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
20 core words in Kʼicheʼ
Water
jaʼ
/xaʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼij
/qʼix/
Moon
ikʼ
/ikʼ/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
tat
/tat/
Eat
tijow
/tixow/
Drink
ukʼaaj
/ukʼaːh/
Love
loqʼoj
/loqʼoh/
Heart
animaʼ
/animaʔ/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
ja
/xa/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
meʼs
/meʔs/
Hand
qʼabʼ
/qʼaɓ/
Eye
bʼaqʼwach
/ɓaqʼwatʃ/
Hello
saqarik
/saqaɾik/
Thank you
maltyox
/maltjoʃ/
One
jun
/xun/
Good
utz
/uts/
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Quichean) languages
| Meaning | Kʼicheʼ | Uspanteko | Kaqchikel | Tojolabal | Mam | Ixil | Qʼeqchiʼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | xam /ʃam/ |
| Sun | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ | saqʼe /saqʼe/ |
| Moon | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | xjaw /ʃaw/ | ich /itʃ/ | poo /poː/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | baʼ /baʔ/ | yuwaʼ /juwaʔ/ |
| Eat | tijow /tixow/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | waan /waːn/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | taawaʼ /tawaʔ/ |
| Drink | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kumun /kumun/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kʼaan /kʼaːn/ | ucha /utʃa/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| Love | loqʼoj /loqʼoh/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | oqxan /oqʃan/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | rahok /rahok/ |
| Heart | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | anima /anima/ | alma /alma/ | anma /anma/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | chʼoolej /tʃʼoːlej/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | tze /tse/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | ja /xa/ | jaa /haː/ | jay /xaj/ | naj /nah/ | jaa /haː/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | ochoch /otʃotʃ/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼyan /tʃʼjan/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | meʼs /meʔs/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mees /meːs/ | mes /mes/ |
| Hand | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | ruqʼ /ruqʼ/ |
| Eye | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | witz /wits/ | vusal /vusal/ | xnaqʼ ru /ʃnaqʼ ru/ |
| Hello | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | ma saʼ laachʼool /ma sa laːtʃʼoːl/ |
| Thank you | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | yuj /juh/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | bantyox /bantjoʃ/ |
| One | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | banix /baniʃ/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | us /us/ |
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