Language+Origins+and+Development

=[|Mayan Language]=

Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. There are 21 languages formally recognized, and eight more recognized in Mexico. All Mayan languages descend from Proto-Mayan, which is thought to have been spoken at least 5,000 years ago. All the languages use relational nouns instead of prepositions and use ergativity in the grammatical treatment of verbs and their subjects and objects.

[|Languages]

 * Cholan Languages
 * Ch’ol: There are two Ch'ol languages, Tila and Tumbala. They are Mayan languages spoken by a combined 120,000 people in Chiapas, Mexico.
 * Chontal de Tabasco: not to be confused with the Hokan language Chonatal of Oaxaca, to which it bears no similarity other than a similar name bestowed upon both by the Aztecs (//chontalli//just means "foreigner" in the Nahuatl language.) Tabasco Chontal is spoken by more than 50,000 people in Mexico today.
 * Chorti: spoken by about 30,000 people in Guatemala and Honduras. It has VOS word order.
 * Cholti: is an extinct language once spoken in Guatemala.
 * Huastecan Languages
 * Chicomuceltec: is an extinct language once spoken in Mexico and Guatemala. It had VOS word order. Its closest living relative is Huastec.
 * Huasteco: spoken by around 120,000 people in Mexico. There are three main varieties of Huasteco: Northwestern Huastec (Huasteco de San Luis Potosi), Central Huastec (Huasteco de Veracruz), and Southeastern Huastec (Huasteco de San Francisco Chontla.) The Huasteco languages use SVO word order.


 * Kanjobal-Chujean Languages
 * Chujean Languages
 * Chuj: spoken by about 40,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. There are two main varieties of Chuj: Northern Chuj (Ixtatan) and Southern Chuj (San Sebastian Coatan.) Northern Chuj uses VOS word order while Southern Chuj uses VSO.
 * Tojolabal: language spoken by about 30,000 people in Mexico
 * Kanjobalan Languages
 * Acatec: spoken by 40,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. It is closely related to Kanjobal. Acateco is an agglutinative language that uses primarily VOS word order.
 * Jacalteco: spoken by about 70,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. There are two main varieties of Jacalteco: Western Jacalteco and Eastern Jacalteco. Jacalteco uses VSO word order.
 * Kanjobal: spoken by about 80,000 people in Guatemala. It has VSO word order.
 * Mocho (Mototzintlec-Tuzantec): spoken by only a few dozen people in Mexico. It was once spoken in Guatemala as well.


 * Quiche-Mamean Languages
 * Ixil-Mamean Languages
 * Aguacato: spoken by about 15,000 people in Guatemala. Aguacateco is an agglutinative language with VSO word order.
 * Ixil: spoken by around 70,000 people in Guatemala. There are three main varieties of Ixil: Chajul, Nebaj, and San Juan Cotzal. Some linguists consider them to be three distinct languages, while others consider them dialects of a single Ixil language. Chajul and Nebaj Ixil use VSO word order while Ixil de San Juan Cotzal uses VOS.
 * Mam: spoken by around half a million people in Guatemala and Mexico. There are many dialects of Mam. The Mam languages generally use VSO word order.
 * Tacaneco: spoken by about 20,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. It has VSO word order. Tacaneco is closely related to Mam.
 * Teciteco: spoken by about 3000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. It has VSO word order. Tectiteco is closely related to Mam.
 * Greater Quichean Languages
 * Kekchi: spoken by about half a million people in Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador. It has SVO word order.
 * Pocom Languages
 * Pokomam: spoken by around 15,000 people in Guatemala. There are three main varieties of Pokomam: Eastern, Southern, and Central. The Pokomam languages have SVO word order.
 * Pocomchi: spoken by around 90,000 people in Guatemala. There are two main varieties of Pocomchi: Eastern and Western. The Pocomchi languages have SVO word order.
 * Quichean Languages
 * Achi: spoken by about 50,000 people in Guatemala. The Achi language is closely related to Quiche Maya. Achi is an agglutinative language with fairly free word order-- although Achi sentences are usually verb-initial like most other Mayan languages, SVO word order is also commonly used.
 * Cakchiquel: language of Guatemala. It has SVO word order. About half a million people speak dialects of Cakchiquel today.
 * Quiche: spoken by more than a million people in Guatemala. There are many dialects of Quiche. he Quiche languages are agglutinative and display fairly free word order-- although Quiche sentences are often verb-initial, as in most Mayan languages, SVO word order is also commonly used.
 * Tzutujil: spoken by around 60,000 people in Guatemala. There are two main varieties of Tz'utujil: Eastern and Western. Tz'utujil uses SVO word order.
 * Sacapulteco: spoken by about 10,000 people in Guatemala. Sacapulteco is closely related to Quiche.
 * Sipacapense: spoken by about 7000 people in Guatemala. Sipacapense is closely related to Quiche.
 * Uspanteco: spoken by about 1500 people in Guatemala. It is a tone language and has SVO word order.
 * Tzeltalan Languages
 * Tzeltal: spoken by a combined 200,000 people in Mexico.There are two main varieties of Tzeltal: Highland Tzeltal and Lowland Tzeltal. Word order is VOS.
 * Tzotzil: spoken by around 300,000 people in Mexico. There are five or six Tzotzil dialects . Tzotzil can use either VOS or SVO word order.
 * Yucatecan Languages
 * Itza Maya: language of Guatemala and Belize. Only a few elders still speak the Itzaj language, although 750,000 people speak the related Yucatec Maya language.
 * Lacandon: spoken by about 200 people in Mexico. It has SVO word order.
 * Mopan Maya: spoken by about 8,000 people in Belize and Guatemala. It has VOS word order.
 * Yucatan Maya: anguage of Mexico and Belize. 750,000 Mayan people speak dialects of this language fluently today. Yucatecan Maya word order is SVO.



**[|History]**
Maya languages descend from a proto-language called Proto-Mayan, or K’iche’ Maya Nab’ee Maya’ Tzij (“the old Maya Language”). This language is believed to have been spoken in the Cuchumatanes highlands of central Guatemala. The first division occurred around 2200 BCE when the Huastecan split away from Mayan proper. Proto-Yucatecan and Proto-Ch’olan speakers subsequently split off from the main group and moved north into the Yucatan Peninsula. Speakers of the western branch moved south into the areas now inhabited by Mamean and Quichean people. Speakers of proto-Tzeltalan later separated from the Ch’olan group and moved south into the Chiapas highlands. They came in contact with speakers of Mixe Zoquean languages.

In the Archaic period a number of loanwords from Mixe-Zoquean languages seem to have entered the proto-Mayan language. This shows that the Maya may have been dominated by speakers of Mixe-Zoquean languages for some time.

By the Classic period, Proto-Yucatecan and Proto-Ch’olan split. Both variants are seen in hieroglyphics and are referred to as “Classic Maya language”. During the Classic period all major branches divsersified into separate languages.

Today in Guatemala, matters involving Mayan languages are governed by the Academia de Leguas Mayas de Guatemala (Guatemalan Academy of Mayan Languages) founded in 1986.



Citation "Mayan Languages." // Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia //. 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. <[] >. Redish, Laura. "Mayan Language Family." // Native Languages of the Americas //. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. <[] >