![]() (eg.: taotao/tautau - Chamorro word for 'person') The letter combination of 'ao' is also pronounced as if it were an 'au'- sounds like 'ow' in 'cow'. Thus the Guamanian place name spelled Yona is pronounced 'dzo-nya', not 'yo-na' as might be expected. Note also that A and Å are not always distinguished in written Chamorro, often being written simply as 'A' nor are N and Ñ always distinguished. Note that the letter Y is pronounced more like 'dz' as it is in some dialects of Castilian Spanish, and that Ch is usually pronounced like 'ts' rather than 'tsh'. ( eh-stah-ah-goo-pah) Can I use the bathroom? Kao siña yu usa i kemmon? (kow see nya dzu oosa ee kem-mon) Problems ( Bwenas-no-tses) - Spanish loanphrase Good night ( see you tomorrow) Esta agupa'. ( Bwenas-taht-des) - Spanish loanphrase Good night. ( Bwenas-Dee-as) - Spanish loanphrase Good evening. ( Ah-Deh-Oss) - Spanish loanword Good morning. ![]() ( Bwen-pro-bet-sue) - Spanish loanphrase Goodbye. Guahu Si Juan.( Gwah-Hu-C-Wan.) Thank you. Håfa adai! or Håfa dai! ( Hah-fa a-day) How are you? Håfa tatatmanu hao? ( Hah-fuh-tah-taht-mah-noo-How?) Good Maolek (M-Ow-leck) or Very Good : Todu maolek ( toe do mau lek) What is your name? Hayi na'an mu? ( Ha-dzi-nah-un-moo?) My name is John. O can sound like 'o' in low when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed.Ĭommon diphthongs Phrase list Basics Hello!. U and O are similar because U sounds like 'oo' in tool when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed. E sounds like 'e' in met when stressed, 'ee' in meet when unstressed or even 'i' in pit when unstressed. The vowels I and E are similar because I sounds like 'ee' in meet when stressed, or 'i' in pit when unstressed. O like English o in low or u in put.Īll vowels are cardinal, like in Spanish, not like in English. E like English e in met or ee in meet or even i in pit. Å like English a in car (IPA /a/) A like English a in cat (IPA /æ/) I like English ee in meet or i in pit. Therefore you can't tell the difference between båba 'bad' and baba' 'open'. Note that å isn't usually distinguished in written Chamorro. Ancient Chamorro is still spoken in the northern islands like Pagan, Saipan, Luta, and Tinian. It is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas, but fluency has greatly decreased among Guamanian Chamorros during the years of American rule in favor of (a largely pidginized) American English. There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas archipelago. Modern Chamorro grammar has many elements of Spanish origin: articles, numbers, prepositions. However, Chamorro can also be considered a mixed language (Hispano-Austronesian) or a language that resulted of a contact and creolization process in the Mariana Islands. tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish Creole: However, Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way (eg: bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, play ball" with infix -um- and reduplication of root). Various representatives from Guam have unsuccessfully lobbied the United States to take action to promote the language.Ī large number of Chamorro words have Spanish etymological roots (e.g. The influence of English, Spanish, and Japanese have caused the language to become endangered. The numbers of Chamorro speakers have declined in recent years, and the younger generations are less likely to know the language. Chamorro is also used on the continental United States by immigrants and some of their descendants. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro, or Chamoru, is the native language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
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