Qyool Mam
Mam
Mayan (Quichean)
Mam is the third-largest Mayan language after K'iche' and Yucatec, spoken by ~530K in Guatemala's western highlands (Huehuetenango, San Marcos, Quetzaltenango) and across the Mexican border in Chiapas. Eastern Mayan branch (Greater Mamean), sister to Awakatek and Ixil. Highly conservative phonology preserving the rare uvular contrast /q/-/q'/ and an ejective series. Verbal morphology features ergative-absolutive marking with split-ergativity in incompletive aspect. Standardized Latin orthography (1987 Acuerdos de la Paz).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Mam
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼij
/qʼih/
Moon
xjaw
/ʃaw/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
mam
/mam/
Eat
waan
/waːn/
Drink
kʼaan
/kʼaːn/
Love
oqxan
/oqʃan/
Heart
anma
/anma/
Tree
tzeʼ
/tseʔ/
House
jaa
/haː/
Dog
txʼyan
/tʃʼjan/
Cat
wiix
/wiːʃ/
Hand
qʼobʼ
/qʼoɓ/
Eye
witz
/wits/
Hello
chjonte tey
/tʃhonte tej/
Thank you
chjonte
/tʃhonte/
One
jun
/hun/
Good
banix
/baniʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Quichean) languages
| Meaning | Mam | Central Mam | Aguacateco | Tojolabal | Kʼicheʼ | Uspanteko | Q'anjob'al |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ |
| Sun | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ |
| Moon | xjaw /ʃaw/ | xjaaw /ʃhaːw/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | mim /mim/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ |
| Eat | waan /waːn/ | waaʼn /waːʔn/ | wii /wiː/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | lo /lo/ |
| Drink | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | kʼaaʼn /kʼaːʔn/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uku /uku/ |
| Love | oqxan /oqʃan/ | oqʼxen /oqʼʃen/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | loqʼoj /loqʼoh/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kʼamʼ /kʼamʔ/ |
| Heart | anma /anma/ | anmiʼn /anmiʔn/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | alma /alma/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ |
| Tree | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | jaa /haː/ | jaaʼ /haːʔ/ | nya /ɲa/ | naj /nah/ | ja /xa/ | jaa /haː/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | txʼyaan /tʃʼjaːn/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | wiix /wiːʃ/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ |
| Hand | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Eye | witz /wits/ | witz /wits/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | satej /sateh/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | wach /watʃ/ | sat /sat/ |
| Hello | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | kawal /kawal/ |
| Thank you | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | yuj /juh/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | juun /huːn/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | banix /baniʃ/ | baʼnxh /baʔnʃ/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | lek /lek/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ |
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