Guam Languages
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Description
The official languages of Guam are English and Chamorro. Filipino is also a common language across the island. Other Pacific island languages and many Asian languages are spoken in Guam as well. Spanish, the language of administration for 300 years, is no longer commonly spoken on the island, although vestiges of the language remain in proper names, loanwords, and place names and it is studied at university and high schools. [1]
Languages spoken by the population as of 2010:
- English 43.6%
- Filipino 21.2%
- Chamorro 17.8%
- Other Pacific island languages 10%
- Other Asian languages 6.3%
- Other 1.1% [2]
The Mariana Islands is an ethnic and cultural heritage of the Chamorro people. Despite the invasion attempts from leading military countries, such as Spain, The United States of America and Japan, the Chamorro people have maintained their traditions. The cultural endurance of the Chamorro people was evident, as the Indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands maintained their language, tradition and integrity, in spite of the dominance of imperialism. While Guam has remained a colony in the postmodern world, the Chamorro people of Guam have gained an amount of local political control of the island traditions. [3]
Word List(s)
Chamorro
- Chamorro Words and Common Phrases at Chamoru
- Chamorro Phrasebook at Wikitravel
- Chamorro Days of the Week at Wikipedia
- Chamorro Months at Wikipedia
- Chamorro Basic Phrases at Wikipedia
| Chamorro | English | Chamorro | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Håfa adai! / Håfa dai! (phonetic spelling) | "Hello!" | Put Fabot påt [Spanish introduced formal] Fan [Chamorro Informal] | please |
| Buenas [Spanish introduced] | Greetings | Fanatåtti [Indigenous] | leave later [informal] |
| Kao mamaolek hao? | How are you? [lit.: Are you doing well?][informal] | Buenas dias [Spanish introduced] påt Manana si Yuʼus (mostly used on Guam) | Good morning |
| Håfa tatatmanu hao? | How are you?[formal] | Buenas tåtdes [Spanish introduced] | Good afternoon |
| Håyi naʼån mu? | What is your name? | Buenas noches [Spanish introduced] påt Puengen Yuʼus | Good night |
| I naʼån hu si Chris | My name is Chris. | Asta [Spanish introduced from hasta] agupaʼ | Until tomorrow |
| Ñålang yuʼ | I'm hungry. | Si Yuʼus maʼåsiʼ | Thank you (lit: God have mercy) |
| Måʼo yuʼ | I'm thirsty. | Buen probechu [Spanish introduced] påt Hågu mås | "You're welcome" |
| Adios påt Esta [Spanish introduced] | Good bye. |
Filipino
Spanish
Alphabet and Pronunciation
Chamorro
Chamorro Alphabet at Wikipedia
| ʼ | A a | Å å | B b | Ch ch | D d | E e | F f | G g | H h | I i | K k | L l | M m | N n | Ñ ñ | Ng ng | O o | P p | R r | S s | T t | U u | Y y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /ʔ/ (glottal stop) | /æ/ | /ɑ/ | /b/ | /ts/ and /tʃ/ | /d/ | /e/ | /f/ | /ɡ/ | /h/ | /i/ | /k/ | /l/ | /m/ | /n/ | / ɲ/ | /ŋ/ | /o/ | /p/ | /ɾ/ ~ /ɻ / | /s/ | /t/ | /u/ | /dz/, /z/ and /dʒ/ |
Filipino
- Filipino (Tagalog) Alphabet and Pronunciation at Omniglot
- Filipino Alphabet and Pronunciation at Wikipedia
Spanish
Language Aids and Dictionaries
Chamorro
Filipino
Spanish
- Spanish Handwriting Clarified
- Spanish Letter Writing Guide
- Spanish Dictionary at Lexilogos
- English - Spanish Dictionary at Glosbe
Additional Resources
- Learning Chamorro at LearningChamoru
- Learning Filipino at Learn101
- Learn Tagalog (Filipino) for Beginners at Glossika
- Learning Spanish at Spanishdict
- Goetzfridt, Nicholas J, and Mark C Goniwiecha. Language Dictionaries and Grammars of Guam and Micronesia. n.p.: n.p., 1989. Available at: WorldCat.
- Von Preissig, Edward Ritter, and United States. Dictionary and grammar of the Chamorro language of the Island of Guam. Washington: G.P.O., 1918. Available at: WorldCat.
References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Guam," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam#Demographics, accessed 14 June 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "CIA World Factbook demographic statistics," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Guam#CIA_World_Factbook_demographic_statistics, accessed 14 June 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "The Chamorro people," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Guam#History, accessed 14 June 2021.