Chamorro language

Chamorro language, alphabet and pronunciation (omniglot.com)

Chamorro (chamoru)

 

Chamorro is an Austronesian language spoken by about 50,000 people mainly in Guam, and also in the Northern Mariana Islands and the USA. Chamorro contains a huge number of words of Spanish origin and this has lead some to mistakenly believe that it is a Spanish-based Creole.

Chamorro first started to appear in writing in 1668 when a missionary by the name of Father San Vitores devised a spelling system for the language using the Latin alphabet. Since then various spelling systems have been used.

 

 

Chamorro alphabet and pronunciation

 

 

Sample text in Chamorro

 

Manmåfañågu todu i taotao siha manlibettao yan mamårehu gi diknidåt yan direcho siha, manmånå'i siha nu hinasso yan konsiensia ya debi di u fanafa'maolek.

 

Translation

 

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

 

 

Geraldine Lisua - Chamorro - YouTube