Numu tekwapu - Comanche Language

Marúawe!

[maˈɾəawe]          (mah-RUH-ah-way!)

Note: There isn't a word for "Oklahoma" in Comanche.

 

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• ComancheNation.com – The Official Website of the Comanche Nation
• ComancheLanguage.org – The website of the Comanche Language & Cultural Preservation Committee
• ComancheLodge.com – Deticated to the Comanche Indians
• Comanche page at Fracod – words, number practice, and more!
• LanguageGeek.com – Free downloadable keyboards for typing in Comanche

 

Soobeʔsukutsaʔ rua Fort Sill-kutu wahahtuh numur nanuh tuwoonukwa.  Suruukuseʔ soo u royabaihku nanisuyake u ruruehbaahunuʔbaihku ukuhu nobitunu. Surukwukuseʔ waʔihpuʔanukwu, —Nah ranu ke kahniʔaiwaʔituu. Ihka ranu waahpihta toponiwekiku roboʔiti kahnibaituʔi. —

Long ago, it is said, from Fort Sill two Indian men went hunting. Those ones where it had many mountains, where it had pretty little creeks, there they camped. Those two women (said), —We just won't make a house. We will have a house of these cedars standing in a circle. —

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Source: Canonge, Elliott. Comanche Texts. Norman, OK: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1953. Accessed at the Rosetta Project.

Useful Words and Phrases

Comanche Language – numu tekwapu

English Language – taibo tekwapu

Do you speak Comanche? – Unha numu tekwaʔeyu?

Hello! – Marúawe! (to 1 person), Marúawebukwu! (to 2 people), Marúaweka! (to a group)

Hi! – Haa marúawe!

How are you? – Unha hakai nuusuka?

Fine, and you? – Tsaatu, untse?

Tell me all about it. – Marúawekwai.

I’ll see you tomorrow! – Noo nu puetsuku u punine!

My name is ________. – Nu nahnia tsa ________.

What’s your name? – Unha hakai nahniaka?

What’s the Comanche word for “______”? – Hakai “______” numu nahniaka?

Do you understand me? – Unha nu nakisupana?inu?

I understand you. – U nakisupanaʔitu nu.

I don’t understand you. – Ke nu u nakisupanaʔitu.

Kiowa Tribe – kaiwa

Please – haamee

Thank you – ura

How old are you? – Unha huu tomopu?

Yes – haa

No – kee

Spanish Language – yuhu taibo tekwapu

Fry bread – yuhu nookopu

Numbers

1. sumu
2. wahaatu
3. pahiitu
4. hayarokweetu
5. moʔobeetu
6. naabaitu
7. taatsukwitu
8. namewatsukwitu
9. wumhinatu
10. suumaru

 

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Source: Anderton, Alice J., Lucille McClung, and Albert Nahquaddy. Comanche Dictionary. University of Oklahoma, 1993.

Comanche alphabet

Aa	Bb	Ee	Hh	Ii	Kk	Mm	Nn	Oo
[a]	[β]	[e]	[h]	[i]	[k]	[m]	[n̪]	[o]
Pp	Rr	Ss	Tt	Uu	Uu	Ww	Yy	ʔ
[p]	[ɾ]	[s̪]	[t̪]	[u]	[ə]	[w]	[j]	[ʔ]

Diphthongs

ai	oi
[ai]	[oi]

Notes

• U is actually higher or lower than [ə].
• Stress normally falls on the first syllable of every word; exceptions are marked with an acute accent (´). Example: kutséena, "coyote."
• Long vowels are indicated by doubling (such as aa).
• Voiceless vowels are indicated by underlining (such as a).

 

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