Awakatek language
Mayan language of Guatemala
Awakatek (also known as Aguateco, Awaketec, Coyotin, and Balamiha, and natively as Qa'yol) is a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala, primarily in Huehuetenango and around Aguacatán. The language has fewer than 10,000 speakers, and is considered vulnerable by UNESCO. In addition, the language in Mexico is at high risk of endangerment, with fewer than 2,000 speakers in the state of Campeche in 2010 (although the number of speakers was unknown as of 2000).
Awakatek is closely related to Ixil and the two languages together form the sub-branch Ixilean, which together with the Mamean languages, Mam and Tektitek, form a sub-branch Greater-Mamean, which again, together with the Greater-Quichean languages, ten Mayan languages, including Kʼicheʼ, form the branch Quichean-Mamean.
Otto Stoll wrote of a second Aguacatec language separate from the subject of this article which appears to be spurious, possibly misinformed by his maid.
01Chalchitek
| Chalchitek | |
|---|---|
| Chalchitec | |
| Native to | Guatemala |
| Region | Huehuetenango |
| Language family | Mayan
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | None |
| ELP | Awakateko |
Chalchitek (or Chalchitec) is sometimes considered a dialect of Awakatek. In recent years, however, it has been recognized as a distinct language by the Guatemalan government. Chalchitek is primarily spoken in the Chalchitán neighborhood of Aguacatán.
02Etymology
The Awakatek people themselves refer to their language as qaʼyol, literally meaning 'our word'. They also call themselves qatanum, which means 'our people' and is distinct from the word Awakatec, which is used in Spanish in reference to the municipality of Aguacatán (which means 'place of abundant avocados' and refers to agricultural production and not specifically to the indigenous people).
03Phonology
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| short | long | short | long | short | long | |
| Close | i /i/ | ii /iː/ | u /u/ | uu /uː/ | ||
| Mid | e /e/ | ee /eː/ | o /o/ | oo /oː/ | ||
| Open | a /a/ | aa /aː/ | ||||
Diphthongs
There are four diphthongs: ay /aj/, ey /ej/, oy /oj/, uy /uj/.
Consonants
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Palatalized | ||||||||||
| Plosive | Normal | p /p/ | t /t/ | k /k/ | ky /kʲ/ | q /q/ | ' /ʔ/ | ||||
| Ejective | tʼ /tʼ/ | kʼ /kʼ/ | kyʼ/kʼʲ/ | qʼ /qʼ/ | |||||||
| Implosive | bʼ /ɓ/ | ||||||||||
| Nasal | m /m/ | n /n/ | |||||||||
| Fricative | s /s/ | xh /ʃ/ | x /ʂ/ | j /h/ | |||||||
| Affricate | Normal | tz /t͡s/ | ch /t͡ʃ/ | tx /ʈ͡ʂ/ | |||||||
| Ejective | tzʼ /t͡sʼ/ | chʼ /t͡ʃʼ/ | txʼ /ʈ͡ʂʼ/ | ||||||||
| Trill | r /r/ | ||||||||||
| Approximant | l /l/ | y /j/ | w /w/ | ||||||||
The coronal ejectives may be allophonically pre-voiced.
04Vocabulary
| English | Aguacateco |
|---|---|
| One | Juun |
| Two | Kob' |
| Three | Ox |
| Four | Kyaaj |
| Five | O' |
| Six | Qaq |
| Seven | Juug |
| Eight | Wajwax |
| Nine | B'eluj |
| Ten | Lajuj |
| Man | Yaaj |
| Woman | Xna'n |
| Dog | Tx'i' |
| Sun | Q'eej |
| Moon | Xaaw |
| Water | A' |
| Mother | Ntxuu' |
| Father | Ntaaj |
| House | Ka'l |
| Black | Q'eq |
| White | Saq |
| Corn | Ixi'n |
| Fish | Kay |
| Dog | Xhwiit |
| Deer | Cheej |
| Jaguar | B'alam |
| Monkey | Aq' |
| Rabbit | Umul |
| Mouse | Ichi |
| Bird | Ch'ut |
| Fish | Kay |
| Snake | Lupa |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Awakatek language”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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