Awakatek language

Awakatek (also known as Aguateco, Awaketec, Coyotin,[3] and Balamiha, and natively as Qa'yol) is a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala, primarily in Huehuetenango and around Aguacatán.[4][5] The language only has fewer than 10,000 speakers, and is considered vulnerable by UNESCO. In addition, the language in Mexico is at high risk of endangerment, with fewer than 2,000 speakers in the state of Campeche in 2010[6] (although the number of speakers was unknown as of 2000[7][8]).

Awakatek
Qa'yol
Native toGuatemala
RegionHuehuetenango
Ethnicity12,500 Awakatek (2019 census)
Native speakers
10,100 in Guatemala (2019 census)[1]
20 in Mexico (2020 census)[2]
Mayan
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Regulated byAcademia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala
Language codes
ISO 639-3agu
Glottologagua1252
ELPAwakateko

Awakatek is closely related to Ixil and the two languages together form the sub-branch Ixilean, which together with the Mamean languages, Mam and Tektitek, form a sub-branch Greater-Mamean, which again, together with the Greater-Quichean languages, ten Mayan languages, including Kʼicheʼ, form the branch Quichean–Mamean.

Chalchitek

Chalchitek (or Chalchitec) is sometimes considered a dialect of Awakatek. In recent years, however, it has been recognized as a distinct language by the Guatemalan government.[9] Chalchitek is primarily spoken in the Chalchitán neighborhood of Aguacatán.

Etymology

The Awakatek people themselves refer to their language as qaʼyol, literally meaning 'our word'. They also call themselves qatanum, which means 'our people' and is distinct from the word Awakatec, which is used in Spanish in reference to the municipality of Aguacatán (which means place of abundant avocados and refers to agricultural production and not specifically to the indigenous people).[10][11][12]

Phonology

Vowels
Front Back
short long short long
Close i /i/ii /iː/u /u/uu /uː/
Mid e /e/ee /eː/o /o/oo /oː/
Open a /a/aa /aː/

Diphthongs

There are four diphthongs: ay /aj/, ey /ej/, oy /oj/, uy /uj/.

Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Postalveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Normal Palatalized
Plosive Normal p /pʰ/ t /tʰ/ k /kʰ/ ky /kʰʲ/ q /qʰ/ ' /ʲʔ/
Ejective pʼ /pʼ/ tʼ /tʼ/ kʼ /kʼ/ kyʼ/kʼʲ/
Implosive bʼ /ɓ/ qʼ /ʛ/
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ nh /ŋ/
Fricative w /v~f/ s /s/ xh /ʃ/ x /ʂ/ j /χ/ h /ʜ/
Affricate Normal p /ɸʰ/ tz /t͡sʰ/ ch /t͡ʃʰ/ tx /ʈ͡ʂʰ/
Ejective tzʼ /t͡sʼ/ chʼ /t͡ʃʼ/ txʼ /ʈ͡ʂʼ/
Flap r /ɾ/
Approximant l /l~ɺ/ y /j/ w /ʍ/

The coronal ejectives may be allophonically pre-voiced.

References
  1. Awakatek at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021) closed access
  2. Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020 INEGI. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020.
  3. "Global Recordings Network: Aguateco language". Global Recordings Network. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. Cabral, Ernesto Díaz Couder (2001). "Culturas e interculturalidad en Guatemala". Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Brintnall, Douglas E., 1946- (1979). Revolt against the dead : the modernization of a Mayan community in the highlands of Guatemala. New York: Gordon and Breach. ISBN 0677051700. OCLC 4638179.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "Awakatecos - Lengua". Atlas de los Pueblos Indígenas de México. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. "UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  8. Aridjis, H. (22 February 2009). "Homero aridjis / reír en 7 mil lenguas". Reforma: 14.
  9. Martínez, Francisco Mauricio (2003-08-17). "Los pobladores de Coacutec" (PDF). Revista Domingo (in Spanish). Prensa Libre (1158). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-24.
  10. Meyer, Evan. "Evan Meyer served in Guatemala". Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  11. "Comunidad Lingüística Awakateka" (PDF). Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  12. Meyer, Evan. "CU Peace Corps volunteers offer vignettes from their lives abroad - Evan Meyer". Retrieved 27 June 2007.


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