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
20 core words in Q'anjob'al
Water
haʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
qʼaʼ
/qʼaʔ/
Sun
kʼuʼ
/kʼuʔ/
Moon
ixaw
/iʃaw/
Mother
mim
/mim/
Father
mam
/mam/
Eat
lo
/lo/
Drink
uku
/uku/
Love
kʼamʼ
/kʼamʔ/
Heart
kʼulul
/kʼulul/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
na
/na/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mes
/mes/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Eye
sat
/sat/
Hello
kawal
/kawal/
Thank you
yuhwal
/juhwal/
One
jun
/hun/
Good
watxʼ
/watʃʼ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Q'anjob'al | Tojolabal | Aguacateco | Tzotzil | Uspanteko | Tzeltal | Poqomchi' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | voʼ /voʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | kʼokʼ /kʼokʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼaal /kʼaːl/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ |
| Sun | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kʼakʼal /kʼakʼal/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼaxkʼal/ | qʼij /qʼih/ |
| Moon | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | u /u/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | u /u/ | ik /ik/ |
| Mother | mim /mim/ | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | nan /nan/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | tuut /tuːt/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | tot /tot/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ |
| Eat | lo /lo/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | wii /wiː/ | veʼel /veʔel/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | weʼel /weʔel/ | wai /wai/ |
| Drink | uku /uku/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uuk /uːk/ | uchʼ /utʃʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | uuk /uːk/ |
| Love | kʼamʼ /kʼamʔ/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | kʼanel /kʼanel/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ |
| Heart | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | alma /alma/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | oʼon /oʔon/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | na /na/ | naj /nah/ | nya /ɲa/ | na /na/ | jaa /haː/ | na /na/ | paat /paːt/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mees /meːs/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼob /kʼob/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Eye | sat /sat/ | satej /sateh/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | sat /sat/ | wach /watʃ/ | sit /sit/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ |
| Hello | kawal /kawal/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | kʼusi avokoluk /kʼusi avokoluk/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | banti winik /banti winik/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ |
| Thank you | yuhwal /juhwal/ | yuj /juh/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | kolaval /kolaval/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jino /hino/ |
| Good | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | lek /lek/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | lek /lek/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ |
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