Itzaj T'an
Itzá Maya
Mayan
Itzá Maya (autonymously Itzaj T'an, also spelled Itza or Itzá) is a Yucatecan Mayan language of Petén, Guatemala — the last surviving language of the historic Itzá Maya, the people who founded the kingdom of Tayasal at Lake Petén Itzá. The Tayasal kingdom was famously the last independent Maya state, conquered by the Spanish only in 1697 — more than 200 years after the rest of the Maya world had fallen. The Itzá kingdom maintained pre-Columbian political continuity from the Postclassic Maya era through the colonial period via geographic isolation in the Petén jungle. Today, only around 1,000 elderly speakers remain, primarily in San José village on the northern shore of Lake Petén Itzá; younger Itzá Maya generations have shifted to Spanish. Linguistically, Itzá is closely related to Yucatec Maya (yua) but with distinct vocabulary preserving Postclassic Yucatecan features lost in the modern Yucatec dialect.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Itzá Maya
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Mayan
| Meaning | Itzá Maya | Yucatec Maya | Classical Maya | Tabasco Chontal | Tojolabal | Tzeltal | Chol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | haʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼáakʼ /kʼaːkʼ/ | kʼahkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajkʼ /kʼahkʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ |
| Sun | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiin /kʼiːn/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼahkʼal/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ |
| Moon | uj /uh/ | uj /uh/ | uh /uh/ | ä /æ/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | u /u/ | uw /uw/ |
| Star | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | eekʼ /eːkʼ/ | ekʼ /eːkʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | ekʼ /ekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ |
| Night | akʼabʼ /akʼaɓ/ | áakʼabʼ /aːkʼaɓ/ | akʼabʼ /akʼaɓ/ | akʼäb /akʼɨb/ | aʼkwal /aʔkʷal/ | ajkʼabal /ahkʼaɓal/ | akʼälel /akʼɨlel/ |
| Wind | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | iikʼ /iːkʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | — | ikʼ /ʔikʼ/ | ikʼ /ʔikʼ/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ |
| Earth | luʼum /luʔum/ | luʼum /luʔum/ | kab /kab/ | lum /lum/ | luʼum /luʔum/ | lum /lum/ | lum /lum/ |
| Stone | tunich /tunitʃ/ | tuunich /tuːˈnitʃ/ | tuun /tuːn/ | jiʼtun /hiʔtun/ | ton /ton/ | ton /ton/ | xajlel /ʃahlel/ |
| Mother | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | nan /nan/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ |
| Father | tat /tat/ | taata /taːta/ | yuum /juːm/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | ten /ten/ | teen /teːn/ | hiin /hiːn/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | joʼon /hoʔon/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ |
| You | tech /tetʃ/ | teech /teːtʃ/ | hat /hat/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | jaʼat /haʔat/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ |
| We | toʼon /toʔon/ | toʼon /toʔon/ | — /—/ | noʼonla /noʔonla/ | keʼntik / keʼntikon /keʔntik / keʔntikon/ | joʼotik / joʼotikon /hoʔotik / hoʔotikon/ | joñonla / joñon lojon /hoɲonla / hoɲon lohon/ |
| Name | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼaabaʼ /kʼaːɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaˈɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ |
| Eye | ich /itʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ | ut /ut/ | wich /witʃ/ | satej /sateh/ | sit /sit/ | wut /wut/ |
| Ear | xikin /ʃikin/ | xikin /ʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ | chikin /tʃikin/ |
| Nose | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ |
| Mouth | chiʼ /tʃiʔ/ | chiʼ /tʃiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ | tiʼ /tiʔ/ |
| Tooth | koh /koh/ | koh /koh/ | eh /eh/ | ej /eh/ | ex /eʃ/ | ehal /ehal/ | ej /eh/ |
| Tongue | akʼ /akʼ/ | aakʼ /aːkʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /akʼ/ | akʼ /aʔkʼ/ |
| Hand | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼäb /kʼɨb/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | kʼäb /kʼɨɓ/ |
| Heart | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | puksiʼikʼal /puksiʔikʼal/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pixan /piʃan/ | altzil /altsil/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ |
| Bone | bʼak /ɓak/ | bʼaak /ɓaːk/ | baak /ɓaːk/ | bak /ɓak/ | bakel /ɓakel/ | bak /ɓak/ | bäk /ɓɨk/ |
| Blood | kʼikʼ /kʼikʼ/ | kʼiʼikʼ /kʼiʔikʼ/ | kʼikʼ /kʼikʼ/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ | chikʼel /tʃikʼel/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ | chʼichʼ /tʃʼitʃʼ/ |
| Love | yakunti /jakunti/ | yaakuntej /jaːkunteh/ | yaah /jaːh/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ |
| Tree | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| Dog | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | peekʼ /peːkʼ/ | wichuʼ /witʃuʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | mis /mis/ | miis /miːs/ | miis /miːs/ | ajmis /ahmis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Fish | käy /kɨj/ | kay /kaj/ | kay /kaj/ | buchʼ /butʃʼ/ | chay /tʃaj/ | chay /tʃaj/ | chäy /tʃɨj/ |
| Bird | chʼiichʼ /tʃʼiːtʃʼ/ | chʼíichʼ /tʃʼiːtʃʼ/ | mut /mut/ | mut /mut/ | yal chan /jal tʃan/ | mut /mut/ | mut /mut/ |
| Egg | jeʼ /heʔ/ | jeʼ /heʔ/ | — | säktokʼ /sɨktokʼ/ | nolobʼ /noloɓ/ | tomut /tomut/ | tumut /tumut/ |
| House | nah /nah/ | naj /nah/ | otoch /otoːtʃ/ | otot /otot/ | naj /nah/ | na /na/ | otyot /otjot/ |
| Salt | tab /tab/ | taʼab /taʔaɓ/ | — | atzʼam /atsʼam/ | atsʼam /atsʼam/ | atsʼam /atsʼam/ | atsʼam /atsʼam/ |
| Book | Juʼumilxok /huʔumilʃok/ | juʼun /huʔun/ | huun /huːn/ | jun /hun/ | juʼun /huʔun/ | jun /hun/ | juñ /huɲ/ |
| Eat | jant /hant/ | jaant /haːnt/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | weʼel /weʔel/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ |
| Drink | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼul /ukʼul/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ |
| Sleep | wenel /wenel/ | wenel /wenel/ | way /waj/ | wäye /wɨje/ | wayel /wajel/ | way /waj/ | wäyel /wɨjel/ |
| One | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ |
| Two | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | kaʼ /kaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | cheb /tʃeb/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ |
| Three | ox /oʃ/ | óox /ʔoːʃ/ | ox /oʃ/ | ux /uʃ/ | oxe /oʃe/ | oxeb /oʃeb/ | uxpʼejl /uʃpʼehl/ |
| Four | kan /kan/ | kan /kan/ | kan /kan/ | chan /tʃan/ | chane /tʃane/ | chaneb /tʃaneb/ | chämpʼejl /tʃɨmpʼehl/ |
| Hello | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | baʼax ka waʼalik /baʔaʃ ka waʔalik/ | bix a beel /biʃ a beːl/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | banti winik /banti winik/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ |
| Thank you | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | dios boʼotik /dios boʔotik/ | nibʼoolal /nibʼoːlal/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | yuj /juh/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ |
| Good | malobʼ /malob/ | maʼalob /maʔalob/ | utz /uts/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | utsat /utsat/ |
| Red | chäk /tʃɨk/ | chak /tʃak/ | chak /tʃak/ | chäk /tʃɨk/ | chak /tʃak/ | tsajal /tsahal/ | chächäk /tʃɨtʃɨk/ |
| White | säk /sək/ | sak /sak/ | sak /sak/ | säk /sæk/ | sak /sak/ | sak /sak/ | säsäk /sɨsɨk/ |
| Green | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ | yax /jaʃ/ | yäx /jɨʃ/ | yaʼax /jaʔaʃ/ | yax /jaʃ/ | yäjyäx /jɨhjɨʃ/ |
| Sugar | chʼuuk /tʃʼuːk/ | asukaar /asukaːr/ | — | — | sakal askal /sakal ʔaskal/ | sakil asukal /sakil asukal/ | asukal /asukal/ |
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