Mapuche is an Araucanian language spoken in parts of southern Chile and western Argentina, by about 260,000 people (in 2007). This language is also known as Mapudungu or Araucanian, (Araucano in Spanish), though the latter term is no longer used. The native name for the language, Mapudungun, comes from mapu (earth, land) and dungun (speak, speech).
Some linguists believe Mapuche is related to the Penutian languages of North America, others link it to the Andean, Arawakan or Mayan languages. It contains some loanwords from Quechua and Spanish.
The main dialects of Mapuchue include Pehuenche, Huillice, Moluche or Nguluche and Ranquenche.
The first grammar of Mapuche, Arte y Gramatica General de la Lengva que Corre en Todo el Reyno de Chile, was published in 1606 by Luis de Valdivia, a Jesuit priest. A grammar and dictionary was published in 1765 by Andrés Febrés.
This chart shows three of the spelling systems for Mapuche:
Kom pu mogence kisuzuam mvlekey, kom cegeygvn, logkogeygvn ka piwkegeygvn, nieygvn kimvn fey mew mvley tañi yamniewael ka epuñpvle kejuwael egvn.
Kom pu mongenche kiduduam mülekey, kom chengeyngün, longkongeyngün ka piwkengeyngün, nieyngün kimün fey mew müley tañi yamniewael ka epu&tildeüle kelluwael engün.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Information about Mapuche | Numbers
Information about the Mapuche language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapudungun
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_mapuche
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapudungun_alphabet
http://rehue.home.xs4all.nl/lang/lan002.html
http://www.native-languages.org/mapuche.htm
Mapuche vocabulary
http://wold.livingsources.org/vocabulary/41
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Araucanian_Swadesh_lists
Online Mapuche dictionaries
http://rehue.home.xs4all.nl/lang/gloss.html
http://www.uctemuco.cl/diccionario/
http://es.freelang.net/enlinea/mapuche.php
Bible in Mapuche
http://worldbibles.org/language_detail/eng/arn/Mapuche
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 07.08.24
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