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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Arawak

We have included ten basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Arawak words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our translation of Native American languages fundraiser, buy an Arawak dictionary, or visit our main Arawak language site for more free resources.

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Arawak Word Set

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français)	Eastern Arawak (French Guiana)	Western Arawak (Guyana)
One (Un)	Ábą	Aba
Two (Deux)	Bian	Biama
Three (Trois)	Kabun	Kabyn
Four (Quatre)	Biti	Bithi
Man (Homme)	Wadili	Wadili
Woman (Femme)	Hiaro	Hiaro
Dog (Chien)	Péero (from Spanish)	Péero (from Spanish)
Sun (Soleil)	Hadali	Hadali
Moon (Lune)	Kati	Kathi
Water (Eau)	Uini	Vuniabu

Click here to see Arawak vocabulary words compared to words in related Arawakan languages: Arawakan Indian Words

Arawak Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Arawak word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

Arawak animal words

Arawak color words

Additional Resources

   Languages of Suriname
   American Indian dictionaries
   Indian names
   Indian numerals
   Arawakan
   Arawak mythology

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