Ixil
Mayan (Mamean, Greater Mamean — Ixilan)
Ixil is a Mamean Mayan language of the Cuchumatanes mountains in northwestern Guatemala, spoken in the three towns Nebaj, Chajul, and San Juan Cotzal known as the "Ixil Triangle". The Ixil people were among the most heavily targeted communities during the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996); approximately 5.5% of the Ixil population were killed during the early-1980s genocide under General Ríos Montt — convicted of genocide against the Ixil in 2013 (verdict overturned but conviction historically affirmed). Three principal varieties: Nebaj (most documented), Chajul, and Cotzal. Ergative-absolutive alignment, complex aspectual verb morphology.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ixil
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
tzaʼ
/tsaʔ/
Sun
qʼii
/qʼiː/
Moon
ich
/itʃ/
Star
chumiil
/tʃumiːl/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
baʼ
/baʔ/
I
in
/in/
You
axh
/aʃ/
Name
bʼii
/ɓiː/
Eye
vusal
/vusal/
Hand
qʼabʼ
/qʼaɓ/
Heart
vatzʼ
/vatsʼ/
Love
kuxhewchʼa
/kuʃewtʃʼa/
Tree
tze
/tse/
House
kabʼal
/kaɓal/
Dog
txʼiʼ
/tʃʼiʔ/
Cat
mees
/meːs/
Eat
tzaʼbʼi
/tsaʔɓi/
Drink
ucha
/utʃa/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
kaʼvaʼl
/kaʔʋaʔl/
Hello
nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa
/nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/
Thank you
tantixh
/tantiʃ/
Good
utzʼ
/utsʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Mamean, Greater Mamean — Ixilan) languages
| Meaning | Ixil | Uspanteko | Kʼicheʼ | Aguacateco | Kaqchikel | Qʼeqchiʼ | Q'anjob'al |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | xam /ʃam/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ |
| Sun | qʼii /qʼiː/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | saqʼe /saqʼe/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ |
| Moon | ich /itʃ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | poo /poː/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Star | chumiil /tʃumiːl/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | chahim /tʃahim/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | mim /mim/ |
| Father | baʼ /baʔ/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | yuwaʼ /juwaʔ/ | mam /mam/ |
| I | in /in/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | rïn /rɨn/ | laʼin /laʔin/ | ayin /ʔajin/ |
| You | axh /aʃ/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | rat /rat/ | laʼat /laʔat/ | hach /hatʃ/ |
| Name | bʼii /ɓiː/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | bʼi /ɓi/ |
| Eye | vusal /vusal/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | xnaqʼ ru /ʃnaqʼ ru/ | sat /sat/ |
| Hand | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | ruqʼ /ruqʼ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Heart | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | chʼoolej /tʃʼoːlej/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ |
| Love | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | rahok /rahok/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ |
| Tree | tze /tse/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | jaa /haː/ | ja /xa/ | nya /ɲa/ | jay /xaj/ | ochoch /otʃotʃ/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mees /meːs/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mes /mes/ | mes /mes/ |
| Eat | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | wii /wiː/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | taawaʼ /tawaʔ/ | lo /lo/ |
| Drink | ucha /utʃa/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | uuk /uːk/ | kumun /kumun/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uku /uku/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | kaʼvaʼl /kaʔʋaʔl/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | wiibʼ /wiːɓ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ |
| Hello | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | ma saʼ laachʼool /ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/ | kawal /kawal/ |
| Thank you | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | bantyox /bantjoʃ/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ |
| Good | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | utz /uts/ | us /us/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ |
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