Poqomchi'
Mayan
Pocomchi' (also Poqomchi') is a Mayan language of the Quichean-Mamean branch, spoken by ~50,000 Pocomchi people in the Verapaces (Alta Verapaz and Baja Verapaz departments) of central Guatemala. Linguistically, Pocomchi shares Mayan typological features (ergative-absolutive alignment, complex polypersonal verb morphology, glottalized consonants, uvular consonants) with its sister languages including Pocomam, Achi (acr), and the larger K'iche' (quc). The Pocomchi community has maintained the language despite Spanish-language dominance, with Brown's 1979 Pocomchi grammar and modern revitalization through the Academia de las Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Poqomchi'
Water
haʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
qʼaaq
/qʼaːq/
Sun
qʼij
/qʼih/
Moon
ik
/ik/
Star
chʼumiil
/tʃʼumiːl/
Mother
tuut
/tuːt/
Father
ajaab
/ahaːb/
I
hin
/hin/
You
hat
/hat/
Name
bʼih
/ɓih/
Eye
nakʼ
/nakʼ/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Heart
kʼuxl
/kʼuʃl/
Love
rahaal
/rahaːl/
Tree
cheeʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
paat
/paːt/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mees
/meːs/
Eat
wai
/wai/
Drink
uuk
/uːk/
One
jino
/hino/
Two
kiʼib
/kiʔiɓ/
Hello
ma chaa
/ma tʃaː/
Thank you
tioxlaab
/tjoʃlaːb/
Good
saqʼwach
/saqʼwatʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Poqomchi' | Uspanteko | Aguacateco | Kaqchikel | Q'anjob'al | Kʼicheʼ | Classical Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ |
| Sun | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼin /kʼin/ |
| Moon | ik /ik/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | uh /uh/ |
| Star | chʼumiil /tʃʼumiːl/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ek' /eːkʼ/ |
| Mother | tuut /tuːt/ | nan /nan/ | naa /naː/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | mim /mim/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | ajaab /ahaːb/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ |
| I | hin /hin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | rïn /rɨn/ | ayin /ʔajin/ | in /in/ | hiin /hiːn/ |
| You | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | rat /rat/ | hach /hatʃ/ | at /at/ | hat /hat/ |
| Name | bʼih /ɓih/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼi /ɓi/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ |
| Eye | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | wach /watʃ/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | sat /sat/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Heart | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | pixan /piʃan/ |
| Love | rahaal /rahaːl/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | yaah /jaːh/ |
| Tree | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | paat /paːt/ | jaa /haː/ | nya /ɲa/ | jay /xaj/ | na /na/ | ja /xa/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ |
| Cat | mees /meːs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mes /mes/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | miis /miːs/ |
| Eat | wai /wai/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | wii /wiː/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | lo /lo/ | tijow /tixow/ | weʼ /weʔ/ |
| Drink | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uuk /uːk/ | kumun /kumun/ | uku /uku/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| One | jino /hino/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | kiʼib /kiʔiɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | cha' /tʃaʔ/ |
| Hello | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | kawal /kawal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ |
| Thank you | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ |
| Good | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | utz /uts/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ |
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