Maaya Tzij
Classical Maya
Mayan · historical / hidden variety
Also known as: Classical Maya, Mayan
Classical Maya (Chʼoltiʼ, "the language of the Chʼol-speaking lowlands") was the prestige language of ancient Maya civilization in the Classic period (c. 250–900 CE), recorded in the most fully developed — and only substantially deciphered — pre-Columbian Mesoamerican writing system. The Maya hieroglyphic script — a logo-syllabic system with ~800 distinct signs — recorded history, dynastic chronology, astronomy, ritual, and mythology on stelae, lintels, codices, and ceramic vessels. Major decipherment progress since the 1950s (Knorozov, Proskouriakoff) has read most texts. The classical literary language was based on Cholan (ancestor of modern Chʼortiʼ and Chol).
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Classical Maya
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Mayan
| Meaning | Classical Maya | Yucatec Maya | Itzá Maya | Tzeltal | Tabasco Chontal | Chol | Tojolabal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ |
| Moon | uh /uh/ | uj /uh/ | uj /uh/ | u /u/ | ä /æ/ | uw /uw/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ |
| Star | ekʼ /eːkʼ/ | eekʼ /eːkʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ |
| Night | akʼabʼ /akʼaɓ/ | áakʼabʼ /aːkʼaɓ/ | akʼabʼ /akʼaɓ/ | ajkʼabal /ahkʼaɓal/ | akʼäb /akʼɨb/ | akʼälel /akʼɨlel/ | aʼkwal /aʔkʷal/ |
| Rain | haʼal /haʔal/ | cháak /tʃáːk/ | — | jaʼal /haʔal/ | — | jaʼal /haʔal/ | — |
| Wind | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | iikʼ /iːkʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ʔikʼ/ | — | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ikʼ /ʔikʼ/ |
| Earth | kab /kab/ | luʼum /luʔum/ | luʼum /luʔum/ | lum /lum/ | lum /lum/ | lum /lum/ | luʼum /luʔum/ |
| Stone | tuun /tuːn/ | tuunich /tuːˈnitʃ/ | tunich /tunitʃ/ | ton /ton/ | jiʼtun /hiʔtun/ | xajlel /ʃahlel/ | ton /ton/ |
| Mountain | witz /wits/ | wiits /wiːts/ | — | wits /wits/ | tzʼik /tsʼik/ | wits /wits/ | wits /wits/ |
| Sea | kʼahkʼ nab /kʼahkʼ nab/ | kʼáaʼnáab /kʼaːʔnaːb/ | — | mar /mar/ | nab /nab/ | ñajb /ɲahɓ/ | niwan paman jaʼ /niwan paman haʔ/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | yuum /juːm/ | taata /taːta/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | hiin /hiːn/ | teen /teːn/ | ten /ten/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | keʼn /keʔn/ |
| You | hat /hat/ | teech /teːtʃ/ | tech /tetʃ/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | weʼn /weʔn/ |
| We | — /—/ | toʼon /toʔon/ | toʼon /toʔon/ | joʼotik / joʼotikon /hoʔotik / hoʔotikon/ | noʼonla /noʔonla/ | joñonla / joñon lojon /hoɲonla / hoɲon lohon/ | keʼntik / keʼntikon /keʔntik / keʔntikon/ |
| Name | kʼabaʼ /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | kʼaabaʼ /kʼaːɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ |
| Person | winik /winik/ | máak /maːk/ | — | ants winik /ants winik/ | winik /winik/ | kixtyañu /kiʃtʲaɲu/ | winkil /winkil/ |
| Head | jol /hol/ | pool /poːl/ | — | jol /hol/ | pam /pam/ | jol /hol/ | ʼolom /ʔolom/ |
| Eye | ut /ut/ | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | sit /sit/ | wich /witʃ/ | wut /wut/ | satej /sateh/ |
| Ear | chikin /tʃikin/ | xikin /ʃikin/ | xikin /ʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ |
| Nose | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ |
| Mouth | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | chiʼ /tʃiʔ/ | chiʼ /tʃiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ |
| Tooth | eh /eh/ | koh /koh/ | koh /koh/ | ehal /ehal/ | ej /eh/ | ej /eh/ | ex /eʃ/ |
| Tongue | akʼ /akʼ/ | aakʼ /aːkʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /aʔkʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ |
| Hand | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼäb /kʼɨb/ | kʼäb /kʼɨɓ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ |
| Foot | ook /oːk/ | ook /oːk/ | — | ok /ok/ | ok /ok/ | ok /ok/ | ok /ok/ |
| Heart | pixan /piʃan/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | altzil /altsil/ |
| Bone | baak /ɓaːk/ | bʼaak /ɓaːk/ | bʼak /ɓak/ | bak /ɓak/ | bak /ɓak/ | bäk /ɓɨk/ | bakel /ɓakel/ |
| Blood | kʼikʼ /kʼikʼ/ | kʼiʼikʼ /kʼiʔikʼ/ | kʼikʼ /kʼikʼ/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ | chikʼel /tʃikʼel/ |
| Love | yaah /jaːh/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | skʼana /skʼana/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| Dog | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | wichuʼ /witʃuʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | miis /miːs/ | miis /miːs/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | ajmis /ahmis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Fish | kay /kaj/ | kay /kaj/ | käy /kɨj/ | chay /tʃaj/ | buchʼ /butʃʼ/ | chäy /tʃɨj/ | chay /tʃaj/ |
| Bird | mut /mut/ | chʼíichʼ /tʃʼiːtʃʼ/ | chʼiichʼ /tʃʼiːtʃʼ/ | mut /mut/ | mut /mut/ | mut /mut/ | yal chan /jal tʃan/ |
| House | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | naj /nah/ | nah /nah/ | na /na/ | otot /otot/ | otyot /otjot/ | naj /nah/ |
| Book | huun /huːn/ | juʼun /huʔun/ | Juʼumilxok /huʔumilʃok/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | juñ /huɲ/ | juʼun /huʔun/ |
| Eat | weʼ /weʔ/ | jaant /haːnt/ | jant /hant/ | weʼel /weʔel/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | waʼel /waʔel/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| Sleep | way /waj/ | wenel /wenel/ | wenel /wenel/ | way /waj/ | wäye /wɨje/ | wäyel /wɨjel/ | wayel /wajel/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ |
| Three | ox /oʃ/ | óox /ʔoːʃ/ | ox /oʃ/ | oxeb /oʃeb/ | ux /uʃ/ | uxpʼejl /uʃpʼehl/ | oxe /oʃe/ |
| Four | kan /kan/ | kan /kan/ | kan /kan/ | chaneb /tʃaneb/ | chan /tʃan/ | chämpʼejl /tʃɨmpʼehl/ | chane /tʃane/ |
| Five | hoʼ /hoʔ/ | joʼ /hoʔ/ | — | joʼeb /hoʔeɓ/ | joʼ /hoʔ/ | joʼ /hoʔ/ | joʼe /hoʔe/ |
| Hello | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | banti winik /banti winik/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ |
| Thank you | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | yuj /juh/ |
| Good | utz /uts/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | malobʼ /malob/ | lek /lek/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | utsat /utsat/ | lek /lek/ |
| New | achʼ /atʃʼ/ | túumben /tuːmben/ | — | achʼ /atʃʼ/ | tzijib /tsihib/ | tsijiʼ /tsihiʔ/ | yajkʼachil /jahkʼatʃil/ |
| Red | chak /tʃak/ | chak /tʃak/ | chäk /tʃɨk/ | tsajal /tsahal/ | chäk /tʃɨk/ | chächäk /tʃɨtʃɨk/ | chak /tʃak/ |
| White | sak /sak/ | sak /sak/ | säk /sək/ | sak /sak/ | säk /sæk/ | säsäk /sɨsɨk/ | sak /sak/ |
| Green | yax /jaʃ/ | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ | yax /jaʃ/ | yäx /jɨʃ/ | yäjyäx /jɨhjɨʃ/ | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ |
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