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
20 core words in Tabasco Chontal
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
kʼakʼ
/kʼakʼ/
Sun
kʼin
/kʼin/
Moon
ä
/æ/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
tat
/tat/
Eat
weʼ
/weʔ/
Drink
ukʼe
/ukʼe/
Love
kʼuxbe
/kʼuʃbe/
Heart
pixan
/piʃan/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
otot
/otot/
Dog
pekʼ
/pekʼ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Hand
kʼä
/kʼæ/
Eye
wich
/witʃ/
Hello
bin a bel
/bin a bel/
Thank you
dios boʼtik
/dios boʔtik/
One
un
/un/
Good
tsʼak
/tsʼak/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Tabasco Chontal | Itzá Maya | Classical Maya | Yucatec Maya | Chol | Uspanteko | Tzeltal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼaal /kʼaːl/ |
| Sun | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | kʼajn /kʼahn/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼaxkʼal/ |
| Moon | ä /æ/ | uj /uh/ | uh /uh/ | uj /uh/ | uw /uw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | u /u/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | nan /nan/ | meʼ /meʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ | taata /taːta/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | weʼ /weʔ/ | jant /hant/ | wiʼij /wiʔiχ/ | jaant /haːnt/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | weʼel /weʔel/ |
| Drink | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ |
| Love | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | yaah /jaːh/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ |
| Heart | pixan /piʃan/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | otot /otot/ | nah /nah/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | naj /nah/ | otyot /otjot/ | jaa /haː/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Hand | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Eye | wich /witʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | wut /wut/ | wach /watʃ/ | sit /sit/ |
| Hello | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | banti winik /banti winik/ |
| Thank you | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ |
| One | un /un/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | juñ /huɲ/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ |
| Good | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | utsat /utsat/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ |
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