Yokot'an
Tabasco Chontal
Mayan
Tabasco Chontal (Yokot'an, also called Yokot'an, sometimes Chontal Maya) is a Cholan Mayan language of the Mexican Gulf coast in Tabasco state. The Chontal Maya are direct descendants of the lowland Maya who controlled the Putun trade circuit during the Classic and Postclassic periods, linking Yucatán with the Gulf coast and the Mexican highlands. Modern Yokot'an is the closest living relative of Chol (ctu), both sharing the Cholan branch ancestry that produced Classical Mayan glyphic inscriptions. Despite intense pressure from Spanish, communities in Nacajuca and Centla maintain the language alongside traditional practices including ceremonial cacao cultivation.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tabasco Chontal
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
kʼakʼ
/kʼakʼ/
Sun
kʼin
/kʼin/
Moon
ä
/æ/
Star
ekʼ
/ʔekʼ/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
tat
/tat/
I
noʼon
/noʔon/
You
neʼet
/neʔet/
Name
kʼabaʼ
/kʼaɓaʔ/
Eye
wich
/witʃ/
Hand
kʼä
/kʼæ/
Heart
pixan
/piʃan/
Love
kʼuxbe
/kʼuʃbe/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
otot
/otot/
Dog
pekʼ
/pekʼ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Eat
weʼ
/weʔ/
Drink
ukʼe
/ukʼe/
One
un
/un/
Two
chaʼ
/tʃaʔ/
Hello
bin a bel
/bin a bel/
Thank you
dios boʼtik
/dios boʔtik/
Good
tsʼak
/tsʼak/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Tabasco Chontal | Classical Maya | Itzá Maya | Chol | Tzeltal | Yucatec Maya | Tojolabal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ |
| Moon | ä /æ/ | uh /uh/ | uj /uh/ | uw /uw/ | u /u/ | uj /uh/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Star | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ek' /eːkʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | eekʼ /eːkʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | taata /taːta/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | noʼon /noʔon/ | hiin /hiːn/ | ten /ten/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ | teen /teːn/ | keʼn /keʔn/ |
| You | neʼet /neʔet/ | hat /hat/ | tech /tetʃ/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ | teech /teːtʃ/ | weʼn /weʔn/ |
| Name | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | kʼaabaʼ /kʼaːɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ |
| Eye | wich /witʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | wut /wut/ | sit /sit/ | ich /itʃ/ | satej /sateh/ |
| Hand | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | pixan /piʃan/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | altzil /altsil/ |
| Love | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | yaah /jaːh/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | skʼana /skʼana/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | otot /otot/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | nah /nah/ | otyot /otjot/ | na /na/ | naj /nah/ | naj /nah/ |
| Dog | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ |
| Eat | weʼ /weʔ/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | jant /hant/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | weʼel /weʔel/ | jaant /haːnt/ | waʼel /waʔel/ |
| Drink | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| One | un /un/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | juñ /huɲ/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | cha' /tʃaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ |
| Hello | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | banti winik /banti winik/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ |
| Thank you | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | yuj /juh/ |
| Good | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | utz /uts/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utsat /utsat/ | lek /lek/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | lek /lek/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.