Qyool Mam
Mam
Mayan (Mamean, Greater Mamean)
Mam is the fourth-largest Mayan language, after K'iche', Q'eqchi', 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
31 core words in Mam
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼij
/qʼih/
Moon
xjaw
/ʃaw/
Star
cheʼw
/tʃeʔw/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
mam
/mam/
I
aqiin
/aˈqiːn/
You
aya
/aˈja/
Name
biʼ
/ɓiʔ/
Eye
witz
/wits/
Hand
qʼobʼ
/qʼoɓ/
Heart
anma
/anma/
Love
oqxan
/oqʃan/
Tree
tzeʼ
/tseʔ/
House
jaa
/haː/
Dog
txʼyan
/tʃʼjan/
Cat
wiix
/wiːʃ/
Eat
waan
/waːn/
Drink
kʼaan
/kʼaːn/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
kabʼe
/ˈkaɓeʔ/
Hello
chjonte tey
/tʃhonte tej/
Thank you
chjonte
/tʃhonte/
Good
banix
/baniʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Mamean, Greater Mamean) languages
| Meaning | Mam | Aguacateco | Kʼicheʼ | Uspanteko | Tojolabal | Q'anjob'al | Ixil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ |
| Sun | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ |
| Moon | xjaw /ʃaw/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Star | cheʼw /tʃeʔw/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ | chumiil /tʃumiːl/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | mim /mim/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | baʼ /baʔ/ |
| I | aqiin /aˈqiːn/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | ayin /ʔajin/ | in /in/ |
| You | aya /aˈja/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | at /at/ | at /at/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | hach /hatʃ/ | axh /aʃ/ |
| Name | biʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | bʼi /ɓi/ | bʼii /ɓiː/ |
| Eye | witz /wits/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | wach /watʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | sat /sat/ | vusal /vusal/ |
| Hand | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | anma /anma/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | altzil /altsil/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ |
| Love | oqxan /oqʃan/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ |
| Tree | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tze /tse/ |
| House | jaa /haː/ | nya /ɲa/ | ja /xa/ | jaa /haː/ | naj /nah/ | na /na/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ |
| Dog | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mees /meːs/ |
| Eat | waan /waːn/ | wii /wiː/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | lo /lo/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ |
| Drink | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uku /uku/ | ucha /utʃa/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | kabʼe /ˈkaɓeʔ/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kaʼvaʼl /kaʔʋaʔl/ |
| Hello | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | kawal /kawal/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ |
| Thank you | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | yuj /juh/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ |
| Good | banix /baniʃ/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ |
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