Guambiano (Namrrik / Nam Trik)

Guambiano is a Barbacoan language spoken by about 21,000 people (in 2008) in the Cauca Department in the southwest of Colombia, particularly in the municipalities of Silvia, Jambaló, Totoro, Caldono and Toribío, and along the Piendamó River.

Guambiano is also known as Moguez, Moguex or Wam. It is closely related to Coconuco and Totoró, both of which are extinct. However, Guambiano is vibrant and growing and used in some primary schools.

Guambiano alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

After a nasal (m, n, ñ) or alveolar (t, ts, s, l, r), p = [b], t = [d], ts = [dz], tš [ɖʐ], ŝ [ɟ] and k = [ɡ]
Between vowels, p = [β], tš [ʐ] and k = [ɣ]
At the end of words, p = [β] or [f], tš [ʐ] or [ʃ] and k = [ɣ] or [x]
k = [ç] or [kʲ] before i
n = [m] before

Download an alphabet chart for Guambiano (Excel)

Sample text in Guambiano (Lord's Prayer)

Ñimpe Tiuspa waminchip pѳntrappe, ѳyah chintrikai:
Namui Mѳskai srѳmpalasrѳ wapik,
ñui munchipe tapikweintѳ tarѳmara,
newan tap intik kѳntrun.
Ñi aship karup pasraipe pirau latrѳpitchap amѳ,
srѳmpalasrѳ latawei yu piraukucha,
Ñi maik maramtiik kѳpen,
treekwei marik kѳntrai.
Kualѳmmѳrik nam mamik maik palapikwan mѳi tranѳp,
namui kaik mariilan ulѳ paimѳ,
pesannatruntrik chip,
nam namun kaik marѳpelan ulѳ paimѳ,
pesannawa kѳtrѳmisrѳp lataitѳwei.
Chikѳpen namun kekѳtrѳsrkѳntraptiik pѳntrѳpene,
truwane namun ampashmѳtruntrik.
Masken tru kaikweinukkutrimpe tarѳmartra.
Kakente, tru aship karup waipa,
marampurap mariipa, purѳ nuik,
purѳ tapiipape manakatik Ñuin kѳn chip.

Sample Videos

Information about Guambiano | Tower of Babel in Guambiano

Links

Information about the Guambiano language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guambiano_language
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_guambiano
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=gum
http://www.native-languages.org/guambiano.htm
http://www.proel.org/index.php?pagina=mundo/amerindia/chibcha_pae/paezano/panuclear/wambiano
http://www.mpi.nl/departments/language-and-cognition/fieldsites/guambiano

Barbacoan languages

Awa Pit, Cha'palaa(chi), Guambiano, Tsafiki

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 29.10.23

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