Base Vocabulary

Common Nouns

• Person:

  • mi /mi/ – we
  • zi /zi/ – you
  • baŋa /ˈba.ŋa/ – child
  • babaki /baˈba.ki/ – elder
  • muru /ˈmu.ru/ – friend
  • tonka /ˈton.ka/ – enemy
  • babu /ˈba.bu/ – ancestor

• Places:

  • hanga /ˈhan.ga/ – wind
  • danga /ˈdaŋ.ga/ – edge (e.g., twilight edge)
  • lunga /ˈluŋ.ga/ – stream
  • tanga /ˈtaŋ.ga/ – land
  • kibanda /kiˈban.da/ – shelter

• Nature:

  • maji /ˈma.ji/ – water
  • sora /ˈso.ra/ – sun
  • luŋga /ˈluŋ.ga/ – river
  • ŋokado /ˈŋo.ka.do/ – veins
  • hanaŋa /ˈha.na.ŋa/ – tree
  • ŋida /ˈŋi.da/ – guide (e.g., wind guide)

• Animals:

  • driftuŋa /ˈdrif.tu.ŋa/ – gliding creature
  • ŋama /ˈŋa.ma/ – serpent
  • mandu /ˈman.du/ – beast

Verbs

• ngaŋga /ˈŋaŋ.ga/ – to gather
• shanda /ˈʃan.da/ – to trade
• tula /ˈtu.la/ – to build
• honga /ˈhoŋ.ga/ – to survive
• pasa /ˈpa.sa/ – to share
• nala /ˈna.la/ – to honor
• baŋa /ˈbaŋ.ga/ – to listen
• kina /ˈki.na/ – to teach

Adjectives

• manga /ˈmaŋ.ga/ – great
• ŋolu /ˈŋo.lu/ – small
• tana /ˈta.na/ – strong
• suŋa /ˈsu.ŋa/ – weak
• kara /ˈka.ra/ – bright
• ŋamu /ˈŋa.mu/ – dark

Adverbs

• na /na/ – at/in/on
• zi /zi/ – to
• ja /ja/ – is/are
• ma /ma/ – not

Cultural Terms

• hangakiya /ˈhaŋ.ga.ki.ja/ – wind craft (weatherworking)
• maji'tunga /ˈma.ji.tu.ŋa/ – water finding
• han.ga.daŋa /ˌhan.gaˈda.ŋa/ – twilight edge
• baŋga'sora /ˌbaŋ.gaˈso.ra/ – ritual walk

Sample Phrases

1. Mi ngaŋga na han.ga.daŋa.
   /mi ˈŋaŋ.ga na ˌhan.gaˈda.ŋa/
   "We gather at the twilight edge."

2. Maji ja tana.
   /maˈji ja ˈta.na/
   "Water is strength."

3. Babaki ja kina na han.ga.
   /baˈba.ki ja ˈki.na na ˈhan.ga/
   "The elders teach us about the wind."