Maaya Tzij
Classical Maya
Mayan · historical / hidden variety
Also known as: Classical Maya, Mayan
Classical Maya (Chʼoltiʼ, "the language of the Chʼol-speaking lowlands") was the prestige language of ancient Maya civilization in the Classic period (c. 250–900 CE), recorded in the most fully developed — and only substantially deciphered — pre-Columbian Mesoamerican writing system. The Maya hieroglyphic script — a logo-syllabic system with ~800 distinct signs — recorded history, dynastic chronology, astronomy, ritual, and mythology on stelae, lintels, codices, and ceramic vessels. Major decipherment progress since the 1950s (Knorozov, Proskouriakoff) has read most texts. The classical literary language was based on Cholan (ancestor of modern Chʼortiʼ and Chol).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Classical Maya
Water
haʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
kʼahkʼ
/kʼahkʼ/
Sun
kʼin
/kʼin/
Moon
uh
/uh/
Star
ek'
/eːkʼ/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
yuum
/juːm/
I
hiin
/hiːn/
You
hat
/hat/
Name
k'aba'
/kʼaˈɓaʔ/
Eye
ich
/itʃ/
Hand
kʼab
/kʼab/
Heart
pixan
/piʃan/
Love
yaah
/jaːh/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
otoch
/otoːtʃ/
Dog
peekʼ
/peːkʼ/
Cat
miis
/miːs/
Eat
weʼ
/weʔ/
Drink
ukʼ
/ukʼ/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
cha'
/tʃaʔ/
Hello
bix a beel
/biʃ a beːl/
Thank you
nibʼoolal
/nibʼoːlal/
Good
utz
/uts/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Classical Maya | Yucatec Maya | Tabasco Chontal | Itzá Maya | Uspanteko | Chol | Tzeltal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ |
| Moon | uh /uh/ | uj /uh/ | ä /æ/ | uj /uh/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | uw /uw/ | u /u/ |
| Star | ek' /eːkʼ/ | eekʼ /eːkʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ |
| Father | yuum /juːm/ | taata /taːta/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | hiin /hiːn/ | teen /teːn/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | ten /ten/ | in /in/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ |
| You | hat /hat/ | teech /teːtʃ/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | tech /tetʃ/ | at /at/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ |
| Name | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | kʼaabaʼ /kʼaːɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | biil /ɓiːl/ |
| Eye | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | wich /witʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | wach /watʃ/ | wut /wut/ | sit /sit/ |
| Hand | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Heart | pixan /piʃan/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ |
| Love | yaah /jaːh/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | naj /nah/ | otot /otot/ | nah /nah/ | jaa /haː/ | otyot /otjot/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | miis /miːs/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Eat | weʼ /weʔ/ | jaant /haːnt/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | jant /hant/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | weʼel /weʔel/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | juñ /huɲ/ | jun /xun/ |
| Two | cha' /tʃaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ |
| Hello | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | banti winik /banti winik/ |
| Thank you | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ | utsat /utsat/ | lek /lek/ |
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