Qʼeqchiʼ
Mayan (Quichean)
Q’eqchi’ is the second-largest Mayan language, spoken primarily in central and northern Guatemala. Distinguished from K’iche’ by deeper pre-Columbian Belize/Petén roots and a strong tradition of religious cofradía organizations.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Qʼeqchiʼ
Water
haʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
xam
/ʃam/
Sun
saqʼe
/saqʼe/
Moon
poo
/poː/
Star
chahim
/tʃahim/
Mother
naʼ
/naʔ/
Father
yuwaʼ
/juwaʔ/
I
laʼin
/laʔin/
You
laʼat
/laʔat/
Name
kʼabaʼ
/kʼaɓaʔ/
Eye
xnaqʼ ru
/ʃnaqʼ ru/
Hand
ruqʼ
/ruqʼ/
Heart
chʼoolej
/tʃʼoːlej/
Love
rahok
/rahok/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
ochoch
/otʃotʃ/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mes
/mes/
Eat
taawaʼ
/tawaʔ/
Drink
ukʼ
/ukʼ/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
wiibʼ
/wiːɓ/
Hello
ma saʼ laachʼool
/ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/
Thank you
bantyox
/bantjoʃ/
Good
us
/us/
Cuckoo
ixnam
/iʃˈnam/
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Quichean) languages
| Meaning | Qʼeqchiʼ | Uspanteko | Kaqchikel | Classical Maya | Kʼicheʼ | Tabasco Chontal | Tojolabal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | xam /ʃam/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | saqʼe /saqʼe/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ |
| Moon | poo /poː/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | uh /uh/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ä /æ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Star | chahim /tʃahim/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ek' /eːkʼ/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | yuwaʼ /juwaʔ/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | yuum /juːm/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | laʼin /laʔin/ | in /in/ | rïn /rɨn/ | hiin /hiːn/ | in /in/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | keʼn /keʔn/ |
| You | laʼat /laʔat/ | at /at/ | rat /rat/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | weʼn /weʔn/ |
| Name | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ |
| Eye | xnaqʼ ru /ʃnaqʼ ru/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | wich /witʃ/ | satej /sateh/ |
| Hand | ruqʼ /ruqʼ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | chʼoolej /tʃʼoːlej/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | pixan /piʃan/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | pixan /piʃan/ | altzil /altsil/ |
| Love | rahok /rahok/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | yaah /jaːh/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | skʼana /skʼana/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | ochoch /otʃotʃ/ | jaa /haː/ | jay /xaj/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | ja /xa/ | otot /otot/ | naj /nah/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | miis /miːs/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Eat | taawaʼ /tawaʔ/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | waʼel /waʔel/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kumun /kumun/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | un /un/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | wiibʼ /wiːɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | cha' /tʃaʔ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ |
| Hello | ma saʼ laachʼool /ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ |
| Thank you | bantyox /bantjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | yuj /juh/ |
| Good | us /us/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | lek /lek/ |
| Cuckoo | ixnam /iʃˈnam/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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