Lakty'añ
Chol
Mayan
Chol (Ch'ol, autonymously Lakty'añ) is a Cholan Mayan language of Chiapas, Mexico. The Chol people inhabit the highland valleys north of Palenque, near the famous Classic Maya archaeological site. Linguistically, Chol is a Cholan-branch Mayan language, most closely related to the extinct Classical Mayan literary language inscribed at Palenque, Yaxchilán, and Tikal during the Classic Period (250-900 CE). Modern Chol speakers thus have a special connection to the Classic Maya hieroglyphic tradition. The Chol community has maintained the language despite Spanish dominance, with bilingual education through INALI since the 1990s.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Chol
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
kʼajk
/kʼahk/
Sun
kʼiñ
/kʼiɲ/
Moon
uw
/uw/
Star
ekʼ
/ʔekʼ/
Mother
ñaʼ
/ɲaʔ/
Father
tat
/tat/
I
joñoñ
/hoɲoɲ/
You
jatyet
/hatʲet/
Name
kʼabaʼ
/kʼaɓaʔ/
Eye
wut
/wut/
Hand
kʼabʼ
/kʼaɓ/
Heart
pusʼikʼal
/pusʼikʼal/
Love
kʼuxbiñ
/kʼuʃbiɲ/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
otyot
/otjot/
Dog
tsʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Eat
kʼux
/kʼuʃ/
Drink
ucʼ
/utsʼ/
One
juñ
/huɲ/
Two
chaʼ
/tʃaʔ/
Hello
kabʼ
/kaɓ/
Thank you
wokox
/wokoʃ/
Good
utsat
/utsat/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Chol | Tabasco Chontal | Tzeltal | Itzá Maya | Classical Maya | Tojolabal | Yucatec Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ |
| Moon | uw /uw/ | ä /æ/ | u /u/ | uj /uh/ | uh /uh/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | uj /uh/ |
| Star | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ek' /eːkʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | eekʼ /eːkʼ/ |
| Mother | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ | tat /tat/ | taata /taːta/ |
| I | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ | ten /ten/ | hiin /hiːn/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | teen /teːn/ |
| You | jatyet /hatʲet/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ | tech /tetʃ/ | hat /hat/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | teech /teːtʃ/ |
| Name | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | kʼaabaʼ /kʼaːɓaʔ/ |
| Eye | wut /wut/ | wich /witʃ/ | sit /sit/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hand | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | altzil /altsil/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ |
| Love | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | yaah /jaːh/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | otyot /otjot/ | otot /otot/ | na /na/ | nah /nah/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | naj /nah/ | naj /nah/ |
| Dog | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ |
| Eat | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | weʼel /weʔel/ | jant /hant/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | jaant /haːnt/ |
| Drink | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ |
| One | juñ /huɲ/ | un /un/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | cha' /tʃaʔ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ |
| Hello | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | banti winik /banti winik/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ |
| Thank you | wokox /wokoʃ/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | yuj /juh/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ |
| Good | utsat /utsat/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | lek /lek/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ |
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