Qyool Mam
Central Mam
Mayan
Central Mam (mvc) is one of the major dialect divisions of the Mam Mayan language, spoken in the central Cuchumatanes highlands of Huehuetenango department, Guatemala. With around 520,000 speakers, Central Mam is among the most vital Mayan languages alongside K'iche', Q'eqchi', and Kaqchikel. Like all Mamean languages, it features a complex set of ejective consonants (q', q, ch', tx') and a glottalized uvular series. Mam communities in Todos Santos Cuchumatán are famous for their distinctive striped red trousers worn by men and for the Skach Koyl horse race held during the All Saints' festival.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Central Mam
Water
aʼ
/aʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼiij
/qʼiːh/
Moon
xjaaw
/ʃhaːw/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
mam
/mam/
Eat
waaʼn
/waːʔn/
Drink
kʼaaʼn
/kʼaːʔn/
Love
oqʼxen
/oqʼʃen/
Heart
anmiʼn
/anmiʔn/
Tree
tzeʼ
/tseʔ/
House
jaaʼ
/haːʔ/
Dog
txʼyaan
/tʃʼjaːn/
Cat
wiix
/wiːʃ/
Hand
qʼobʼ
/qʼoɓ/
Eye
witz
/wits/
Hello
chjonte tey
/tʃhonte tej/
Thank you
chjonte
/tʃhonte/
One
juun
/huːn/
Good
baʼnxh
/baʔnʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Central Mam | Mam | Aguacateco | Uspanteko | Kʼicheʼ | Tojolabal | Yucatec Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ |
| Sun | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ |
| Moon | xjaaw /ʃhaːw/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | uj /uh/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | taata /taːta/ |
| Eat | waaʼn /waːʔn/ | waan /waːn/ | wii /wiː/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | jaant /haːnt/ |
| Drink | kʼaaʼn /kʼaːʔn/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ |
| Love | oqʼxen /oqʼʃen/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | loqʼoj /loqʼoh/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ |
| Heart | anmiʼn /anmiʔn/ | anma /anma/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | alma /alma/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ |
| Tree | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | jaaʼ /haːʔ/ | jaa /haː/ | nya /ɲa/ | jaa /haː/ | ja /xa/ | naj /nah/ | naj /nah/ |
| Dog | txʼyaan /tʃʼjaːn/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ |
| Cat | wiix /wiːʃ/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ |
| Hand | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ |
| Eye | witz /wits/ | witz /wits/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hello | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ |
| Thank you | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | yuj /juh/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ |
| One | juun /huːn/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | baʼnxh /baʔnʃ/ | banix /baniʃ/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ |
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