Qatzijobʼal
Kʼicheʼ
Mayan (Quichean)
Also known as: K'iche', Quiche, Kiche
K'iche' is the largest Mayan language, spoken in the western highlands of Guatemala (Quiché, Sololá, Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango). The K'iche' kingdom dominated the region in the 15th century before the Spanish conquest. The Popol Vuh, the foundational K'iche' creation epic preserved in a 16th-century Latin-script copy, is one of the most important pre-Hispanic literary works of the Americas. K'iche' is recognized as a national language of Guatemala since 2003 and supports active bilingual education programmes.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kʼicheʼ
Water
jaʼ
/xaʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼij
/qʼix/
Moon
ikʼ
/ikʼ/
Star
chʼumil
/tʃʼumil/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
tat
/tat/
I
in
/in/
You
at
/at/
Name
bʼiʼ
/ɓiʔ/
Eye
bʼaqʼwach
/ɓaqʼwatʃ/
Hand
qʼabʼ
/qʼaɓ/
Heart
animaʼ
/animaʔ/
Love
loqʼoj
/loqʼox/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
ja
/xa/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
meʼs
/meʔs/
Eat
tijow
/tixow/
Drink
ukʼaaj
/ukʼaːh/
One
jun
/xun/
Two
kebʼ
/keɓ/
Hello
saqarik
/saqaɾik/
Thank you
maltyox
/maltjoʃ/
Good
utz
/uts/
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Quichean) languages
| Meaning | Kʼicheʼ | Uspanteko | Kaqchikel | Ixil | Poqomchi' | Mam | Q'anjob'al |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ |
| Sun | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ |
| Moon | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ik /ik/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Star | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | chumiil /tʃumiːl/ | chʼumiil /tʃʼumiːl/ | cheʼw /tʃeʔw/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | tuut /tuːt/ | nan /nan/ | mim /mim/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | baʼ /baʔ/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ | mam /mam/ | mam /mam/ |
| I | in /in/ | in /in/ | rïn /rɨn/ | in /in/ | hin /hin/ | aqiin /aˈqiːn/ | ayin /ʔajin/ |
| You | at /at/ | at /at/ | rat /rat/ | axh /aʃ/ | hat /hat/ | aya /aˈja/ | hach /hatʃ/ |
| Name | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼii /ɓiː/ | bʼih /ɓih/ | biʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼi /ɓi/ |
| Eye | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | vusal /vusal/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | witz /wits/ | sat /sat/ |
| Hand | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Heart | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | anma /anma/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ |
| Love | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tze /tse/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | ja /xa/ | jaa /haː/ | jay /xaj/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | paat /paːt/ | jaa /haː/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mees /meːs/ | mees /meːs/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mes /mes/ |
| Eat | tijow /tixow/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | wai /wai/ | waan /waːn/ | lo /lo/ |
| Drink | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kumun /kumun/ | ucha /utʃa/ | uuk /uːk/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | uku /uku/ |
| One | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jino /hino/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | kebʼ /keɓ/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | kaʼvaʼl /kaʔʋaʔl/ | kiʼib /kiʔiɓ/ | kabʼe /ˈkaɓeʔ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ |
| Hello | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | kawal /kawal/ |
| Thank you | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | banix /baniʃ/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ |
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