Awakateko
Aguacateco
Mayan
Aguacateco (Awakateko, autonymously Awakateko) is a Mayan language of the Mam-Awakateko branch, spoken by ~17,000 people in the Aguacatán municipality of Huehuetenango Department, Guatemala. The Awakateko community survived the 1980s Guatemalan Civil War genocide despite being in an area of intense military activity. Linguistically, Awakateko shares Mam-Awakateko features with Mam (mam) and Ixil (ixl), but with distinctive vocabulary and phonological features. The McArthur & McArthur 1956 phonology and modern Academia revitalization have produced standardized literacy materials.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Aguacateco
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
qʼaq
/qʼaq/
Sun
qʼijl
/qʼihl/
Moon
xahaw
/ʃahaw/
Star
chumeʼl
/tʃumeʔl/
Mother
naa
/naː/
Father
mam
/mam/
I
in
/in/
You
naʼ
/naʔ/
Name
bʼiʼ
/ɓiʔ/
Eye
witzʼ
/witsʼ/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Heart
kʼuum
/kʼuːm/
Love
xajan
/ʃahan/
Tree
tzeʼ
/tseʔ/
House
nya
/ɲa/
Dog
txʼiʼ
/tʃʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Eat
wii
/wiː/
Drink
uuk
/uːk/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
kaʼwutz
/kaʔwuts/
Hello
kʼamta
/kʼamta/
Thank you
tixwajʼ
/tiʃwahʼ/
Good
saqʼ
/saqʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Aguacateco | Mam | Poqomchi' | Q'anjob'al | Uspanteko | Ixil | Kʼicheʼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ |
| Sun | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ | qʼij /qʼix/ |
| Moon | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ | ik /ik/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ |
| Star | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | cheʼw /tʃeʔw/ | chʼumiil /tʃʼumiːl/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chumiil /tʃumiːl/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ |
| Mother | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | tuut /tuːt/ | mim /mim/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | baʼ /baʔ/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | in /in/ | aqiin /aˈqiːn/ | hin /hin/ | ayin /ʔajin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | in /in/ |
| You | naʼ /naʔ/ | aya /aˈja/ | hat /hat/ | hach /hatʃ/ | at /at/ | axh /aʃ/ | at /at/ |
| Name | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | biʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼih /ɓih/ | bʼi /ɓi/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ |
| Eye | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | witz /wits/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | sat /sat/ | wach /watʃ/ | vusal /vusal/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | anma /anma/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ |
| Love | xajan /ʃahan/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ |
| Tree | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tze /tse/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | nya /ɲa/ | jaa /haː/ | paat /paːt/ | na /na/ | jaa /haː/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | ja /xa/ |
| Dog | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mees /meːs/ | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mees /meːs/ | meʼs /meʔs/ |
| Eat | wii /wiː/ | waan /waːn/ | wai /wai/ | lo /lo/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | tijow /tixow/ |
| Drink | uuk /uːk/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | uuk /uːk/ | uku /uku/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ucha /utʃa/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jino /hino/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ |
| Two | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | kabʼe /ˈkaɓeʔ/ | kiʼib /kiʔiɓ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kaʼvaʼl /kaʔʋaʔl/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ |
| Hello | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | kawal /kawal/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ |
| Thank you | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ |
| Good | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | banix /baniʃ/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | utz /uts/ |
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