Nose | enna /enna/ | yeuna /jeuna/ | yeuna /jeuna/ | anàta /anahta/ | önna /ənna/ | — | eno /eno/ |
| Mouth | mïta /mɨta/ | müta /mɨta/ | mutá /mutá/ | pota /pota/ | önta /ənta/ | — | — |
| Tooth | ɨ /ɨ/ | ye /je/ | yé /jé/ | yerï /jelə/ | dedü /deɾ̠ɨ/ | damanda /damanda/ | o /o/ |
| Tongue | unu /unu/ | unu /unu/ | nu /nu/ | nuru /nuɾu/ | ñudu /ɲuɾ̠u/ | jalngantha /ɟalŋant̪a/ | eru /eɾu/ |
| Hand | emiyaʼ /emijaʔ/ | yenna /jenːa/ | míá /míá/ | aina /aina/ | amoodü /amoːɾ̠ɨ/ | — /—/ | kera /keɾa/ |
| Foot | pïta /pɨta/ | pʉta /pɨta/ | puu /puu/ | pupu /pupu/ | uju /uhu/ | — | ewure /ewɨɾe/ |
| Heart | ewan /ewan/ | sïköpoka /sikøpoka/ | yewan /jewan/ | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | yeewanü /jeːwanɨ/ | — /—/ | bapo /bapo/ |
| Bone | eʼpï /eʔpɨ/ | epʉ /epɨ/ | yeʔpɨ /jeʔpɨ/ | yepo /jepo/ | yeʼhö /jeʔhə/ | julda /ɟulda/ | ra /ɾa/ |
| Blood | mïn /mɨn/ | mün /mɨn/ | mɨ́ŋ /mɨ́ŋ/ | mʉnʉ /mənə/ | munu /munu/ | kandu /kandu/ | ku /ku/ |
| Love | — /—/ | kemenü /kemeny/ | saʔnama /saʔnama/ | kataneko /kataneko/ | hyummadü /hjumːadɨ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | yïi /jɨi/ | yöi /jəi/ | yéi /jéi/ | wewe /wewe/ | dee /deː/ | — /—/ | i /i/ |
| Dog | pero /peɾo/ | arimaraka /aɾimaɾaka/ | areimaraaká /areimaraaká/ | pero /peɾo/ | süʼna /sɨʔna/ | — /—/ | arigao /aɾiɡao/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | pichana /pitʃana/ | pisana /pisana/ | meu /meu/ | meeshi /meːʃi/ | — /—/ | gato /ɡato/ |
| Fish | moro /moɾo/ | morok /moɾok/ | moróʔ /moróʔ/ | woto /woto/ | nakukwano /nakukwano/ | yakuri /jakuɾi/ | karo /kaɾo/ |
| Bird | toron /toɾon/ | toron /toɾon/ | toron /toron/ | tonoro /tonoɾo/ | jawi /hawi/ | — | kiogo /kioɡo/ |
| Butterfly | wagau /waɡau/ | wakau /wakau/ | peppeʔ /pepːeʔ/ | palanpalan /palanpalan/ | matutu /matutu/ | — | baragadu /baɾaɡadu/ |
| Egg | pïmoi /pɨmoi/ | pumoi /pumoi/ | pomói /pomói/ | iʼmo /iʔmo/ | iʼmoi /iʔmoi/ | — | ba /ba/ |
| Horse | kaware /kawaɾe/ | kaware /kawaɾe/ | kaware /kaware/ | kaware /kawaɾe/ | kawaayu /kawaːju/ | — | kuwaru /kuwaɾu/ |
| House | — /—/ | tapüi /tapɨi/ | wɨttɨ /wɨttɨ/ | paty /pati/ | mmaa /mːaː/ | — /—/ | bai /bai/ |
| Honey | teusan /teusan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wano /wano/ | wanö /wanə/ | — | meiawe eweguru /meiawe eweɡuɾu/ |
| Salt | waiyo /waijo/ | inönek /inənek/ | pan /pan/ | wajo /wajo/ | sayu /saju/ | — | sal /sal/ |
| Wine | waain /waːin/ | vino /bino/ | wuku /wuku/ | winu /winu/ | chööjedüüdü ekkudu /tʃəːheɾ̠ɨːɾ̠ɨ ekːuɾ̠u/ | — | vinho /ˈviɲu/ |
| Iron | waʼka pun /waʔka pun/ | ipotü /ipotɨ/ | — | siparari /sipaɾaɾi/ | sejaadadi /sehaːɾ̠aɾ̠i/ | — | meriri /meɾiɾi/ |
| Book | kareta /kaɾeta/ | — | kaareta /kaareta/ | kareta /kaɾeta/ | jajeeda /haheːɾ̠a/ | — | bapera /bapeɾa/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | manepotaro /manepoɾaɾɯ/ | entamoʔka /entamoʔka/ | onökö /onøkø/ | äsuukai /ɨsuːkai/ | — /—/ | ko /ko/ |
| Drink | ensi /ensi/ | atü /atu/ | enɨrɨ /enɨrɨ/ | ëne /ɘne/ | enku /enku/ | — /—/ | kudu /kudɨ/ |
| One | teginnö /teɡinnɔ/ | taukin /taukin/ | tiwíŋ /tiwíŋ/ | o:wi /oːwi/ | tooni /toːni/ | — /—/ | mito /mito/ |
| Two | asaʼrö /asaʔɾɔ/ | saköne /sakøne/ | sáákɨné /sáákɨné/ | oko /oko/ | aaʼkö /aːʔkə/ | kiyarrngka /kijaɾŋka/ | pobe /pobe/ |
| Three | eseurau /eseuɾau/ | eseurau /eseuɾau/ | séúruné /séúruné/ | oruwa /oɾuwa/ | aduwawö /aɾ̠uwawə/ | — /—/ | pobe metia bokware /pobe metia bokwaɾe/ |
| Hello | kapon /kapon/ | apî /api/ | — /—/ | mary /maɾi/ | etämä /etɨmɨ/ | — /—/ | are /aɾe/ |
| Thank you | tabe /tabe/ | waküpe man /wakɨpe man/ | — /—/ | irombo /iɾombo/ | enaña /enaɲa/ | — /—/ | iya /ija/ |
| Good | wagï /waɡɨ/ | mïratö /miɾatø/ | morɨ /morɨ/ | epoja /epoja/ | aashicha /aːʃitʃa/ | — /—/ | pemegareu /pemeɡaɾew/ |
| New | emennaʼ /emennaʔ/ | amennak /amenːak/ | amenan /amenan/ | asery /aseɾɨ/ | eduuwaato /eɾ̠uːwaːto/ | — | maiwu /maiwu/ |
| Red | suweyu /suweju/ | suweyu /suweju/ | suyú /sujú/ | tapyre /tapɨɾe/ | seweichato /seweitʃato/ | kandukandu /kandukandu/ | kujagureu /kuʒaɡuɾew/ |
| White | aimutun /aimutun/ | aimutun /aimutun/ | áímutun /áímutun/ | tamuʼne /tamuʔne/ | töʼkeʼne /təʔkeʔne/ | — | kigadureu /kiɡaduɾew/ |
| Cuckoo | pika /piˈka/ | pika /ˈpika/ | — /—/ | pika /piˈka/ | — | — | — |
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