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
31 core words in Tzeltal
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
kʼajkʼ
/kʼahkʼ/
Sun
kʼajkʼal
/kʼahkʼal/
Moon
u
/u/
Star
ekʼ
/ekʼ/
Mother
meʼ
/meʔ/
Father
tat
/tat/
I
joʼon
/hoʔon/
You
jaʼat
/haʔat/
Name
biil
/ɓiːl/
Eye
sit
/sit/
Hand
kʼab
/kʼab/
Heart
oʼtan
/oʔtan/
Love
kʼanbey
/kʼanbej/
Tree
teʼ
/teʔ/
House
na
/na/
Dog
tsʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Eat
weʼel
/weʔel/
Drink
uchʼel
/utʃʼel/
One
jun
/xun/
Two
cheb
/tʃeb/
Hello
banti winik
/banti winik/
Thank you
wokol awal
/wokol awal/
Good
lek
/lek/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan (Cholan-Tseltalan) languages
| Meaning | Tzeltal | Tzotzil | Tojolabal | Tabasco Chontal | Chol | Itzá Maya | Classical Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | voʼ /voʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼokʼ /kʼokʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ | kʼakʼal /kʼakʼal/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ |
| Moon | u /u/ | u /u/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ä /æ/ | uw /uw/ | uj /uh/ | uh /uh/ |
| Star | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ek' /eːkʼ/ |
| Mother | meʼ /meʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tot /tot/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ |
| I | joʼon /hoʔon/ | voʼon /voʔon/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | ten /ten/ | hiin /hiːn/ |
| You | jaʼat /haʔat/ | voʼot /voʔot/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | tech /tetʃ/ | hat /hat/ |
| Name | biil /ɓiːl/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | k'aba' /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ |
| Eye | sit /sit/ | sat /sat/ | satej /sateh/ | wich /witʃ/ | wut /wut/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hand | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼob /kʼob/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Heart | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | oʼon /oʔon/ | altzil /altsil/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ |
| Love | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | kʼanel /kʼanel/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | yaah /jaːh/ |
| Tree | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | na /na/ | na /na/ | naj /nah/ | otot /otot/ | otyot /otjot/ | nah /nah/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ |
| Dog | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ |
| Eat | weʼel /weʔel/ | veʼel /veʔel/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | jant /hant/ | weʼ /weʔ/ |
| Drink | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | uchʼ /utʃʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| One | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | juñ /huɲ/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | cheb /tʃeb/ | chib /tʃiɓ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | cha' /tʃaʔ/ |
| Hello | banti winik /banti winik/ | kʼusi avokoluk /kʼusi avokoluk/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ |
| Thank you | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | kolaval /kolaval/ | yuj /juh/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ |
| Good | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | utsat /utsat/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ |
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