There are two official languages of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Chamorro and Carolinian.

Chamorro glossaries are presented on our Guam website, and you can view that chart by clicking here.

Carolinian terminology is presented below.

People, Family Members:

Aramas

Person

Man

Mwáál

Woman

Schóóbwut

Used once a young girl reaches puberty

Grandparent

Tuufáy

Parent

IilmeSaam

Child

Áát

Eldest Sibling

Lapal áát

Siblings

Olighát;
Mwengeya;
Bwii;
Peghil Bwii

--group of children;
--sibling or cousin of the opposite sex;
--siblings of either sex;
--of the same mother and father

Grandchild

Áát

Geneology

Uruwow

Carolinian Society:

High Caste

Ailang Samwool

Warriors

Schóól Mwóówul

Priests, Experts

Paali

Lower Caste

Resefaasch

Ailang

General term, lineage traditionally inherited through the mother

Domestic Geography:

Place (Locality)

Leliyesc;
Falúwasch

Falúwasch is also called locally or "our land"

House, Home

Iimw

Yard, enclosure

Lúghúlimw

Food

Mwongo;
Sáliyáli

--staple food, starches;
--meat or sauce eaten with staple food

Cook

Mwoot;
Rawa;
Umwuli;
Tughúyáf

--to cook food;
--cook in a pot;
--cook in an earth oven;
--wrap in breadfruit leaves and cook on a fire

Oven

Uumw

Earth oven

Bark cloth

Tughumayúl

Note on Pronunciation:

The following is a simple phonetic sound of our vowels.

a- sounds like apple: amwusch = firewood
á- sounds like Larry: áát = child
e- sounds like Emmy: ellet = truth
é- sounds like her (lower back): ééw = one
i- sounds like India: Itómw = name
o- sounds like OK: olighát = children, child, young kid
ó- sounds like octopus: ótol = time
u- sounds like look: ukkur = play
ú- sounds like Jude: úútá = stand