sheene

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of seene (“being green or blue, grue; being unripe, green”)


na'kukwa

Alternative form of na'kwaka (“in the water”)


na'kwaka

Likely from an irregular contraction of tuna (“water”) + kwaka (“at, in, to (a body of water)”). Compare na'kwawö.


tadonñe

Perhaps from t- -e (adverbializer) + adoni (“revitalizer, health”) + a verbalizing suffix of some kind.


wentumje

Ultimately suffixed with -je (adverbializer).


ashicha

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of aasicha (“good, well”)


Kajunña

From kaju (“sky”) + -nña (“at the place of”).

(Ye'kwana mythology) in the mythological Sky or Heaven, an invisible sky beyond the visible sky where Wanadi lives, divided into eight houses or villages and visited by shamans on their initiatory journey


kone'da

Compare Yao (South America) icone. Perhaps also compare koneka (“to fix, solve, straighten out”) + -'da (negative adverbializer), although this does not seem to be the actual derivation of this word, since the word itself can be negated with a further -'da and a cognate of the stem is found in Yao.


chöötaajö

[t͡ʃəːtaːhə]


amije

(Caura River dialect) Alternative form of ömije (“being hungry”)


ömije

Ultimately suffixed with -je (adverbializer), perhaps from ömi (“fingernail, claw”) + -je.

(now chiefly Cunucunuma River dialect) being hungry


awa'de

being first, at the front (of a line), at the bow (of a boat), foremost

being the preceding instance, last, this past


kawö

From Proto-Cariban *kawô (“high”). Perhaps ultimately formed with the ancestor of awö (“at, in, on”); for the first element, perhaps compare kaju (“sky”).


mönse

edö (inanimate pronoun proximal)
^Y e'dö (inanimate pronoun proximal)
mö'dö (proximal singular)
eetö (anaphoric proximal)
eetö (proximal)
eese (proximal)
eesemjo (proximal)
sadö (proximal)
mödö (inanimate medial pronoun proximal)
mööyö (medial proximal singular)
^Y möödhö (medial proximal singular)
kanno (medial plural proximal)
möötö (anaphoric medial proximal)
möönü (distal inanimate medial pronoun)
mökkü (distal medial singular)
makkamo (distal medial plural)
inña (distal medial)
möntö (anaphoric distal medial)
mönse (distal medial)
aneeseja (distal medial)
mönsemjo (distal medial)
maadö (distal medial)
iyö (distal inanimate pronoun)
^Y iiyö (distal inanimate pronoun)
ñöödö (distal singular)
ñanno (distal plural)
yöötö (anaphoric distal)
unwaa (distal)
Y. Caura River dialect.
Y. Caura River dialect. (inanimate pronoun)
Y. Caura River dialect. (singular)
D. Cunucunuma River dialect.
D. Cunucunuma River dialect. (inanimate pronoun)
D. Cunucunuma River dialect. (singular)
V. Alto Ventuari River dialect.
V. Alto Ventuari River dialect. (inanimate pronoun)
V. Alto Ventuari River dialect. (singular)

For the first element, compare the distal inanimate demonstrative pronoun möönü. The second element -se is also found in eese.

there (in another division or unit of land)


nonojoichö

Perhaps from nono (“earth, soil”) + -joi (“via”) + -tö.

being low, short, tiny, close to the ground


adhe

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of a'ye (“being brief, short, ephemeral”)


jiidi

(Caura River dialect) while standing or walking, while upright


aakene

(interrogative) how? what? in what way or manner?


aakene yeijökö

(Cunucunuma River dialect, interrogative) why is it?


amoinche

being distant in terms of family relations, not closely related


koiñadö

From Proto-Cariban *koinarô; compare Kari'na koinaro, Trió kokonjarë, Waiwai kokoñoro.


inña

there (at a different location from the speaker)


maadö

The second element -dö seems to be the same as that in sadö (“around here”).


eetö

For the first element, compare the proximal inanimate demonstrative pronoun edö. The second element -tö is common to a series of deictic adverbs all related to the inanimate demonstrative pronouns.


yöötö

For the first element, compare the invisible inanimate demonstrative pronoun iyö. The second element -tö is common to a series of deictic adverbs all related to the inanimate demonstrative pronouns.

there (at the place already mentioned that I can’t see)


möntö

For the first element, compare the distal inanimate demonstrative pronoun möönü. The second element -tö is common to a series of deictic adverbs all related to the inanimate demonstrative pronouns.

there (obviative in relation to möötö: at that other place, at that further-away place)


sadö

The second element -dö seems to be the same as that in maadö (“around there”).


möötö

For the first element, compare the medial inanimate demonstrative pronoun mödö. The second element -tö is common to a series of deictic adverbs all related to the inanimate demonstrative pronouns.


unwaa

there (in another division or unit of land, more distant than mönse)


mönsemjo

there (on that shore, on that side of a watercourse)


aneeseja

there (on the far side of a salient geographical feature such as a mountain)


eesemjo

here (on this shore, on this side of a watercourse)


eese

For the first element, compare the proximal inanimate demonstrative pronoun edö. The second element -se is also found in mönse.

here (in this division or unit of land, or on this side of a geographical feature)


jüdojo

[hʷɨɾ̠oːhʷo]

Related to jüdödö/jüdodo (“yard, patio, street”).


ü'jonadö

[ɨʔhʷonaːɾ̠ə]


jüdüi

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of jiidi (“while standing or walking, while upright”)


jü'wakadö

[hʷɨʔwakaːɾ̠ə]

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of juuwakadö (“in the direction of the current”)


juuwakadö

(Caura River dialect) in the direction of the current


öishanno

(interrogative) where? whence? (asking about source of movement)


öichökö

From öichö (“where”) + an unidentifiable morpheme kö.

(Caura River dialect, interrogative) where? (asking about midpoint of movement)


öisha

¿Össa küntaakö tüwü?

2008, speaker ‘Anl’ from Boca de Piña (CtoWoshi.005), recorded in Cáceres, Natalia (2011), Grammaire Fonctionelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana, page 355

(interrogative) where? (asking about location or destination of movement; also used in predicates without a copula and with finite verbs without an auxiliary copula, unlike öichö)


öichö

(interrogative) where? (asking about location or destination of movement; chiefly in copular constructions, and more readily used as a single query than össha)


dheyude

(Cunucunuma River dialect) being wrinkled


ajo'jo

From Proto-Cariban *apoto with a suffix; compare Kari'na poto, apoto, Yabarana tapotoi.


ooje

Ultimately suffixed with -je (adverbializer).


ossono

(Caura River dialect, interrogative) which?


öishöno

(Cunucunuma River dialect, interrogative) Alternative form of ossono (“which?”)


Ijüwütünña

in Santa María de Erebato, a village in Venezuela


Anadekenña

From anadeke (“pineapple”) + -nña (“at the place of”), a partial calque from Spanish of the Spanish name.


jooje

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of ooje (“being many, much, a lot; to a great extent, very”)


judume

From Proto-Cariban *t-puru-me (“black”).


nossaje

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of nosaje (“being dirty”)


she'kö

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of se'kö (“being small, little”)


se'kö

(Caura River dialect) being small, little


tamjö'ne

Derived from amjö'ma (“to speed (something) up”).


ta'wane

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of tawane (“being bright, shining, luminous”)


tawane

Apparently from t- -e (adverbializer) + awaana (“to dawn”), although the final vowel in such a construction would be expected to be *a rather than *e.

(Caura River dialect) being bright, shining, luminous


ta'ne

being hot or warm (high in termperature)


tawe'de

Apparently from t- -e (adverbializer) + awe'dö (“to reduce, to cut down”), although the final vowel in such a construction would be expected to be *ö rather than *e.


ta'jujuñe

Apparently from t- -e (adverbializer) + ajujinña (“to extend, to stretch”), though the expected form (at least in the Caura River dialect) would be *tajujinña. It may be that the Cunucunuma River form differs, or that one term or the other was not accurately recorded.

(Cunucunuma River dialect) being wide, broad


ta'keene

(Caura River dialect) being white-skinned


tö'ke'ne

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of ta'keene (“being white-skinned”)


tawaje

From tawa (“lung”) + -je (adverbializer).


Koyojinña

Perhaps related to koijai (“night”), with a suffix -nña (“at the place of”).

(Ye'kwana mythology) in the underground and underwater world, inhabited by dangerous supernatural beings


kujeje

From kuje (“madness, epilepsy”) + -je (adverbializer).


neene

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of ñeene (“truly, really”)


a'ye

(Caura River dialect) being brief, short, ephemeral


Yujudunña

From y- (third-person possessed prefix) + ujudu (“headwaters”) + -nña (“at the place of”).

in the homeland of the Ye'kwana, the region stretching from the right bank of the upper Orinoco River to the lower reaches of the Ventuari and Caura Rivers


a'kede

Perhaps related to or derived from a'ke (“having none”).


anenñaja

From aneija (“other”) or at least the same root.

elsewhere, on the other side, in another part


ö'washa'kö

Alternative form of ö'waasa'kö (“how many, how much”)


ö'waasa'kö

From ö'waasa (“how many, how much”) + -'kö (diminutive suffix).


Akananña

in Culebra, a village in the state of Amazonas in Venezuela


Medadanña

From Spanish Esmeralda + -nña (“at the place of”).


Ankutudanña

From Spanish Angostura, the old name of the city, + -nña (“at the place of”).


Eudojanña

From Spanish Europa + -nña (“at the place of”).


Suyunña

in Suyunña, a village along the Erebato River in Venezuela


Medakunadinña

in Medakunadinña, a village along the Caura River in Venezuela


inchomo

Probably derived from or of the same origin as insho (“many, much, a lot”).


Kadakanña

From Spanish Caracas + -nña (“at the place of”).


Wodiwanña

From Spanish Bolívar + -nña (“at the place of”).


iñso

Alternative form of insho (“much, many, a lot”)


ökude

(Cunucunuma River dialect and Brazil) Alternative form of akude (“late; later”)


joduje

Ultimately suffixed with -je (adverbializer).


yeichüdöje

[ɟejt͡ʃɨɾ̠əːhe]

Ultimately from ei (“to be”). Suffixed with -je (adverbializer).


öichödö

being somewhat better or improved in health (when recovering)


össhanno

Alternative form of öishanno (“where? whence?”)


ajöujö

(Brazil) Alternative form of ajo'jo (“being large, big”)


Kudatanña

From kudata (“reed, blowgun”) + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Kudatanña or Kudaatannha, a village along the Auari River in Brazil


Juduwadunña

in Juduwadunña or Fuduuwadunnha, a village along the Auari River in Brazil


Waichanña

Suffixed with -nña (“at the place of”). The stem waicha is probably borrowed from a Yanomami language.

in Waikás, a village along the Uraricoera River in Brazil


aminche

(Brazil) Alternative form of amoinche (“far”)


amiyawö

Probably derived from or related to amije/ömije (“being hungry”).


mödöje

From mödö (“this”) + -je (adverbializer).


öichödöje

[əjt͡ʃəɾ̠əːhe]

From öichödö (“more or less”) + -je (adverbializer).


jöduje

[hʷəɾ̠uːhʷe]

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of joduje (“being strong; being loud”)


sediuje

Borrowed from Spanish serio (“serious”), with adverbializing suffix -je.


yawanadüje

From y- + awaana (“to dawn”) + -dü (action nominalizer) + -je (adverbializer).


chöönün'e

[t͡ʃəːnɨŋŋe]

From chö- (third-person prefix) + nün'e (“similar to, as well as”).


töjuye

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of tojuiye (“being fat, large”)


tüwowanomasa

From t- -e (adverbializer) + w- (intransitive prefix) + oowanoma (“to learn”) + -sa.


tütü'tajö'e

From t- -e (adverbializer) + w- (intransitive prefix) + tü'tajötü (“to think”).

being pensive, pensively, while thinking


tüweshicha

From t- -e (adverbializer) + w- (intransitive prefix) + e- (intransitivizer) + siicha (“to rip, tear, break”). Also compare eshichako (“to break”).


anonñadöödö

[anonɲaɾ̠əːɾ̠ə]


awishicha

(Brazil) Alternative form of aasicha (“good, well”)


asudejeje

(of animals) being mostly black with some hair of another color


chöwa'kö

From y- (third-person prefix) + köwa'kö (“like”), thus literally ‘like it’.


yü'söödüjai

[ɟɨʔsəːɾ̠ɨhaj]


yööje

From iyö (inanimate invisible demonstrative pronoun) + -je (adverbializer).


sokoje

Suffixed with -je (adverbializer), from the same unattested root as sooko'nö.

being like mud, having the qualities of mud


edöje

From edö (“this”) + -je (adverbializer).

so, thus, like this, in the manner demonstrated


tajöwiye

Probably formed with the adverbializer t- -e. The root ajöwi may then in turn derive from ajö (“arm”).


Tada'kwanña

From tada'kwa (“the little chachalaca”) + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Tada'kwanña, a village on the middle Caura River in Venezuela


Adijaonña

From Spanish Aripao + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Aripao, a village in the state of Bolívar in Venezuela


Madijanña

From Spanish Maripa + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Maripa, a town in the state of Bolívar in Venezuela


Wojistanña

From Portuguese Boa Vista + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Boa Vista, a city in the state of Roraima in Brazil


Amasonanña

From Spanish Amazonas + -nña (“at the place of”).


Judansianña

From Spanish Francia + -nña (“at the place of”).


Kushimenña

From Spanish Cusime + -nña (“at the place of”).

in Boca de Cusime, a village on the Erebato River in Venezuela


na'kwawö

Likely from an irregular contraction of tuna (“water”) + kwawö (“at, in, on (a body of water)”). Compare na'kwaka.


jayedö

being unconscious, struck down, in a faint