Tz'unun K'iche'
Uspanteko
Mayan
Uspanteko (autonymously Tz'unun K'iche', "the language of Uspantán") is a K'ichean Mayan language of the Cuchumatanes highlands of Guatemala, spoken by around 5,000 people primarily in the Uspantán municipality of El Quiché department. Uspanteko is notable in linguistic typology as one of the few Mayan languages with tone, distinguished by its grammatical tone — most Mayan languages have lost their original Proto-Mayan tonal contrasts, but Uspanteko has innovated a new tonal system that is used for grammatical purposes (specifically, for marking perfective aspect on certain verbs). Linguistically, Uspanteko is part of the K'ichean branch alongside K'iche' (quc), Tz'utujil (tzj), Kaqchikel (cak), and Sakapulteko (skp), but with distinct phonological and lexical features. The Uspanteko community survived the 1980s Guatemalan Civil War genocide and have maintained their language through community isolation in the Cuchumatanes mountain valleys.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Uspanteko
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼiij
/qʼiːh/
Moon
ikʼ
/ikʼ/
Star
ch'umil
/tʃʼumil/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
tat
/tat/
I
in
/in/
You
at
/at/
Name
b'ii
/ɓiː/
Eye
wach
/watʃ/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Heart
kʼuʼx
/kʼuʔʃ/
Love
lóqʼ
/lóqʼ/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
jaa
/haː/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Eat
waʼ
/waʔ/
Drink
ukʼ
/ukʼ/
One
jun
/hun/
Two
quiib'
/kiːɓ/
Hello
saʼbʼal
/saʔbal/
Thank you
maltyox
/maltjoʃ/
Good
utz
/uts/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Uspanteko | Kʼicheʼ | Kaqchikel | Poqomchi' | Tojolabal | Q'anjob'al | Ixil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ |
| Sun | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼij /qʼih/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼuʼ /kʼuʔ/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ |
| Moon | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ik /ik/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Star | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | chʼumiil /tʃʼumiːl/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | txʼumel /tʂʼumel/ | chumiil /tʃumiːl/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tuut /tuːt/ | nan /nan/ | mim /mim/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | baʼ /baʔ/ |
| I | in /in/ | in /in/ | rïn /rɨn/ | hin /hin/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | ayin /ʔajin/ | in /in/ |
| You | at /at/ | at /at/ | rat /rat/ | hat /hat/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | hach /hatʃ/ | axh /aʃ/ |
| Name | b'ii /ɓiː/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | bʼih /ɓih/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | bʼi /ɓi/ | bʼii /ɓiː/ |
| Eye | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ | satej /sateh/ | sat /sat/ | vusal /vusal/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ |
| Heart | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ | altzil /altsil/ | kʼulul /kʼulul/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ |
| Love | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | loqʼoj /loqʼox/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kamkʼulal /kamkʼulal/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tze /tse/ |
| House | jaa /haː/ | ja /xa/ | jay /xaj/ | paat /paːt/ | naj /nah/ | na /na/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mes /mes/ | mees /meːs/ | mis /mis/ | mes /mes/ | mees /meːs/ |
| Eat | waʼ /waʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | wai /wai/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | lo /lo/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | kumun /kumun/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uku /uku/ | ucha /utʃa/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /xun/ | jino /hino/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kebʼ /keɓ/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | kiʼib /kiʔiɓ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kaʼvaʼl /kaʔʋaʔl/ |
| Hello | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | kawal /kawal/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ |
| Thank you | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ | yuj /juh/ | yuhwal /juhwal/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ | lek /lek/ | watxʼ /watʃʼ/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ |
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