Q'anjob'al
Mayan
Q'anjob'al is a Mayan language of the Q'anjob'alan-Chujean branch, spoken in the Cuchumatanes mountain highlands of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The Q'anjob'al community was severely affected by the 1980s Guatemalan Civil War genocide, leading to substantial migration to the USA, where Los Angeles and San Francisco now host major diaspora populations. Linguistically, Q'anjob'al has typical Mayan features and is the largest Q'anjob'alan-Chujean language. Mateo-Toledo's 2008 reference work on Q'anjob'al syntax is the major modern documentation.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Q'anjob'al
Water
haʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
qʼaʼ
/qʼaʔ/
Sun
kʼuʼ
/kʼuʔ/
Moon
ixaw
/iʃaw/
Star
txʼumel
/tʂʼumel/
Mother
mim
/mim/
Father
mam
/mam/
I
ayin
/ʔajin/
You
hach
/hatʃ/
Name
bʼi
/ɓi/
Eye
sat
/sat/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Heart
kʼulul
/kʼulul/
Love
kamkʼulal
/kamkʼulal/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
na
/na/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mes
/mes/
Eat
lo
/lo/
Drink
uku
/uku/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
kabʼ
/kaɓ/
Hello
kawal
/kawal/
Thank you
yuhwal
/juhwal/
Good
watxʼ
/watʃʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Q'anjob'al | Aguacateco | Tojolabal | Uspanteko | Poqomchi' | Kʼicheʼ | Tzeltal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ |
| Moon | ixaw /iʃaw/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ik /ik/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | u /u/ |
| Star | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumiil /tʃʼumiːl/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ |
| Mother | mim /mim/ | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | tuut /tuːt/ | nan /nan/ | meʼ /meʔ/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | ayin /ʔajin/ | in /in/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | in /in/ | hin /hin/ | in /in/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ |
| You | hach /hatʃ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | at /at/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ |
| Name | bʼi /ɓi/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼih /ɓih/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | biil /ɓiːl/ |
| Eye | sat /sat/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | satej /sateh/ | wach /watʃ/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | sit /sit/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Heart | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | altzil /altsil/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ |
| Love | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | na /na/ | nya /ɲa/ | naj /nah/ | jaa /haː/ | paat /paːt/ | ja /xa/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mees /meːs/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ |
| Eat | lo /lo/ | wii /wiː/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | wai /wai/ | tijow /tixow/ | weʼel /weʔel/ |
| Drink | uku /uku/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jino /hino/ | jun /xun/ | jun /xun/ |
| Two | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kiʼib /kiʔiɓ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ |
| Hello | kawal /kawal/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | banti winik /banti winik/ |
| Thank you | yuhwal /juhwal/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | yuj /juh/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ |
| Good | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | lek /lek/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ |
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