Guna
DulegayaGuna (also written Kuna) is spoken by the Guna people of the Guna Yala archipelago — a chain of small islands off the Caribbean coast of Panamá — and in communities in Colombia. The Guna have maintained a high degree of political and cultural autonomy, and the language is relatively vigorous compared to many indigenous languages in the region. It is used in daily life, governance, and ceremony.
At a Glance
- Speakers
- Approximately 70,000 speakers
- Language family
- Chibchan — Guaymian
- Writing system
- Latin script
- ISO 639-3 code
- cuk
- Countries
- Panama, Colombia
Key Facts
- 1
The Guna Yala comarca (formerly San Blas) is a self-governing indigenous territory with its own traditional political structure.
- 2
Guna is one of the more vital indigenous languages in Panamá, with active use across generations in many island communities.
- 3
The Guna are known for mola — intricate reverse-appliqué textile art — which often depicts animals and cosmological themes.
- 4
Guna has a rich tradition of chanted oral literature performed by community leaders called sahilas.
Numbers Quiz: 0–100
Learn to count in Guna. You'll be shown a number and asked to identify the correct word — or vice versa.
Start Quiz →