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 8% 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
20 core words in Ixil
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
tzaʼ
/tsaʔ/
Sun
qʼii
/qʼiː/
Moon
ich
/itʃ/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
baʼ
/baʔ/
Eat
tzaʼbʼi
/tsaʔɓi/
Drink
ucha
/utʃa/
Love
kuxhewchʼa
/kuʃewtʃʼa/
Heart
vatzʼ
/vatsʼ/
Tree
tze
/tse/
House
kabʼal
/kaɓal/
Dog
txʼiʼ
/tʃʼiʔ/
Cat
mees
/meːs/
Hand
qʼabʼ
/qʼaɓ/
Eye
vusal
/vusal/
Hello
nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa
/nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/
Thank you
tantixh
/tantiʃ/
One
jun
/hun/
Good
utzʼ
/utsʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Mamean, Greater Mamean — Ixilan) languages
| Meaning | Ixil | Uspanteko | Kʼicheʼ | Kaqchikel | Aguacateco | Qʼeqchiʼ | Mam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ |
| Fire | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | xam /ʃam/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ |
| Sun | qʼii /qʼiː/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | saqʼe /saqʼe/ | qʼij /qʼih/ |
| Moon | ich /itʃ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | poo /poː/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | naa /naː/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | baʼ /baʔ/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | mam /mam/ | yuwaʼ /juwaʔ/ | mam /mam/ |
| Eat | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | wii /wiː/ | taawaʼ /tawaʔ/ | waan /waːn/ |
| Drink | ucha /utʃa/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | kumun /kumun/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ |
| Love | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | loqʼoj /loqʼoh/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | rahok /rahok/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ |
| Heart | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | anima /anima/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | chʼoolej /tʃʼoːlej/ | anma /anma/ |
| Tree | tze /tse/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ |
| House | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | jaa /haː/ | ja /xa/ | jay /xaj/ | nya /ɲa/ | ochoch /otʃotʃ/ | jaa /haː/ |
| Dog | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ |
| Cat | mees /meːs/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ |
| Hand | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | ruqʼ /ruqʼ/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ |
| Eye | vusal /vusal/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | xnaqʼ ru /ʃnaqʼ ru/ | witz /wits/ |
| Hello | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | ma saʼ laachʼool /ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ |
| Thank you | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | bantyox /bantjoʃ/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | us /us/ | banix /baniʃ/ |
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