Editor’s note:Utugrafihan CHamoru, Guåhan (Guam CHamoru Orthography)” is adapted and epublished with permission from the Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru yan i Fina’nå’guen i Historia yan i Lina’la’ i Tåotao Tåno’ (Commission on CHamoru Language and the Teaching of the History & Culture of the Indigenous People of Guam).

With the enactment of PL 33-236 re-establishing I Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru yan i Fina’nå’guen i Historia yan i Lina’la’ i Tåotao Tåno’ (Kumisión) came the responsibility to refine a standard way of linking the atfabeton CHamoru to the sounds of our indigenous language. We adopted some changes to the 1983 CHamoru orthography and hereby present this booklet so that we may embark on the Kumisión’s vision and planned goals and objectives.

An orthography is simply the establishment of the norms of spelling, emphasis, capitalization, punctuation, pre- and infixes, and other rules for writing language. We also know that there are always more sounds than letters and that no alphabet fits its language exactly. We can see this in the dialectal differences of spoken CHamoru. While spoken language varies from place to place and from time to time, written language will always be less flexible than its spoken parent. Written language has a different function and is produced mechanically. It must serve everyone who speaks the language, and it does this by keeping the spelling similar from one time to another. By this adopted Orthography, the Kumisión members made great efforts to provide a more standardized approach to writing CHamoru. The Kumisión acknowledges dialectical, generational, island specific and personal preferences.

In careful consideration of our movement forward, we agreed that our own orthographic rules and use of the Atfabeton CHamoru must also conform to the broader norms of language systems in society, e.g. the adherence to the rule on endonyms. Other considerations of language that must be explored in the standardization and the advancement of CHamoru includes, for example, studying the desired relationship that CHamoru, a non-English language, will have with English.

Agreeing on a shared way to use our Atfabeton CHamoru in writing is necessary in building proficiency and therefore, building stability into CHamoru as the mother tongue of our people of the Mariana Islands. The consistency that we sought was to be able to represent all and only the distinctive sound contrasts with the fewest possible symbols and conventions including an attempt at preserving historical information, highlighting cultural affiliations and supporting dialectal or regional variation. This booklet provides guidance in order that we do just that – communicate in a more standard way in CHamoru. We hope that you will cherish this booklet and employ the rules consistently and frequently.

By Hope A. Cristobal

Rule 1: Símbolon Atfabetu Siha

Alphabetic Symbols

A. The following list of consonant and vowel symbols will be used in CHamoru spelling. They are given here in alphabetical order. Example words are given to illustrate the phonetic value of each of the spelling symbols.

LettersExample WordEnglish Meaning
‘ (glota)håga’blood
ababato open
åbåbabad
bbabuipig
chchålanroad
ddåggaoto throw
eékungokto listen
ffugo’to squeeze
gga’chongfriend
hhåtsato lift
ihitawe (inclusive – dual or plural)
kkadaeach
llitråtupicture
mmalago’to want
nnånamother
ññåmumosquito
ngnginge’to sniff
ooppeto answer
ppåchotmouth
rråmasbranch
ssåddokriver
ttåya’nothing
uuchan / kuentosrain / to talk
yyanand

B. The following are symbols used in written CHamoru:

  1. titda (tilde, the squiggly line ñ that appears above the letter n)
  2. lonnat (dotted å; the dot that appears above the letter a)
  3. a’gang na sunidu (acute/loud accent stress ǻ, á, é, í, ó, ú)
  4. dollan (hyphen [-] or clitic)

C. The letters c, j, q, v, w, x, z, ll, rr, will be used in the spelling of proper names only. These letters are not in the CHamoru alphabet.

For example:

LettersProper Names
CCarmenCalifornia
JJoseSan Jose
QQuichochoQuebec
VVicenteVenice
WWilfredWashington
llQuintanillaMagallanes
rrTerryTarrytown

D. The glottal stop [ ‘ ] is a consonant in the alphabet. It is never used at the beginning of a word. It is usually found within or at the end of the word after a vowel.

For example:

gua’guato gagnå’na’to hideba’ba’to pat gently on back side
guagua’basketnå’annamebå’ba’undeveloped seed
guaguanexpensivenånamotherbabato open
båbaspoiled

Rule 2. Buebuet

Diphthong

A. A diphthong is two vowels that come together to make one sound in a single syllable. The most common diphthongs are as follows:

CHamoru buebuet

aotaotaoperson
paopaofragrant
aitaitairead
lålaichant
oihagoipond or lake

Borrowed buebuet

iobakasnvacationiaestoriastory
iesietteseveniupresiuprice

B. All the vowel combinations listed below are considered diphthongs, unless the two vowels are separated into different syllables. This separation can be made by a glottal stop, distinctly heard between the two vowels.

For example:

Letter CombinationDiphthongsNot Diphthongs
iesietteli’e’
ioadiosfi’on
iaestoriaTini’an
aigaigeMa’ina
aomåpaofå’om
iupresiudi’u
oihagoito’i

A sure test of a diphthong is when both vowels reduplicate.

For example:

Letter CombinationDiphthongs
iessiente
iobumakasiosion
iaumestorriayi
iupresiusiuyi

C. The letter h shall be used to separate vowels in spelling of non- diphthong combinations of i + o, i + e, i + a, and i + u,

For example:

i + oesgaihonnot esgaioni + abihanot bia
hihotnot hiottihanot tia
i + elihengnot liengdihanot dia
siheknot sieki + ufihunot fiu

Rule 3: Simbolon Konsonånte gi i Finakpo’ na Pusisión i Silåba

Consonant Symbols in the Final Position of Syllables

A. The following consonants are never used at the end of a word:

b ch d g h l ñ r y

In other words, CHamoru words do not end with these letters.

For example:

maolekNOT maoleg/maulegtugapNOT tugab
idǻtNOT edǻd/idǻdtommoNOT tommoh
gåpgapNOT gåbgab

B. The consonants b, d, g, and l may appear as the last letter of a syllable (except in the final syllable) only when the consonant is geminate (refer to Rule 11 for definition).

For example:

yab•baoto chop something downl•lato pull
hab•bonsoapl•leto sweep
god•deto tiemeg•gaimany
sod•da’to findcheg•gaicowrie shells

Rule 4. Propiu Nå’an Siha

Proper Names

A. The Names of Persons will retain their spelling.

B. Clan / Family Names (cultural or ‘also known as” names) should be spelled using orthographic rules herein.

C. Proper Names will not conform to Rule 7 (Spelling of Borrowed Words) and Rule 8 (Consonant Alternation).

D. Place Names that are of indigenous origin will be written using the orthographic rules herein. For example:

Guam Village Names

HagåtñaHagatnaMa’inaMainaSinahånñaSinajana
TutuhanAgana HeightsMaite’MaiteTalo’fo’fo’Talofofo
HågatAgatMangilaoMangilaoTamunengTamuning
AssanAsanMalesso’MerizoTo’toToto
BarigådaBarrigadaMongmongMongmongTomhomTumon
CHålan Pågu Chalan PagoOtdotOrdotHumåtakUmatac
DédiduDededoPitiPitiYiguYigo
InalåhanInarajanSånta RitaSanta RitaYo’ñaYona

Tåno’ Låguas yan Gåni (Islas Marianas)

GuåhanGuamNo’osFarallon de MedinillaPåganPagan
LutaRotaAnatåhanAnatahanAkliganAgrihan
AguiguanAguiguanSaliganSariguanAs SongsongAsuncion
Tini’anTinianGuguanGuguanMå’okMaug (Maug Islands)
Sa’ipanSaipanAlamåganAlamaganUlåkasFarallon de Pajaros

E. Places with no known CHamoru names will retain their spelling.

For example:

Banzai Cliff
Paseo de Susanna
Plaza de España
Jonestown

Kaiser
Marbo Cave
Agafa Gumas

NOTE: In its role as the official Guam Place Names Commission, the Kumisión is responsible for approving new place names and reviewing established placed names.

F. Months, Days, and Numerals shall conform to CHamoru spelling rules. Days of the week, months of the year, years, decades, and centuries as follows:

Traditional Lunar Months

Tumaiguini
Maimo’
Umatålaf
Lumuhu
Makmamao
Manånaf
Semu
Tenhos
Lumåmlam
Fangguålo’
Sumongsong
Umayanggan
Umagåhaf

Contemporary Months

Ineru
Fibreru
Måtso
Abrit
Måyu
Hunio
Hulio
Agosto
Septiembre
Oktubri
Nubiembre
Disiembre

Days of the Week

Damenggo
Lunes
Måttes
Métkoles
Huebes
Betnes
Såbalu

Years will be written as followsDos Mit Bente for 2020
Decades will be written as followsMit Disinuebi Sisentai Tåntos for the 1960s
Centuries will be written as followsSiklon Disisiette for the 1700s
Siklon Disinuebi for the 1900s

G. The word CHamoru is spelled as CH-a-m-o-r-u in accordance with the Guam Orthography as specified in 5 Guam Code Annotated, Chapter 88.

Rule 5. Ma Kapitalisa

Capitalization

A. Proper Names of people, places, animals, things, institutions and organizations, titles, days of the week, months of the year and the beginning of sentences will be capitalized.

For example:

PeopleCarmen, JoseOrganizationsKonsilión Mahót Guåhan Siha, Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru
PlacesHagåtña, Malesso’TitlesSiñot Teria, Siñora Flores, Maga’låhi Roberto, Maga’håga Esperansa
AnimalsSpot, Bunita, TigerDaysDamenggo, Sǻbalu
ThingsPuntan Dos Amåntes, Insular GuardMonthsHunio, Disembre
InstitutionsUnibetsedǻt Guåhan, Kulehon Kumunidǻt GuåhanBeginning of sentencesMaolek este na fina’che’cho’!

B. The Affixed Forms of Proper Names beginning with consonants shall be capitalized.

For example:

-um- + Taitano = Tumaitano
-in- + Taitano+ Tinaitano

-um- + To’to = Tumo’to
-in- + To’to = Tine’to

C. The Affixed Forms of Proper Nouns Beginning with Vowels will have both the affix and the name capitalized.

For example:

-um- + Afaisen = UmAfaisen
-in- + Afaisen = InAfaisen

-um- + Assan = UmAssan
-in- + Assan = InAssan

D. When the Plural Subject Marker (PSM) man– is affixed to a proper name, the M- will also be capitalized.

For example:

man- + Juan = ManJuan
man- + Rosario = ManRosario

man- + Dueñas = ManDueñas
man- + Babauta = ManBabauta

E. The conventional practice of Capitalizing Pronouns or Nouns Relating to the Divine itself will be followed.

For example:

Yu’osGod
SainaGod
Gui’ / GuiyaHe (referring to the Divine)

F. The Letters CH and NG are considered one character and will be capitalized in proper nouns and at the beginning of sentences.

For example:

CHamoru
CHargualaf
CHamoru yu’
CHocho fan!

Familian NGånga’
NGångas i na’-mu
NGinge’ si Nåna.
NGai’an i mafañagu-mu?

Rule 6. A’gang na Buet

Stressed Vowels

A. The vowel sound of the stressed syllable is emphasized by being pronounced longer, louder, and often at a higher pitch than the surrounding syllables.

In the stressed syllable (the loudest syllable in the word), the stressed vowel will be represented by the distinct vowel sound that you hear. Stressed vowels can be in both closed (a syllable that ends in a consonant) and opened (a syllable that ends in a vowel) syllables.

Vowel Positioning Chart

Vowels are labelled according to the positioning of the tongue when pronouncing the vowels. High vowels are when your tongue is towards the roof of your mouth. Low vowels are when your tongue is low in your mouth. Mid vowels are when your tongue is midway between the two.

Front vowels are when your tongue is toward the front of your mouth whereas back vowels are when your tongue is towards the back of your mouth.

Front VowelsBack Vowels
High VowelsIiUu
Mid VowelsEeOo
Low VowelsAaÅå

Note: Vowel positioning becomes important in later rules.

Examples of opened syllable words:

tu•but(u)bu- high vowel utubeti•sut(i)su- high vowel istiff
bo•tib(o)ti- mid vowel oboatpa•se•hupas(e)hu- mid vowel eto stroll leisurely
le•chel(e)che- mid vowel emilksa•bå•nasab(å)na- low vowel åmountain

Examples of closed syllable words:

yu’y(u)’- high vowel uI, mepåt•map(å)tma- low vowel å(hand) palm
ta’•lot(a)’lo- low vowel aagainma•tak•ngamat(a)knga- low vowel abrave
hot•noh(o)tno- mid vowel oovenhi•nas•sohin(a)sso- low vowel aa thought

B. The General Stress Rule of CHamoru is called the Penultimate Stress Rule (PSR). The primary stress is predictable for most CHamoru words. It usually falls on the next to the last syllable.

For example:

to’•å•yatowelta•yu•yu•tito pray fordog•gafootwear
cho•choto eatli•så•yurosaryma•måh•laoembarrassed
tu•honghata•sa•guaspousefi•na’•pospast event
ga’•lå•gudogku•må•ticriedku•se•chaharvest

C. There are exceptions to the Penultimate Stress Rule in CHamoru. When a CHamoru or CHamorurized word does not adhere to the PSR then the stressed vowel, that is the loudest syllable, is made visible by marking the stressed vowel with the acute stress marker [ ́ ], above the loudest vowel (á, ǻ, é, í, ó, ú) in that syllable.

For example:

a•sútbluehat•díngardensu•mé•se•naeating dinner
bǻt•sa•lato pulltá•tai•taito be readingá•sa•guato wed, to marry
é•kung•oklistenlǻ•la’•la’still alive, living

Rule 7. Dinilitrehan Inayao na Palåbra Siha

Spelling of Borrowed Words

A. English, Spanish and Japanese words which have been assimilated into CHamoru will be spelled according to the general rules for CHamoru spelling. The spelling will reflect the changes in pronunciation.

For example:

SpanishCHamoruEnglishJapaneseCHamoruEnglish
lavadorlabadótsinkzoriyore’flipflops
verdebetdegreendaikondaigo’pickled radish
palomapalumadovekairokairo’toad
caballokabåyuhorsebentobento’meal tray
nuevenuebininechirigamichirigame’toilet tissue
asulasútblue
AbrilAbrítApril
ViernesBetnesFriday
EnglishCHamoruEnglishCHamoruEnglishCHamoru
ice creamais krimemailimeltechnologyteknolohía
cakekekcheckchekmoviemubi
chaserchesawebsitehuebsaittelephonetilifón

B. Some technical borrowed English words can retain their English spelling in which case they should be paced in ‘single quotation marks’ when in print.

For example: ‘x-ray’, ‘computer’, ‘badge‘, ‘cellphone’, ‘WhatsApp’

C. When CHamoru affixes are used with CHamorurized English words, then it will be spelled according to CHamoru orthographic rules.

For example:

pumiknekpicnickedbumakasiónvacationedfumesbokon Facebook
maneksplenexplainedfanmitengmeetinggumugolon Google
shumåpengshoppingyumomZooming

Rule 8. Ma Tulaikan i Konsonånte

Consonant Alternation

Consonant Alternation occurs when specific prefixes like man- and fan- are added to the beginning of a root word. The first consonant of the root word may change and/or be deleted.

A. There are two man- prefixes in CHamoru – (1) the Plural Subject Marker (PSM) referring to 3 or more subjects or actors, and (2) the Indefinite Object Marker (IOM) where the object is not specific (lepblo vs. i lepblo).

A transitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object. An intransitive verb is a verb that does not require and often cannot take a direct object. When the man- prefix is attached to the root word, a transitive verb may change to an intransitive verb.

For example:

man- as PSM: man- + bokaMamboka i babui siha.
The pigs (3 or more) ate.
Bumoka i babui
The pig ate.
man- as PSM: man- + misaManmisa i mañaina (siha).
The elders (3 or more) attended mass.
Mumisa i saina.
The elder attended mass.
man- as IOM: man- + fåhanMamåhan si Jose guihan.
Jose bought fish.
Ha fåhan si Jose i guihan.
Jose bought the fish.
man- as IOM: man- + chule’Mañule’ i påtgon fina’mames.
The child picked up dessert.
I påtgon, chumule’ i fina’mames.
The child picked up the dessert.

B. When consonants change due to affixation, the spelling will be changed accordingly. Some consonants are dropped and/or become different consonants. Most of the changes in consonants are caused by the affixation of the prefix man-.

For example:

man- + po’lo =mamo’loto putman- + kåti =mangåtito cry
man- + puti =mamutito hurtman- + såga =mañågato stay
man- + tunu =manunuto barbequeman- + chålek =mañålekto laugh
man- + tanña’ =mananña’to taste

In the Luta dialect of CHamoru, the consonant sounds do not change when affixed. For example, it is usually mansåga instead of mañåga. These are personal or dialectal preferences. ManCHamoru instead of Mañamoru is another common example.

Exception: There are poly-syllabic words in which the initial consonant of the root word is not altered. Some exceptions are found with words beginning with b or p where man- is clearly heard and written as mam-. These exceptions are usually found amongst borrowed words.

For example:

man- + bendisi =manbendisiman- + bubula =mambúbula*
man- + bunita =manbunitaman- + babaila =mambábaila*
man- + pachakåti =manpachakåtiman- + bibiha =mambíbiha*
man- + pagamento =manpagamentoman- + piniti =mampiniti*
man- + piligru =manpiligru
*In these examples, the man- is written as mam- when it is clearly distinguished in pronunciation.

C. The first person singular possessive pronoun is written as –hu except for some borrowed words that use –ku instead. Possessive pronouns are attached to the root word using the dollan (hyphen) symbol. The sounds –hu and –ku are clearly audible. With some consonants, the h in –hu is swallowed and becomes inaudible so you may hear an elongated consonant at the end of the word. This occurs with words ending in the consonants k, s, or t.

For example:

  • It is written as -hu when it follows a word ending with -t, as in pachot-hu (my mouth) even though you may hear pachot-tu.
  • It is written as -hu when it follows a word ending with -s, as in lassas-hu (my skin) even though you may hear lassas-su.
  • It is written as -hu when it follows a word ending in -k as in kalaguåk-hu (my side)even though you may hear kalaguåk-ku.
  • It is written as -ku when it follows a word that ends with a vowel preceded by two consonants as in lep•blo. By adding the –ku, the stressed syllable shifts to the penultimate syllable in the affixed word, as in lep•blo-ku (my book).

Rule 9. Inimentan Konsonånte para Linakse’

Excrescent [Added] Consonants

Excrescent consonants are added before an affix for ease in pronunciation. When written, these consonants are added.

For example:

  • n: lepblo + n + -måmi = lepblon-måmi (our book) NOT lepblo-måmi
  • n: neni + n + -ñiha = nenen-ñiha (their baby) NOT neni-ñiha
  • n: såga + n + ñaihon = såganñaihon (stay a while) NOT sågañaihon
  • n: chocho + n + ñaihon = chochonñaihon (eat a while) NOT chochoñaihon
  • ‘: å + + ågang = ǻagang (to be calling someone – contingent upon another action) NOT åagang because the two consecutive vowels are not a dipthong.
  • ‘: é + + éguihan = éeguihan (to be fishing) NOT éeguihan because the two consecutive vowels are not a dipthong.
  • g: hånao – håna(o) + g + u [we] + i = hanågui (to go on someone’s behalf) NOT hanaogui because if a word ends in the diphthong ao then the variation of –i which in this case is –gui is what will be added. Also, the o is deleted in hånao to make it sound better.
  • g: saonao – saona(o) + g + u [we] + i = saonågui (to proxy for someone) NOT saonaogui because if a word ends in the diphthong ao then the variation of –i which in this case is –gui is what will be added. Also, the o is deleted in saonao to make it sound better.

Note: If the word ends in the diphthong ai or ends in a vowel then the variation –yi is used. For example, dibi/apåsi when affixed with –i which in this case is –yi is what will be added. The new word will be dibiyi/apasiyi. In all other instances, then the suffix –i will be used. For example, li’of when affixed with –i will be written at li’ofi. Tuge’ when affixed with –i will be written as tuge’i.

Rule 10. Ti Nisisåriu na Konsonånte Siha

Superfluous [Unnecessary] Consonants

When the consonant t is heard before ch, but is not part of the syllable, then it should not be written. When the consonant t is an integral part of the syllable, then it should be written.

For example:

Not part of the syllable:

le•cheNOT letchemilkpe•choNOT petchochest
ku•se•chaNOT kusetchaharvestpa•chaNOT patchato touch
es•ka•be•cheNOT eskabetchefried fish with vegetablesga•cha’NOT gatcha’caught in the act
gang•go•cheNOT ganggotchegunny sack

Part of the syllable:

tot•cheNOT tochedip into liquid, to extendt•chaNOT måchato march
bat•che•go’NOT bachego’slanted eyest•cheNOT påcheto patch
kot•chonNOT kochonmattress; cushion

Rule 11. Dinga’ Konsonånte yan i -h gi i Finakpo’ i Silåba

Geminate [Twin] Consonants and Final –h in a Syllable

A. Geminate or twin consonants are often heard as a single sound, but both consonants should be written because they are part of different syllables. The pronunciation of geminate or twin consonants may vary among speakers of CHamoru but should be spelled out as two consonants.

For example:

tom•mokneechad•dekfastl•lato pull
meg•gaimanygop•peto jump overk•konliar
t•tocomelem•maibreadfruitsod•da’to find
gol•laivegetableg•guaparrot fishp•petpaper
k•kotto knockkuåt•toroom

B. The Final –h in a syllable may not be heard but will be spelled out because it is part of the syllable.

For example:

moh•moto chewNOT mo•moma•måh•laobashfulNOT ma•må•lao
sah•ngeseparateNOT sa•ngetoh•geto standNOT to•ge

Rule 12. Ti A’gang na Buet gi i Mababa na Silåba

Unstressed Vowels in Open Syllables

This rule applies to unstressed vowels in open syllables in the B, KB, KBKB, and KBKKB (V, CV, CVCV, and CVCCV) constructions.

Vowel Positioning Chart (see Rule 6 for definitions)

Front VowelsBack Vowels
High VowelsIiUu
Mid VowelsEeOo
Low VowelsAaÅå

A. The high front vowel i and high back vowel u will be used to represent unstressed vowels in open syllables.

For example:

lå•himaleNOT lå•hetu•pusugarcaneNOT tu•po
pu•tipainNOT pu•tetå•sioceanNOT tå•se
lå•gunorthNOT lå•go

Examples with polysyllabic words:

ni•si•si•tanecessaryNOT ne•se•si•ta
tu•tu•honstartNOT to•tu•hon
ma•lå•ngusickNOT ma•lå•ngo
u•má•chu•le’to resembleNOT o•má•cho•le’
mu•bi•men•tomovementNOT mo•be•men•to
ri•sis•teresistNOT re•sis•te
mu•chå•chumale workerNOT mo•chå•cho

Exception: This rule does not apply in polysyllabic words (usually borrowed words) when the preceding unstressed vowels are o or e. In KKB/CCV construction, the vowel in the following syllable will be either o or e.

For example:

tri’•ǻng•go•lo*triangleNOT tri’•ǻng•gu•luprók•se•moapproximateNOT prók•si•mu
dǻng•ko•lo*bigNOT dǻng•ku•lusép•te•moseventhNOT sép•ti•mu

*In the case of tri’ǻnggolo and dǻngkolo, the first o results from the preceding consonant cluster ng+g and ng+k. The second o is harmonized with the first; this is known as vowel harmony.

B. The use of mid vowels in unstressed open syllables

The unstressed vowels in open syllables following a cluster of two consonants will be represented by front mid vowel e or back mid vowel o (instead of i or u).

For example:

tåt•teback, behindNOT tåttiho’•yeagreeNOT ho’yi
lis•toreadyNOT listutom•mokneeNOT tommu

For example:

T å t t e
C V C C V

Although you hear tåtti in a CVCCV construction you will use front mid vowel e.

The sounds represented by some of the vowels above may appear to be incorrect (i.e., tåtte instead of tatti). For CHamoru speakers, one way to see if the correct vowel is being used is to apply the singular possessive test, adding –hu or -ku, -mu, -ña, or –ta to the word.

C. The front low vowel a instead of the back low vowel å will be used in unstressed open syllables in both the CVCV and CVCCV constructions.

For example:

må•tafacechå’•karat
hål•lato pullkon•traagainst

D. The following consonant blends or combination of letters (digraphs) will be considered as one consonant for spelling purposes.

For example:

brprplbl
brong•kopren•saplu•mablång•ko
bro•haspre•baplå•tutåp•bla
bru•hapru•grå•maplån•tami•si•råp•ble
fltrfrkl
a•fli•tutro•sufres•kochang•kle•tas
flo•restrång•kafru•takla•si•fi•ka
fle•chatrong•kofri•tå•dames•kláo

Rule 13. Ti A’gang na Buet gi i Machom na Silåba

Unstressed Vowels in Closed Syllables

The mid vowels e and o and the low front vowel a will be used to represent the unstressed vowels in closed syllables, i.e., syllables which end with a consonant.

For example:

hu•yongto go outNOT huyunghak•mangsea eelNOT håkmang
hå•lomto go inNOT hålumtu•ganto pick / take outNOT tugån
lå•pespencilNOT låpista•pontype of clamNOT tåpon
li’•eto seeNOT li’i’GuåhanGuamNOT Guahån

Rule 14. Iná’achilong na Buet

Vowel Harmony

Vowel Harmony means that vowels in words may change to become more like their preceding vowels. Vowels in CHamoru words must, under certain conditions, agree with each other in terms of whether they are front or back vowels, and whether they are high, mid, or low.

Vowel Positioning Chart (see Rule 6 for definitions)

Front VowelsBack Vowels
High VowelsIiUu
Mid VowelsEeOo
Low VowelsAaÅå

A. Vowel Fronting

Vowel fronting is the change that occurs when a back vowel is drawn forward to become a front vowel. When specific particles (i, ni’, gi, in [pronoun], en, -in- [infix], sin, mi) are placed in front of a word, if the proceeding vowel is a back vowel it becomes a front vowel. When the pronunciation of a vowel is changed due to vowel fronting, this change will be reflected in the spelling.

For example:

i + foggon =i feggonthe stove (back vowel o becomes front vowel e)
i + potta =i pettathe door (back vowel o becomes front vowel e)
gi + i + guma’ =gi i gima’at the house (back vowel u becomes front vowel i)
ni’ + suni =ni’ sinithe taro (back vowel u becomes front vowel i)
-in- + ågang =inagangwas called (back vowel å becomes front vowel a)
i + låhi =i lahithe boy (back vowel å becomes front vowel a)

Some borrowed words are not fully fronted and may be written without fronting.

With borrowed numbers, the vowel fronting rule does not apply.

For example:

dos remains i dos not i des
dosse remains i dosse not i desse
ocho remains i ocho not i echo
onse remains i onse not i ense

B. Vowel Raising

Vowel Raising is the change that occurs when certain suffixes (-on, -an,– i, -iyi; see Rule 16C for definitions) are attached to CHamoru words causing one of the two mid vowels, e or o, to be raised to its corresponding high vowel, i or u.

The change caused by vowel raising will change the syllable construction from CVC to CVCV (KBK to KBKB).

For example:

CVCCVCV
tågo’+ on =tågu’onsomeone who is reliable
fan + maigo’+ an =fanmaigu’anplace for sleeping
tuge’+ i =tugi’ito write for someone
chenchule’+ i =chenchuli’ito reciprocate for someone
kuentos+ iyi =kuentusiyito speak for someone

C. Vowel Lowering

Vowel Lowering is the change that occurs when the excrescent consonant n is added to words to show a modifying relationship, the KB/CV structure at the end of the word will cause one of the two high vowels, i or u, to be lowered to its corresponding mid vowel, e or o.

The change caused by vowel lowering and the addition of the excrescent consonant will shift the syllable construction from CVCV to CVCVC (KBKB to KBKBK).

For example:

CVCVCVCVC
suni + n= sunen agaga’red taro
tupu + n= tupon rayǻostriped sugarcane

Rule 15. Difirensiáo na Palåbra Siha

Free Standing Words, Function Words, and Derivational Prefixes

A. Adjectives, verbs, and nouns are words that do not need to be associated or appended to other words. They are considered free standing words.

B. The following function words (articles and particles of speech) will be written as separate words in CHamoru:

Function WordExample PhraseEnglish Meaning
ii palao’anthe woman
ni’ni’ palao’anfrom, which (relational term) woman
sisi Juan(honorific) John
sinsin guinaiyawithout love
asas Juan(specifically) John
nunu håguyou are the one/for you
nadǻngkolo na taotaobig man
ha’Hu tungo’ ha’I already know
fanNangga un råtu fanWait a minute, please
nini håyi guinino one here
upara u hånaoshe/he/it will go
baipara bai hu hånaoI will go
góf/géf*góf malånguvery sick
gós/gés*gós maolekvery good
*Note: The use of góf/géf or gós/gés are dependent on the speaker. The terms are dialectally different but the function is the same.

C. Examples of Derivational Prefixes

1. The word góf- functions as a derivational prefix, where it attaches to the word and changes its meaning.

For example:

góf-
Ha gófli’e’ si Juan i che’lu-ña.

Juan likes/loves his sibling.
[As compared to: Ha gof li’e’ si Juan i litråtu.
Juan saw the picture very clearly. – which is not derivational]

2. The word tai- functions as a derivational prefix, where it attaches to the word and changes its meaning.

For example:

tai-
Taimagagu si Rosa.
Rosa doesn’t have clothes.

Taimamahlao macho’gue-ña i che’cho’.
That’s not the way to do the work.

3. The word gai- functions as a derivational prefix, where it attaches to the word and changes its meaning.

For example:

gai-
Gai‘ase’ nu guåhu.
Have mercy on me.

4. The word sen- functions as a derivational prefix, where it attaches to the word and changes its meaning.

For example:

sen-
Senmannge’ i néngkanno’!
The food is delicious.

D. Use of derivational prefixes sen-, tai-, and gai- and the function word sin with infix -um and prefix man-. The spelling of these function words change when they are infixed with -um- or prefixed with man-. These function words should not be combined with any content words.

sen + -um-= sumén= suméndǻngkolo
tai + -um-= tumái= tumáisalåppe’
gai + -um-= gumái= gumáisalåppe’
man- + sen-= mansén= manséndǻngkolo
man- + tai-= manái= manáisalåppe’
man- + gai-= manggái= manggáisalåppe’
sin + -um-= sumín= sumín magågu
man- + sin= mansín= mansín magågu

Rule 16. Totche Siha

Affixes

An affix is a general term to describe the smallest unit of sounds that have meaning which are then attached to a word (bound morphemes). Affixes do not stand alone as separate words. Derivational affixes will change the meaning of the word it attaches to. There are five types of affixes: (1) prefix, (2) suffix, (3) infix, (4) circumfix, and (5) reduplication.

A. Prefixes

Prefixes are affixes that come before the word. When prefixes are attached, they become part of the word. The following list contains the prefixes of CHamoru:

PrefixMeaning/FunctionExampleMeaning
á-reciprocalárespeta
águaiya
to respect each other
to love each other
achá-similarity, sameness, equallyachálokka’
achábunita
same height
same beauty
án-what remainsánsopbla
ánusa
leftover
what was used
chát-not very/not quite/
negative marker
chátbunita
chátmasa
not very pretty
not well-cooked
é-to look for, to hunt forépanglaoto hunt for crabs
ó-ótendato shop for
fa’-*to pretend, to change to
to cause, to make
fa’guaha
fa’maolek
to pretend to have
to take care, to make good
ga’-to like something very muchga’maigo’likes to sleep
gé-more in that directiongé’papa’further down
gi-person fromgiBarigådafrom Barigåda
há-oftenpoddongprone to falling
hát-more in the direction ofttalommove further in
ká-having, exhibitingma’gashaving some authority
ké-about to, tryhatsaabout to lift
lá-comparativemaolekbetter
ma-passive markermataitaiwas read
man-indirect object markerManåyuyot yu’I prayed
man-plural subject markerManhåspok sihaThey (3 or more) are full
mí-have lots ofsalappe’having lots of money
mina’-ordinal markermina’tresthird
na’-to cause, make, let do somethingna’gåsgasto make clean
ná-adjectivechalekfunny
pinat-majority of/mostlypinatdonne’mostly hot peppers
san-in the direction ofsanme’natoward the front
tai-liketaiguennaolike that
ták-in the direction oftákhelo’way up high
talak-look towards the direction oftalakhiyonglook towards the outside
ya-towards the direction ofyamó’nanaway up front

*Note: The prefix fa’- when attached to words that require the addition of the particle i will be attached to the root word with the use of a dollan (hyphen).

For example:

fa’ + i + macheng= fa-i-machengto act like or pretend to be a monkey

The classifiers na‘, ga’, gimen and iyo will be written as separate words or with a hyphen (dollan) when used with a possessive pronoun.

For example:

na’ ga’lågudog foodgimen nenidrink for baby
na’ babuipig foodgimen gå’ga’drink for an animal
ga’ taotaoanimal belonging to a personiyon nånathing belonging to a mother
ga’ Juananimal belonging to Juaniyon ma’estrathing belonging to a teacher

With possessive pronouns:

na’-humy foodna’-ñahis/her/its food
ga’-muyour animalga’-taour animal, inclusive
gimen-ñahis/her/its drinkgimen-miyuyour drink, exclusive
iyon-ñihatheir thingiyo-kumy thing

B. Infixes

Infixes are affixes that occur within the word. They always immediately occur before the first vowel in the word, but if the word begins with a vowel then the infix will precede that vowel. When infixes are attached, they become part of the word. In CHamoru, there are two infixes -um-, -in-, and -l-.

For example:

-um- + hugåndo= humugåndo-in- + nå’i= nina’i
-um- + huyong= humuyong-in- + magof= minagof
-l- + dingding= dilingding-l- + pångpang= pålangpang

When the word begins with a vowel:

-um- + o’mak= umo’mak-in- + ayuda= inayuda
-um- + ékungok= umékungok-in- + ipe’= inipe’

C. Suffixes

Suffixes are affixes that come after or follow the word. When suffixes are attached, they become part of the word. The following list contains the suffixes of CHamoru:

SuffixMeaning /
Function
ExampleMeaning
-an/-guanattributiveminigu’an / påguanhaving secretion from the eye / smelly
-guanunintentional, covertlypinalakse’guanslip of the tongue
-i/-yi/-guireferential markersangåni / nå’iyi / li’ofguito tell / give / dive for someone
-iyi/-guiyibenefactivesanganiyi / hanåguiyitell / went for or on behalf of someone
-ñacomparativebunitåñaprettier
-ñaihonfor a little whilesåganñaihonstay for a while
-on/-yonabilitative / capable ofguaså’on / guaiyayonsharpener / lovable

D. Circumfixes – Part Prefix, Part Suffix

CHamoru has a discontinuous affix. The prefix fan- is dependent upon the suffix -yan or -an to give a complete meaning of the word. The suffix -yan is used when the word ends with a vowel and the suffix -an is used when a word ends with a consonant.

fan- … -yan or fan- … -an

For example:

fan- + binådu + -yan =fambinaduyanplace of deer
fan- + pika + -yan =famikåyancutting board
fan- + uchan + -an =fanuchånanrainy season
fan- + halom + -an =fanhalumanentrance, gate

E. Reduplication

Reduplication is a special type of affix which results from the repetition of a syllable up to the first true vowel (not a diphthong) in a root word. There are three types of reduplication:

  1. Reduplication of the stressed syllable (alters the penultimate stress):
hu•chom + hu= •hu•chomclosing
bi•ra + bi= •bi•raturning
bu•la + bu= •bu•lafilling
ma’•å’•ñao + å’= ma’•ǻ’•a’•ñaobeing scared
bai•la + ba= •bai•ladancing
kon•ne’ + ko= •kon•ne’taking (live person / animal)
tok•tok + to= •tok•tokhugging
guai•ya + gua= guá•guai•yaloving
é•kung•ok + e= é’•e•kung•oklistening
gé’•he•lo’ + ge= •ge’•he•lo’moving up
eg•ga’ + e + man-= man•é’•egga’watching
op•pe + o + fan-= fan•ó’•op•peanswering

2. Reduplication of the first syllable (nominalizer): The stress will shift to the first a.

fa’nå’gue + fa’= fáfa’nå’gueteacher
fa’tinas + fa’= fáfa’tinascook
fa’ñague + fa’= fáfa’ñagueghost, scary thing

2. Emphasis Reduplication: The final vowel and consonant pair in the final syllable of the word is reduplicated.

bu•la + la= •la•la•la•lavery very full
ya•yas + ya= •ya•ya•yasvery very tired
ñå•lang + la= ñǻ•la•la•langvery very hungry

Rule 17. Klå’an Gai Iyo yan Palåbran Kinalamten Siha

Possessive Pronouns and Compounded Movement Words

The hyphen (dollan) will be used to show the special relationship that possessive pronouns, directional words and others have with the root word to which they are attached.

A. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns are suffixes that are attached to root words to signify ownership. The hyphen (dollan) will also be used to attach possessive pronouns to the root word.

For example:

rilos-humy watchrilos-miyuyour (dual, plural) watch
rilos-muyour watchrilos-ñihatheir (dual, plural) watch
rilos-ñahis / her / its watchmatå-humy face
rilos-taour (inclusive) watchmatan-måmiour face
rilos-måmiour (exclusive) watch

B. Compounded Movement Words

Compounded Movement Words are two words (a verb and a location word) that are attached to each other to describe motion in a direction or to a location. In CHamoru, these compound words describe an action that happens while one is traveling in a given direction. The hyphen (dollan) will be used to attach the verb to the location word. The stressed vowel will shift to the last syllable of the verb when attached to the location word.

For example:

hanǻo-guatuon your way over, go topo’lón-hulo’drop (it) on your way up
hanǻo-huyongon your way out, go outpo’lón-papa’drop (it) on your way down
chulé’-halombring (it) on your way inna’én-guatugive (it) on your way over there
chulé’-magibring (it) on your way over herena’én-magigive (it) on your way over here

Glossary of Terms

affixGeneral term to describe the smallest unit of sounds that have meaning which are then attached to a word (bound morphemes).
closed syllableA syllable that ends with a consonant.
consonant clusterTwo or more consonants that follow each other without an intervening vowel.
dialectThe variety of a language spoken in a specific area or by a certain group of people.
diphthongTwo vowels that come together to make one sound in a single syllable.
excrescent consonantConsonants added to the end of the word before an affix for ease in pronunciation.
function wordA word that has little meaning on its own, but is grammatically significant.
geminate consonantsTwo identical consonants that come together across a syllable boundary. They are often heard as a single sound, but both consonants should be written because they are part of different syllables.
infixAffixes found within the root word. When attached, they become part of the word.
intransitive verbA verb that does not require and often cannot take a direct object.
open syllableA syllable that ends with a vowel.
orthographyA system of spelling in a language.
penultimateThe next to the last; frequently used to refer to syllables. The primary stress in most CHamoru words falls on the penultimate stress.
prefixAffixes that come before the root word. When attached, they become part of the word.
reduplicationA special type of affix which results from the repetition of the stressed vowel in a root word plus the preceding consonant in that syllable if there is one present.
rootA word which cannot be reduced any further. It may take affixes to form other words.
stressThe degree of loudness of a syllable. Sometimes the term “accent” is used to describe stress.
superfluousA consonant that is part of a syllable, but is not always heard.
syllableA unit in the sound system of the language which has a vowel to provide its essence.
suffixAffixes that come after the root word. When attached, they become part of the word.
transitive verbA verb that takes a direct object.
vowel frontingThe change that occurs when a back vowel is drawn forward to become a front vowel. When specific particles (i, ni’, gi, in, en, -in-, sin, mí-) are placed in front of a word, if the first vowel is a back vowel it will then become a front vowel.
vowel harmonyThe process where vowels in words may change to become more like their preceding vowels. Vowels in CHamoru must, under certain conditions, agree with each other in terms of whether they are front or back vowels, and whether they are high, mid, or low vowels.
vowel loweringThe change that occurs when the excrescent consonant n is added to words that have the CV structure at the end causing one of the two high vowels, i or u, to be lowered to its corresponding mid vowel, e or o.
vowel raisingThe change that occurs when certain suffixes are attached to CHamoru words causing one of the two mid vowels, e or o, to be raised to its corresponding high vowel, i or u.