what language is chamorro

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What is Chamorro?

Chamorro is an Austronesian language spoken by about 50,000 people mainly in Guam, and also in the Northern Mariana Islands and the USA.

Is the Chamorro language still spoken in Guam?

In the Northern Mariana Islands, Chamorro is still widely spoken and used as an everyday language. The NMI dialect of Chamorro is considered archaic by people from Guam, while the Guam dialect of Chamorro is considered "broken Chamorro" by people from the NMI.

What is the most spoken phrase in Chamorro?

The most spoken phrase in Chamorro is Håfa Adai or Håfa Dai, a greeting which approximates “Hello” in English.

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Is Chamorro a Spanish Creole?

Chamorro has many Spanish loanwords and other words have Spanish etymological roots (such as tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish creole, but Chamorro very much uses its loanwords in a Micronesian way (bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, ...

Is Chamorro the same as Spanish?

The Chamorros are primarily Austronesian, but many also have Spanish, Mexican, or Filipino ancestry. Native Guamanians, ethnically called Chamorros, descend primarily from Austronesian peoples and may also have other ancestries, such as Spanish, Mexican, Filipino, or Japanese.

What country speaks Chamorro?

GuamChamorro is the official language in Northern Mariana Islands and Guam but is not spoken in any other countries. The Chamorro language (native name: Chamoru) has its roots in the Austronesian language family. With a share of around 24%, it is most widespread on the Northern Mariana Islands.

What is a Chamorro in English?

Chamorro in American English (tʃɑˈmɔroʊ ) noun. Word forms: plural Chaˈmorros. a member of one of the indigenous peoples of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

How do you say hi in Chamorro?

Don't be surprised if business owners and restaurant staff greet you with a hearty "Håfa Adai" (Chamorro for "Hello"). Give your best "Håfa Adai" to anyone you meet on your journey, or take an extra step and try out these simple Chamorro greetings.

What race is someone from Guam?

ChamorrosPeople. Native Guamanians, ethnically called Chamorros, are of basically Malayo-Indonesian descent with a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino, Mexican, and other European and Asian ancestries.

Is Chamorro hard to learn?

"It's a tough language to learn because there was no formal way of speaking Chamorro," Tara Santos said. "Everyone knows different versions." The family once had a two-day discussion on the word "no."

Are Guam US citizens?

Section 307(b) INA conferred U.S. citizenship upon anyone born in Guam after April 11, 1899. Only those who affirmed or acquired a foreign nationality before August 1, 1950 are not U.S. citizens. b. The first law to confer U.S. citizenship on the inhabitants of Guam was the Organic Act of August 1, 1950 (64 Stat.

Why do Chamorro have Spanish last names?

Traditionally, CHamorus didn't have surnames. Each person was known by a first name and was probably referred to also according to his clan name. When the Spanish missionaries baptized someone, he or she was christened with a name of a saint. Whatever that person's first name was became his surname.

Where did Chamorro people come from?

Chamorros are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands of which Guam is the largest and southernmost on an island chain. Archeological evidence identified civilization dating back 5,000 years.

What do people from Guam call themselves?

Guam's citizens are known as Chamorro The Chamorro is the collective name given to the people who live in Guam and people who live on some of the other islands of Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean. Their traditions are more Spanish than American as Spain controlled the islands for more than 300 years until 1898.

How do you say woman in Chamorro?

Chamorrita | Chamorro DictionaryentryChamorritapronunciationtsah-mow-ree-tahmeaningnoun. A young Chamorro female, a young Chamorro woman.3 more rows

Why do Chamorro have Spanish last names?

Traditionally, CHamorus didn't have surnames. Each person was known by a first name and was probably referred to also according to his clan name. When the Spanish missionaries baptized someone, he or she was christened with a name of a saint. Whatever that person's first name was became his surname.

Do people in Guam speak Spanish?

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.

What did the Spanish do to the Chamorros?

During the Spanish Colonial Era, the Chamorro people were greatly impacted by new rule. Foreign disease and male killings brought down the Chamorro population dramatically. Around 100,000 Chamorros inhabited the islands before the Spanish came in 1667, reducing the population to fewer than 10,000 by 1800.

Is Chamorro a dying language?

In Guam, the language has become endangered as the younger generation prefers to speak English, but in the Northern Mariana the language is still widely spoken.

Where did the Chamorro come from?

Chamorro, indigenous people of Guam. The ancestors of the Chamorro are thought to have come to the Mariana Islands from insular Southeast Asia ( Indonesia and the Philippines) about 1600 bce.

How many Chamorro descendents were there in the 20th century?

By the late 20th century there were about 50,600 Chamorro descendents on Guam whose ethnic background included a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino (based on Tagalog ), and other strains.

Is the Chamorro language still used?

The Chamorro language is still used in many homes on Guam, though English is the island’s official language. The Chamorro are predominately Roman Catholic. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt, Manager, Geography and History. History at your fingertips.

Where is the Chamorro language spoken?

The Chamorro language (chuh-MORE-row) (Finuʼ Chamoru in Chamorro) is a language spoken in Guam and the Mariana Islands. It has a lot of loanwords from the Spanish language. It is spoken by about 58,000 people.

When was the Chamorro language first edited?

The Chamorro language has its own wikipedia. The first edit was made there in 2004. I

Is the Chamorro language in Guam?

In 1922, the US government banned the Chamorro language. Now, most Chamorro in Guam speak English. However, some people are teaching Chamorro classes so that others can learn the language.

Where is Chamorro spoken?

Chamorro (Finu' Chamoru / Fino' CHamoru) Chamorro is Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by about 64,000 people mainly in Guam, and also in the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) and the USA. In 2015 there were about 30,300 of Chamorro in Guam, where it is a statutory national language.

When was Chamorro written?

Written Chamorro. 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. There are currently two main orthographies for Chamorro: one in Guam and one in the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI).

Is Chamorro a Creole?

Chamorro contains many words of Spanish origin and this has lead some to mistakenly believe that it is a Spanish-based Creole.

Is English the everyday language in Guam?

As a result, English became the everyday language. Over time, restrictions on teaching Chamorro language and culture in Guam schools were gradually lifted, especially since 2013, and there are now some schools that teach in Chamorro. There are also some TV shows in Chamorro, as well as online videos, apps and other material in the language.

Is Chamorro still spoken?

In the Northern Mariana Islands, Chamorro is still widely spoken and used as an everyday language. The NMI dialect of Chamorro is considered archaic by people from Guam, while the Guam dialect of Chamorro is considered "broken Chamorro" by people from the NMI.

Where are Chamorro's closest relatives?

Chamorro's nearest linguistic relatives are found in the Philippines.

What language do people speak in Guam?

Chamorro is the native language used in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro is also used in mainland United States by immigrants and some of their descendants.

Is Chamorro a Spanish word?

Chamorro has a large Spanish vocabulary (approx 70% of word roots), but contrary to the popular view it is not a Spanish Creole: Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way. There are approximately 50,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas chain of islands, the majority of them concentrated on Guam.

Does Chamorro have a translator?

Whether your Chamorro translation need is small or large, Translation Services USA is always there to assist you with your translation needs. Our Chamorro translation team has many experienced document translators who specialize in translating many different types of documents including birth and death certificates, marriage certificates and divorce decrees, diplomas and transcripts, and any other Chamorro document you may need translated.

Written Chamorro

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Malayo-Polynesian Languages