i familiá-ku
In Chamorro, "my family" is expressed as i familiá-ku.
The phrase is used to refer to the group of people who are related to the speaker by blood or marriage.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the definite article i (the), the noun familiá (family) and the possessive suffix -ku (my).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Chamorro orthographies or dialects, the possessive suffix -ku may be written as -hu, resulting in the form i familiá-hu.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular possessive is indicated by attaching the suffix -ku to the end of the noun.
Did you know?
- Chamorro is part of the Malayo-Polynesian language family, making i familiá-ku a distant relative to languages spoken in Madagascar and Hawaii.
- Chamorro kinship terms are often more specific than English, with different words used depending on whether a relative is on the father's or mother's side.
- The word familiá is a direct loan from the Spanish 'familia', reflecting the centuries of colonial influence on the Mariana Islands.
Example conversation
Theresa and Manuel are talking about their relatives.
- TheresaSi Manuel, kåno' i familiá-ku ågau'na?Manuel, when is my family arriving?
- ManuelÁga-na i familiá-ku ågau'na maña'ga.My family says they are coming soon.
- TheresaTaga-i i familiá-ku yan i tåno.My family and the guests are close.
- ManuelSi Theresa, hulo' i familiá-ku yan i tåno.Theresa, my family and the guests are waiting.
