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 famous in linguistic typology for being the only Mayan language with 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
20 core words in Uspanteko
Water
jaʼ
/haʔ/
Fire
qʼaqʼ
/qʼaqʼ/
Sun
qʼiij
/qʼiːh/
Moon
ikʼ
/ikʼ/
Mother
nan
/nan/
Father
tat
/tat/
Eat
waʼ
/waʔ/
Drink
ukʼ
/ukʼ/
Love
lóqʼ
/lóqʼ/
Heart
kʼuʼx
/kʼuʔʃ/
Tree
cheʼ
/tʃeʔ/
House
jaa
/haː/
Dog
tzʼiʼ
/tsʼiʔ/
Cat
mis
/mis/
Hand
qʼab
/qʼab/
Eye
wach
/watʃ/
Hello
saʼbʼal
/saʔbal/
Thank you
maltyox
/maltjoʃ/
One
jun
/hun/
Good
utz
/uts/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Mayan languages
| Meaning | Uspanteko | Kʼicheʼ | Kaqchikel | Tojolabal | Itzá Maya | Classical Maya | Poqomchi' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | qʼaaq /qʼaːq/ |
| Sun | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | qʼij /qʼih/ |
| Moon | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | uj /uh/ | uh /uh/ | ik /ik/ |
| Mother | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | tuut /tuːt/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | yuum /juːm/ | ajaab /ahaːb/ |
| Eat | waʼ /waʔ/ | tijow /tixow/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | jant /hant/ | wiʼij /wiʔiχ/ | wai /wai/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼaaj /ukʼaːh/ | kumun /kumun/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uuk /uːk/ |
| Love | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | loqʼoj /loqʼoh/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | yaah /jaːh/ | rahaal /rahaːl/ |
| Heart | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | animaʼ /animaʔ/ | anima /anima/ | alma /alma/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | kʼuxl /kʼuʃl/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheeʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | jaa /haː/ | ja /xa/ | jay /xaj/ | naj /nah/ | nah /nah/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | paat /paːt/ |
| Dog | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | meʼs /meʔs/ | mes /mes/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | mees /meːs/ |
| Hand | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | qʼab /qʼab/ |
| Eye | wach /watʃ/ | bʼaqʼwach /ɓaqʼwatʃ/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | nakʼ /nakʼ/ |
| Hello | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | saqarik /saqaɾik/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | ma chaa /ma tʃaː/ |
| Thank you | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | yuj /juh/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | tioxlaab /tjoʃlaːb/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /xun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jino /hino/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | utz /uts/ | lek /lek/ | malobʼ /malob/ | utz /uts/ | saqʼwach /saqʼwatʃ/ |
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