Proto-Mayan
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Mayan is the reconstructed ancestor of the Mayan family of Mesoamerica (some 30 languages including Kʼicheʼ, Yucatec and Mam). It is placed in the Guatemalan highlands around 2200–2000 BCE and is well reconstructed thanks to detailed comparative work.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Mayan
Water
*haʔ
/haʔ/
Fire
*qʼaaqʼ
/qʼaaqʼ/
Sun
*qʼiinh
/qʼiinh/
Moon
*uːh
/uːh/
Star
*eʼq
/eʼq/
Mother
*naʔ
/naʔ/
Father
*taat
/taat/
I
*in
/in/
You
—
/—/
Name
*bʼih
/bʼih/
Eye
—
/—/
Hand
*qʼabʼ
/qʼabʼ/
Heart
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
*teʔ
/teʔ/
House
*nah
/nah/
Dog
*tzʼiʔ
/tzʼiʔ/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
—
/—/
Drink
*ʔukʼ
/ʔukʼ/
One
*jun
/jun/
Two
*kaʼ
/kaʼ/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
*utz
/utz/
Sources
- Kaufman & Norman (1984) An outline of Proto-Cholan phonology, morphology and vocabulary
- Kaufman (2003) A Preliminary Mayan Etymological Dictionary
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Mayan | Uspanteko | Itzá Maya | Kʼicheʼ | Iberian | Etruscan | Messapic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *haʔ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | *qʼaaqʼ /qʼaaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | *qʼiinh /qʼiinh/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | — /—/ | usil /ˈuzil/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | *uːh /uːh/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | uj /uh/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | — /—/ | tiur /ˈtiur/ | — /—/ |
| Star | *eʼq /eʼq/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | *naʔ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | — /—/ | ati /ˈati/ | — /—/ |
| Father | *taat /taat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | — /—/ | apa /ˈapa/ | ana /ˈana/ |
| I | *in /in/ | in /in/ | ten /ten/ | in /in/ | — /—/ | mi /mi/ | — /—/ |
| You | — /—/ | at /at/ | tech /tetʃ/ | at /at/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | *bʼih /bʼih/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | wach /watʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | *qʼabʼ /qʼabʼ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | *teʔ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | *nah /nah/ | jaa /haː/ | nah /nah/ | ja /xa/ | iltiŕ /iltir̥/ | śuthi /ˈsuθi/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | *tzʼiʔ /tzʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | jant /hant/ | tijow /tixow/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | *ʔukʼ /ʔukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | *jun /jun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | ban /ban/ | thu /θu/ | — /—/ |
| Two | *kaʼ /kaʼ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | bi /bi/ | zal /tsal/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | *utz /utz/ | utz /uts/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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