Wayuu language


Wayuu, or Guajiro, is a major Arawakan language spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people in northwestern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia on the Guajira Peninsula. The two main dialects are Wüinpümüin and Wopumüin spoken in the northeast and southwest of the peninsula respectively. These dialects are mutually intelligible, as they are minimally distinct. Most of the younger generations speak Spanish fluently, much more so in the southern areas of the peninsula. The extinct Guanebucan language may actually have been a dialect of Wayuu.
To promote bilingual education among Wayuu and other Colombians, the Kamusuchiwo’u Ethno-educative Center or Centro Etnoeducativo Kamusuchiwo’u came up with the initiative of creating the first illustrated Wayuunaiki–Spanish, Spanish–Wayuunaiki dictionary.
Less than 1% of Wayuu speakers are literate in Wayuu while 5 to 15% are literate in Spanish. There are 200,000 speakers in Venezuela and 120,000 in Colombia. Smith reports that a mixed Guajiro-Spanish language is replacing Wayuu in both countries. However, Campbell could find no information on this.

Recent developments

In December 2011, the Wayuu Tayá Foundation and Microsoft presented the first ever dictionary of technology terms in the Wayuu language, after having developed it for three years with a team of technology professionals and linguists.

Phonology

Vowels
FrontCentralBack
Closei ü u
Mide o
Opena

Note: "e" and "o" are more open than in English. "a" is slightly front of central, and "ü" is slightly back of central. All vowels can either occur in short or long versions, since vowel length is distinctive.
Consonants
LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Nasalm n
Plosivep t ch k '
Fricatives sh j
Flapl
Trillr
Approximantw y

"l" is a lateral flap pronounced with the tongue just behind the position for the Spanish "r," and with a more lateral airflow.

Grammar

The personal pronouns are:
singularplural
1st persontayawaya
2nd personpiajia
3rd personnia
shia 		naya