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
20 core words in Aguacateco
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
qʼaq
/qʼaq/
Sun
qʼijl
/qʼihl/
Moon
xahaw
/ʃahaw/
Mother
naa
/naː/
Father
mam
/mam/
Eat
wii
/wiː/
Drink
uuk
/uːk/
Love
xajan
/ʃahan/
Heart
kʼuum
/kʼuːm/
Tree
tzeʼ
/tseʔ/
House
nya
/ɲa/
Dog
txʼiʼ
/tʃʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Eye
witzʼ
/witsʼ/
Hello
kʼamta
/kʼamta/
Thank you
tixwajʼ
/tiʃwahʼ/
One
jun
/hun/
Good
saqʼ
/saqʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Aguacateco | Mam | Q'anjob'al | Poqomchi' | Central Mam | Uspanteko | Itzá Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼin /kʼin/ |
| Moon | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ik /ik/ | xjaaw /ʃhaːw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | uj /uh/ |
| Mother | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | mim /mim/ | tuut /tuːt/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | wii /wiː/ | waan /waːn/ | lo /lo/ | wai /wai/ | waaʼn /waːʔn/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | jant /hant/ |
| Drink | uuk /uːk/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | uku /uku/ | uuk /uːk/ | kʼaaʼn /kʼaːʔn/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| Love | xajan /ʃahan/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ | kʼamʼ /kʼamʔ/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ | oqʼxen /oqʼʃen/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | yakunti /jakunti/ |
| Heart | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | anma /anma/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | anmiʼn /anmiʔn/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ |
| Tree | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | nya /ɲa/ | jaa /haː/ | na /na/ | paat /paːt/ | jaaʼ /haːʔ/ | jaa /haː/ | nah /nah/ |
| Dog | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼyaan /tʃʼjaːn/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mes /mes/ | mees /meːs/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Eye | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | witz /wits/ | sat /sat/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | witz /wits/ | wach /watʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hello | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | kawal /kawal/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ |
| Thank you | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jino /hino/ | juun /huːn/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | banix /baniʃ/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | baʼnxh /baʔnʃ/ | utz /uts/ | malobʼ /malob/ |
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