Batsʼil kʼop
Tzeltal
Mayan (Cholan-Tseltalan)
Tzeltal (Bats'il kʼop, "true language") is a Mayan language of the Tseltalan branch, spoken in highland Chiapas, Mexico, with ~600K speakers — sister to Tzotzil within the Tseltalan branch. The largest Mayan language by L1 speakers in Mexico after Yucatec Maya. The Tzeltal Maya are concentrated in the Los Altos region (San Cristóbal de las Casas area), with notable communities in Oxchuc, Tenejapa, Bachajón, and other towns. Each town has its own variety. Recognized as a national language of Mexico (2003 law). Has the typical Mayan ergative-absolutive case system, person markers, and rich verbal aspect morphology. Latin orthography uses apostrophe for ejectives.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tzeltal
Water
jaʼ
/xaʔ/
Fire
kʼaal
/kʼaːl/
Sun
kʼajkʼal
/kʼaxkʼal/
Moon
u
/u/
Mother
meʼ
/meʔ/
Father
tat
/tat/
Eat
weʼel
/weʔel/
Drink
uchʼel
/utʃʼel/
Love
kʼanbey
/kʼanbej/
Heart
oʼtan
/oʔtan/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
na
/na/
Dog
tsʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Hand
kʼab
/kʼab/
Eye
sit
/sit/
Hello
banti winik
/banti winik/
Thank you
wokol awal
/wokol awal/
One
jun
/xun/
Good
lek
/lek/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Cholan-Tseltalan) languages
| Meaning | Tzeltal | Tzotzil | Tojolabal | Tabasco Chontal | Chol | Q'anjob'al | Itzá Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | voʼ /voʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼaal /kʼaːl/ | kʼokʼ /kʼokʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼajkʼal /kʼaxkʼal/ | kʼakʼal /kʼakʼal/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼajn /kʼahn/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | kʼin /kʼin/ |
| Moon | u /u/ | u /u/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ä /æ/ | uw /uw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | uj /uh/ |
| Mother | meʼ /meʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | mim /mim/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tot /tot/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | weʼel /weʔel/ | veʼel /veʔel/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | lo /lo/ | jant /hant/ |
| Drink | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | uchʼ /utʃʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | uku /uku/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| Love | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | kʼanel /kʼanel/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | kʼamʼ /kʼamʔ/ | yakunti /jakunti/ |
| Heart | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | oʼon /oʔon/ | alma /alma/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | na /na/ | na /na/ | naj /nah/ | otot /otot/ | otyot /otjot/ | na /na/ | nah /nah/ |
| Dog | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ |
| Hand | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼob /kʼob/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Eye | sit /sit/ | sat /sat/ | satej /sateh/ | wich /witʃ/ | wut /wut/ | sat /sat/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hello | banti winik /banti winik/ | kʼusi avokoluk /kʼusi avokoluk/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kawal /kawal/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ |
| Thank you | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | kolaval /kolaval/ | yuj /juh/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ |
| One | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | juñ /huɲ/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | utsat /utsat/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | malobʼ /malob/ |
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