Pirahã (híaitíihí)

Pirahã is thought to be the last surviving member of the Mura language family. It is spoken by about 360 people (in 2000), who live along the Maici river, a tributary of the Amazon in Amazonas State of Brazil. It is also known as Mura, Múra-Pirahã or Pirahán.

Pirahã has one of the smallest inventories of phonemes of any living language. There are differences in the way men and women pronounce some of the phonemes. There are only two numerals, "one" and "two"; no colours, other than "light" and "dark", and there's a word that means both mother and father. As well as being spoken, the language can also be whistled or hummed.

Pirahã pronunciation

Notes

b = [m] at the beginning of words, [ʙ] before o, and [b] elsewhere
g = [n] at the beginning of words, and [g] elsewhere. The third pronunciation of g, [ɺɺ̼͡], a lateral alveolar-linguolabial double flap, is only used on special occasions.
s = [ʃ] before i, and [s] elsewhere. In women's speech, s = [h] before i, and sometimes elsewhere.
t = [ʧ] before i, and [t] elsewhere
a voiceless dental bilabially trilled affricate, [tʙ̥͡] is also apparently used, though not usually in the presence of outsiders.
There are two or possibly three tones in Pirahã.

Download an alphabet chart for Pirahã (Excel)

Sample text

Tíobáhai hi báaiso kohoaihíaisóogabagaí. Tí ‘ísi báaiso ‘ogabagai, gíiai ‘ogihíaihiaba. Tíobáhai hi ‘ísi báaiso ‘oaboihaí. ‘Ahoakohoaihio ‘ísi kaopápihaí.

Sample video in Pirahã

Links

Information about the Pirahã languages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirahã_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/myp
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001387.html
https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/povo/piraha/803
http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/2952/samples/10669

Pirahã Dictionary / Dicionário Mura-Pirahã
http://www.geocities.ws/indiosbr_nicolai/piraha1.html

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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