nʉmʉnʉʉ
Comanche
Uto-Aztecan
Comanche (Comanche: Nʉmʉ Tekwapʉ; ISO 639-3 com) is a Central Numic language of the Uto-Aztecan family and the ancestral language of the Comanche Nation, now centered in southwestern Oklahoma. It developed historically from Shoshoni and remains closely related to it, but is a distinct language with its own sound changes, vocabulary, and community identity. Comanche has short and long vowels, including the central vowel written ʉ, and extensive suffixing morphology that builds complex words, especially verbs. The modern Latin-based Comanche alphabet, formally adopted by the Nation in 1994, represents vowel length and sounds not found in English. With fewer than fifty fluent first-language speakers reported in recent community-informed research, the language is critically endangered; the Comanche Nation Language Department supports reclamation through courses, teaching materials, recordings, and translation services.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Comanche
Sources
- Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee orthography as in en.wiktionary Comanche lemmas; Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, Comanche Language Dictionary
- cross-checked against Miller (1984) Uto-Aztecan wordlist (lexibank utoaztecan)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Uto-Aztecan
| Meaning | Comanche | Northern Paiute | Proto-Uto-Aztecan | Hopi | Classical Nahuatl | Isthmus Nahuatl | Miyako |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | paa /paː/ | paa /paː/ | *paʔ /paʔ/ | paahu /paːhɨ/ | ātl /aːtɬ/ | a̱ꞌti /aːʔti/ | 水 /midzɨ/ |
| Fire | kuuna /kuːna/ | kosso /kosːo/ | *na- /na/ | qööhi /qøːhi/ | tlētl /tɬeːtɬ/ | tiꞌti /tiʔti/ | 火 /pɨː/ |
| Sun | taabe /taːbe/ | taba /tapa/ | *ta /ta/ | taawa /tɑːwɑ/ | tōnatiuh /toːnatiw/ | to̱nati̱ꞌ /toːnatiːʔ/ | てぃだ /tida/ |
| Moon | mʉa /mɨa/ | muha /mɨha/ | *mɨca /mɨca/ | muuyaw /muːjɑw/ | mētztli /meːtstɬi/ | me̱tzti /meːtsti/ | 月 /tsɨkɨ/ |
| Star | tatsinuupi /tatsinuːpi/ | pasohoobʉ /pasohoːbɨ/ | — /—/ | soohu /soːhɨ/ | cītlālin /siːˈtɬaːlin/ | si̱talin /siːtalin/ | ぷすぃ /pusɿ/ |
| Night | tukaani /tukaːni/ | tukano /tukano/ | *tuku /tuku/ | tookila /toːkila/ | yohualli /joːwalːi/ | yóhual /ˈjowal/ | 夜 /juɨ/ |
| Rain | ʉmaarʉ /ɨmaːɾɨ/ | paumaba /paumapa/ | *yuku /juku/ | yooyangw /joːjaŋʷ/ | quiyahuitl /kiˈjawitɬ/ | tiahua̱ꞌ /tiawaːʔ/ | 雨 /ami/ |
| Snow | tahkabi /tahkabi/ | nɨbabi /nɨpapi/ | — | nuva /nɨva/ | cepayahuitl /sepaˈjawitɬ/ | — | — |
| Wind | nʉepi /nɨepi/ | hɨkwaba /hɨkʷapa/ | *hɨka /hɨka/ | hùukyangw /hùːkjaŋʷ/ | ehecatl /eˈhekatɬ/ | ejecaꞌ /ehekaʔ/ | 風 /kadʑi/ |
| Earth | sokobi /sokobi/ | tiipü /tiːpɨ/ | — | tutskwa /ˈtɨtskʷa/ | tlālli /tɬaːlːi/ | ta̱jli /taːhli/ | むた /mta/ |
| Stone | tʉpi /tɨpi/ | tɨppi /tɨpːi/ | *tɨn /tɨn/ | owa /ˈʔowa/ | tetl /tetɬ/ | teꞌti /teʔti/ | 石 /isɿ/ |
| Mother | pia /pia/ | pia /pia/ | — /—/ | yuʼat /juʔɑt/ | nāntli /naːntɬi/ | te̱ye̱ꞌ /teːjeːʔ/ | あんな /anna/ |
| Father | ahpʉ /ahpɨ/ | naa /naː/ | — /—/ | naʼat /nɑʔɑt/ | tahtli /tahtɬi/ | te̱taj /teːtah/ | 父 /ɨdza/ |
| I | nʉ /nɨ/ | nʉʉ /nɨː/ | *nɨ /nɨ/ | nuʼ /nɨʔ/ | nehhuātl /neʔˈwaːtɬ/ | nej /neh/ | ばん /baɴ/ |
| You | ʉnʉ /ɨnɨ/ | ʉʉ /ɨː/ | *ʔɨ /ʔɨ/ | um /ʔɨm/ | tehhuātl /teʔˈwaːtɬ/ | tej /teh/ | っゔぁ /v̩va/ |
| We | tanʉ / nʉnʉ /tanɨ / nɨnɨ/ | tami / nʉmi /tami / nɨmi/ | — /—/ | itam /ʔitam/ | tehhuāntin /teʔˈwaːntin/ | tejame̱n / nejame̱n /tehameːn / nehameːn/ | ばんた /banta/ |
| Name | nahnia /nahnia/ | nia /niʔa/ | *tewa /tewa/ | tungwni /tɨŋʷni/ | tōcāitl /toːˈkaːitɬ/ | to̱ca̱ꞌ /toːkaːʔ/ | なー /naː/ |
| Person | nʉmʉ /ˈnɨmɨ/ | nɨmɨ /nɨmɨ/ | — | sino /sino/ | tlācatl /tɬaːkatɬ/ | — | 人 /psɨtu/ |
| Head | paapi /paːpi/ | kwo /kʷo/ | *moʔo /moʔo/ | qötö /qøtø/ | cuāitl /kʷaːitɬ/ | tzontecon /tsontekon/ | かなまイ /kanamaɨ/ |
| Eye | puui /puːi/ | pui /pui/ | *pusi /pusi/ | poosi /poːsi/ | īxtli /iːʃtɬi/ | i̱xti /iːʃti/ | 目 /miː/ |
| Ear | naki /naki/ | naka /naka/ | *naka /naka/ | naqvu /naqvɨ/ | nacaztli /nakastɬi/ | nacas /nakas/ | 耳 /mim/ |
| Mouth | tʉpe /tɨpe/ | tɨppa /tɨpːa/ | *tɨʔni /tɨʔni/ | moʼa /moʔa/ | camatl /kamatɬ/ | te̱nti /teːnti/ | 口 /futsɨ/ |
| Tooth | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | *tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | tlantli /tɬantɬi/ | tanti /tanti/ | ぱー /paː/ |
| Tongue | eeko /eːko/ | eho /exo/ | *nene /nene/ | lengi /leŋi/ | nenepilli /nenepilːi/ | le̱nguaj /leːnɡʷah/ | すだ /sɨda/ |
| Hand | moʼo /moʔo/ | mai /mai/ | *maʔ /maʔ/ | maaʼt /mɑːʔt/ | māitl /maːitɬ/ | mayiꞌ /majiʔ/ | 手 /tiː/ |
| Foot | naape /naːpe/ | kuku /kuku/ | *tala /tala/ | kukʼat /kukʔat/ | icxitl /ikʃitɬ/ | icxi /ikʃi/ | ぱぎ /paɡɨ/ |
| Heart | pihi /pihi/ | piwi /piwi/ | *sula /sula/ | unangwa /ʔunaŋʷa/ | yōllōtl /joːlːoːtɬ/ | iya̱lmaj /ijaːlmah/ | 肝 /kɨmu/ |
| Bone | tsuhnipʉ /tsuhnipɨ/ | oho /oho/ | *ohomï-ta /ohomɨta/ | öqa /ʔøqa/ | omitl /omitɬ/ | omiꞌ /omiʔ/ | 骨 /puni/ |
| Blood | — /—/ | puupe /pɨːpːi/ | *ɨtwa /ɨtwa/ | ungwa /ʔuŋʷa/ | eztli /esˈtɬi/ | esti /esti/ | あかつ /akatsɨ/ |
| Love | — /—/ | suabetɨ /suapetɨ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | tlazōhtla /tɬasoːhtɬa/ | quinequi /kineki/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | huupi /huːpi/ | hupi /hupi/ | *kut /kut/ | hotski /hotski/ | cuahuitl /kʷawitɬ/ | cuahuiꞌ /kʷawiʔ/ | 木 /kiː/ |
| Dog | sarii /saɾiː/ | saduʼu /satɨʔɨ/ | — /—/ | pòoko /pòːko/ | itzcuīntli /itskʷiːntɬi/ | pe̱lo /peːlo/ | 犬 /iɴ/ |
| Cat | waʔoo /waʔoː/ | mosa /mosa/ | — /—/ | moosa /moːsa/ | mīztōn /miːstoːn/ | misto̱n /mistoːn/ | 猫 /maju/ |
| Fish | pekwi /pekʷi/ | pakwi /pakʷi/ | *paki /paki/ | pakiw /pakiw/ | michin /mitʃin/ | to̱poj /toːpoh/ | いず /ɨdzu/ |
| Bird | huutsuu /huːtsuː/ | hucipa /hutsipa/ | — | tsiro /tsiro/ | tōtōtl /toːtoːtɬ/ | to̱to̱ꞌ /toːtoːʔ/ | 鳥 /tuɨ/ |
| Butterfly | ueyahkorooʼ /uejahkoɾo/ | — | — | — | pāpālōtl /paːpaːloːtɬ/ | me̱me̱ /meːmeː/ | ぱびﾙ /pabiɿ/ |
| Egg | noyo /nojo/ | noho /noho/ | — | nöhu /nøhɨ/ | tōtoltetl /toːtoltetɬ/ | itecsis /iteksis/ | とぅなか /tunaka/ |
| Horse | puuku /puːku/ | puku /puku/ | — | kawayo /kawajo/ | cahuallo /kaˈwaːlːo/ | cahua̱yoj /kaˈwaːjoh/ | ぬーま /nuːma/ |
| House | kahni /kahni/ | nobi /nopi/ | *ki /ki/ | kiihu /kiːhɨ/ | calli /kalːi/ | cajli /kahli/ | 家 /jaː/ |
| Eat | tʉhkarʉ /tɨhkaɾɨ/ | tɨka /tɨka/ | *kwaʔa /kwaʔa/ | nöösa /nøːsa/ | tlacua /tɬakʷa/ | tacua /takʷa/ | 食ー /foː/ |
| Drink | hibi /hibi/ | hibi /hipi/ | *hiʔpa /hiʔpa/ | hiiko /hiːko/ | ātli /aːtɬi/ | a̱ti /aːti/ | 飲み /num/ |
| Sleep | ʉʉpʉi /ɨːpɨi/ | ɨwi /ɨwi/ | *koci /koci/ | puuwi /pɨːwi/ | cochi /kotʃi/ | cochi /kotʃi/ | — |
| One | sʉmʉ /sɨmɨ/ | simɨ /simɨ/ | *sɨmɨ /sɨmɨ/ | suukyaʼ /suːkjɑʔ/ | cē /seː/ | se̱ /seː/ | 一つ /psɨtiːtsɨ/ |
| Two | waha /waha/ | waha /waha/ | *wo /wo/ | lööyöʼ /løːjøʔ/ | ōme /ˈoːme/ | o̱me /oːme/ | ふたーつ /ftaːtsɿ/ |
| Three | pahiitʉ /pahiːtɨ/ | pahe /pahe/ | *pahi /pahi/ | paayom /paːjom/ | yei /jeːi/ | e̱yi /eːji/ | みーつ /mɨːtsɨ/ |
| Five | moʼobetʉ /moʔoˈbetɨ/ | manigiʼyu /maniɡiʔju/ | — | tsivot /tsivot/ | mācuīlli /maːˈkʷiːlːi/ | cinco /sinko/ | 五つ /itsɨtsɨ/ |
| Hello | marʉawe /maɾɨawe/ | maikwa /maikwa/ | — /—/ | tàlawva /tàːlawva/ | niltze /niltse/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | ʉra /ɨɾa/ | pesa /pesa/ | — /—/ | askwali /ʔaskʷali/ | tlazōhcāmati /tɬasoːhkaːmati/ | gracias /ɡrasjas/ | たんでぃがーたんでぃ /tandiɡaːtandi/ |
| Good | tsaatʉ /tsaːtɨ/ | pesa /pesa/ | — /—/ | hopii /hopiː/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ | ye̱cti /jeːkti/ | — /—/ |
| New | ʉkʉ /ɨkɨ/ | pɨdɨ /pɨtɨ/ | *pɨtuwa /pɨtuwa/ | puuhu /pɨːhɨ/ | yancuic /jankʷik/ | yancuiꞌ /jankʷiʔ/ | みㇲ゙ /miz̩/ |
| Red | ekapi /ekapi/ | atsa /atʰsa/ | — /—/ | paalangpu /paːlaŋpɨ/ | chichiltic /tʃitʃiltik/ | chi̱ltiꞌ /tʃiːltiʔ/ | あか /aka/ |
| White | tosaʼ /tosaʔ/ | toha /toha/ | *tosa /tosa/ | qöötsa /qøːtsa/ | iztāc /istaːk/ | ista̱ꞌ /istaːʔ/ | — |
| Cuckoo | — /—/ | poboyoohaʼa /poboˈjoːhaʔa/ | — | hospoa /hosˈpoa/ | metlapīltetzotzontzin /metɬapiːltetsotsoˈtsontsin/ | — | — |
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