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
Aguacatec, Coyotin
Qa'yol
Native to	Guatemala
Region	Huehuetenango
Ethnicity	12,500 Awakatek (2019 census)
Native speakers	10,100 in Guatemala (2019 census)[1] 20 in Mexico (2020 census)[2]
Language family	Mayan Quichean–Mamean Greater Mamean Ixilan Awakatek
Dialects	Chalchitek
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Guatemala  Mexico
Regulated by	Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala
Language codes
ISO 639-3	agu
Glottolog	agua1252
ELP	Awakateko

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.

Otto Stoll identified two separate "Awakatek" languages spoken in the same area; the first being the Mayan language, and the second being a poorly known language which has been classified as part of the Mixe-Zoque family.^[9]

Chalchitek

Chalchitek
Chalchitec
Native to	Guatemala
Region	Huehuetenango
Language family	Mayan Quichean–Mamean Greater Mamean Ixilan Awakatek Chalchitek
Language codes
ISO 639-3	None (mis)
Glottolog	None
ELP	Awakateko

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.^[10] Chalchitek is primarily spoken in the Chalchitán neighborhood of Aguacatán.

Sample text

Sample words^[11]

English	Aguacateco
One	Juun
Two	Kob'
Three	Ox
Four	Kyaaj
Five	O'
Six	Qaq
Seven	Juug
Eight	Wajwax
Nine	B'eluj
Ten	Lajuj
Man	Yaaj
Woman	Xna'n
Dog	Tx'i'
Sun	Q'eej
Moon	Xaaw
Water	A'
Mother	Ntxuu'
Father	Ntaaj
House	Ka'l
Black	Q'eq
White	Saq
Corn	Ixi'n
Fish	Kay
Dog	Xhwiit
Deer	Cheej
Jaguar	B'alam
Monkey	Aq'
Rabbit	Umul
Mouse	Ichi
Bird	Ch'ut
Fish	Kay
Snake	Lupa

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).^[12][13][14]

Phonology

Vowels

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	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 /p/	t /t/				k /k/	ky /kʲ/	q /q/	' /ʔ/
	Ejective			tʼ /tʼ/				kʼ /kʼ/	kyʼ/kʼʲ/	qʼ /qʼ/
	Implosive		bʼ /ɓ/
Nasal			m /m/	n /n/
Fricative				s /s/	xh /ʃ/	x /ʂ/					j /h/
Affricate	Normal			tz /t͡s/	ch /t͡ʃ/	tx /ʈ͡ʂ/
	Ejective			tzʼ /t͡sʼ/	chʼ /t͡ʃʼ/	txʼ /ʈ͡ʂʼ/
Trill				r /r/
Approximant				l /l/			y /j/	w /w/

The coronal ejectives may be allophonically pre-voiced.^[15]