Known for exquisite recipes, beautiful landscapes, breathtaking volcanoes, and natural wonders, Guatemala is a beautiful country located in Central America. Guatemala has been a place of interest for many professionals from different fields. Hikers, social activists, photographers, chefs, singers and even movie directors like George Lucas have found inspiration from this multicultural land.
Even though the official language in Guatemala is Spanish, according to MINEDUC (Guatemala’s Ministry of Education), within its 42,042 square miles of territory, there are 22 recognized languages inside the country. Each of which, despite having a similar base, have developed their own grammar rules, structures, vocabulary and sounds.
Indigenous languages come from the roots of the Mayan civilization that inhabited Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. This civilization was characterized by cultural aspects, such as their hieroglyphics, architecture, astronomy, number systems and their relationship with nature.
For over two millenniums, Mayans developed a rich culture that is now the legacy of a whole country; and, of course, that includes the languages they used to communicate with.
For the language enthusiast thirsty for knowledge, here is a list of the 22 indigenous Mayan languages (in alphabetical order):
- Ach: this language is related to k’iche’. It is mainly spoken in the municipalities of Cubulco, Rabinal, San Miguel, Salamá, San Jerónimo, a part of Granados, and Chol, which are all located at Alta Verapaz. This language has two main dialects: Achi from Cubulco, and Achi from Rabinal. This language has 30 phonemes.
- Akateco: this language is spoken in the municipalities of San Rafael la Independencia, San Miguel Acatán and San Sebastián Coatán, in Huehuetenango. Akatán community members respect animals and plants, and they are strongly connected with the environment. This language has around 39,370 speakers in the Guatemalan territory.
- Chorti´: Is mainly spoken by people from Jocotán and Camotán in Chiquimula. Chorti is considered a dialect from k´iche´, and it is also spoken by many people in Honduras and El Salvador.
- Chuj: the members of the community who spoke this language were believed to have come from 4 different groups: the Tzapaluta, from Mexico, Ixtatán, which currently inhabit Coatán, and the current members of Santa Eulalia. In 2002, 64,400 people spoke Chuj, according to the Guatemala National Statistic Institute).
- Itza: this language is mainly spoken in Petén. The name of this community is derived from a lake in Petén where the community was formed. The former members of the Tikul Chichen Itzaj community moved there at the beginning of the 15th century because they were afraid of the invasion that they knew was coming. Sadly, according to a report, this language is about to disappear, since the young members of the community feel ashamed when speaking the language of their ancestors in public.
- Ixil: This language is mainly spoken at Quiché, in the municipalities of San Juan Cotzal, Nebaj and Chajul. People who speak this language respect nature, their community priests, the dances and traditions of their ancestors. In 2002, it was reported that more than 95,000 people spoke this language in Guatemala.
- Jakalteko: this language is also known as abxubal, and it is spoken by both people from Guatemala and Mexico. Most of them live in Jacaltenango, Guatemala. This language has two main dialects (occidental and oriental), and even though they are similar enough to be understood orally, they are completely different in writing.
- Qánjob’al: people who spoke this language used to live in three municipalities of Huehuetenango. This language branch includes chuj, akateco, jalakteco and tojolabal. These languages are considered conservative, in comparison with the other Mayan languages.
- Kaqchikel: with half a million speakers around the country, this language is one of the most important in Guatemala. Most of its speakers are bilingual—they can speak both Spanish and their mother tongue. This language has a vast number of dialects, which will vary according to the region where its spoken.
- K’iche’: is one of the most popular languages in Guatemala with nearly one million speakers, which positions it as the second most spoken language in the country. This language has many dialects, and some of them are even considered a separate language. Some of its varieties are the central k’iche’ (the one spoken in the media and taught in schools), central-occidental, San Andrés k’iche’, Joyabaj k’iche’, oriental, Nahualá k´iche´ and Cunén k´iche. One of the most famous works of Mayan literature, the Popol Vuh, was written in classical k’iche’.
- Mam: is spoken in 61 municipalities of Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango and San Marcos. The Mam community is mainly located on the north-east area of the country and in the south-west area of México. It is the third most popular language among the Mayan languages in Guatemala.
- Mopan: this language is spoken in Petén, in the municipalities of San Luis, Poptún and Dolores. People from this community are highly religious, they believe in death as the transition to more spiritual life and they have a special respect for the moon, which is believed to represent the stages of life.
- Poqomam: The word “Poqomam” comes from “poj”, which means “moon”, and “mam”, which means “grandkids”. This means that Poqomam people consider themselves as the grandchildren of the moon. 42,000 people speak this language, they live in different municipalities from Escuintla and Jalapa.
- Poqomchi: this language is related to Poqomam. It is divided into two dialects: oriental and occidental. Both are spoken in Alta Verapaz. It is an ergative language, and its consonant system is formed by 25 sounds.
- Q’eqchi´: this language is spoken in the northern region of the country, on the west and north of Izabal, the east of Quiché and a large part of Petén. There are very few places to get information about this language, despite being spoken by a large group of Guatemalans.
- Sakapulteco: this language is closely related to k´iche, because their communities were together for many years before they went separate ways. It is only spoken in the municipality of Sacapulas in Quiché.
- Sipakapense: this language is spoken in the municipality of Sipacapa, in San Marcos. Around 4, 500 people speak this language.
- Tektiteko: the speakers of this language live in the region of Tectitán, in Huehuetenango. It belongs to the Mam branch of the Mayan languages.
- Tz’utujil: Is spoken by around 100,000 people, scattered around many municipalities in the south of Sololá and the north of Suchitepéquez. There are at least four different dialects spoken around seven municipalities of Sololá.
- Uspanteko: Is the language of people from the municipality of San Miguel Uspantán, Quiché. People from this community consider food to be something sacred that should never go to waste and they perform traditional rain dance during the dry seasons.
- Xinca: this language, on the edge of extinction, is the only one that does not come from any other Mayan nor Azteca language. Its origins are still a mystery to this day. Its speakers used to inhabit the area from the Pacific Coast to the mountains in Jalapa.
- Garífuna: this language is mainly spoken in the coast of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua, by the Garifuna people. Therefore, one of the main characteristics of this language is that they have separate vocabularies for men and women—which, of course, do not affect all the words. The vocabulary used by men is believed to come from the Caribbean, while women´s come from Arahuacos (several indigenous towns that inhabited the West Indies)
There you have it, a brief explanation of the 22 languages spoken in the beautiful Republic of Guatemala!
We hope that you enjoyed learning a little more about this culture. If you want to learn more about these languages, please contact us! We will be more than happy to guide you through the beauty of these Mayan languages.