Mayan Languages

Mayan languages, family of indigenous languages spoken in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; Mayan languages were also formerly spoken in western Honduras and western El Salvador. See also Mesoamerican Indian languages.

The Huastecan branch, composed of the Huastec and Chicomuceltec (extinct) languages, was the first to split off from the Mayan family tree. Next Yucatecan, to which Yucatec Maya, Lacandon, Itzáj, and Mopan belong, separated from the rest. Then the large branch of Mayan (sometimes called Core Mayan) diversified into Greater Tzeltalan (Ch’olan-Tzeltalan), Greater Q’anjob’alan, and Eastern Mayan (K’ichean-Mamean). The Greater Tzeltalan subgroup split into two branches, Ch’olan and Tzeltalan. The Ch’olan languages are Chontal, Ch’ol, Ch’ortí, and Choltí (extinct). Tzeltalan has Tzeltal and Tzotzil. Greater Q’anjob’alan also has two branches, Q’anjob’alan and Chujean. The Q’anjob’alan languages are Mocho’ (Motocintlec) and Tuzantec in one subbranch and Q’anjob’al, Akateko, and Jakalteko in the other subbranch. Chujean is composed of Chuj and Tojolabal. The Eastern Mayan subgroup also has two branches, K’ichean and Mamean. The K’ichean languages are K’iche’, Kaqchikel, Tz’utujil, Sakapulteko, Sipakapeño, Poqomam, Poqomchi’, Uspanteko, and Q’eqchi’. The Mamean languages are Mam, Teco (Tektiteko), Awakateko, and Ixil.

From at least 300–200 bce to the end of the 17th century ce the Maya had a complex hieroglyphic writing system that was not deciphered until the mid-20th century. Decipherment has radically changed knowledge of Mayan civilization. It should also be noted that the principal bearers of Classic Maya civilization were Ch’olan speakers, and that for that reason those languages had considerable influence on other Mayan languages and on non-Mayan neighbours.