Mamean languages
| Mamean | |
|---|---|
| Greater Mamean | |
| Geographic distribution | Mesoamerica |
| Linguistic classification | Mayan
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | grea1277 |
The (Greater) Mamean family is a branch of the Eastern Mayan language group.[1] Mamean languages include Aguacateco, Ixil, Mam, Tacaneco, and Tektiteco (Teko).[2]
Languages
- Mamean proper: Mam (478,000 speakers), Tektiteko (5,000 speakers)
- Ixilan: Ixil (135,000 speakers), Awakatek (11,607 speakers)
Phonology
Vowels
| Letter | Mam (Todos Santos) |
Tektiteko (Tectitán) |
Awakatek (Aguacatán) |
Ixil (Chajul) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | /ɪ/ | /i/ | /ɪ/ | /ɪ/ |
| ii | /iː/ | /iː/ | /iː/ | /iː/ |
| u | /ɯ/ | /u/ | /ɯ/ | /ɯ/ |
| uu | /u͍ː/ | /yː/ | /ʉː/ | /yː/ |
| e | /ɛ/ | /e/ | /e̞/ | /ɛ/ |
| ee | /eː/ | /eː/ | /eː/ | /eː/ |
| o | /ɤ̞/ | /o/ | /ɤ/ | /ɔ/ |
| oo | /o͍ː/ | /øː/ | /ɵː/ | /oː/ |
| a | /a/ | /a/ | /ä/ | /a/ |
| aa | /ɑ͍ː/ | /aː/ | /ɐː/ | /ɐː/ |
Consonants
| Letter | Mam (Todos Santos) |
Tektiteko (Tectitán) |
Awakatek (Aguacatán) |
Ixil (Chajul) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | /pʰ~ɸʰ/ | /p̪ʰ/ | /pʰ~ɸʰ/ | /pʰ/ |
| pʼ | N/A | N/A | /pʼ/ | N/A |
| b | /β/ | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| bʼ | /ɓ/ | /ɓ/ | /ɓ/ | /ɓ/ |
| m | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ | /m/ |
| w | /ʋ, ʍ, f/ | /v, ʍ, f/ | /v, w/ | /v, f/ |
| t | /tʰ/ | /tʰ/ | /tʰ/ | /tʰ/ |
| tʼ | /tʼ, ɗ/ | /tʼ/ | /tʼ, ɗ/ | /tʼ/ |
| n | /n~ŋ/ | /n~ŋ/ | /n~ɴ/ | /n~ŋʰ/ |
| s | /s, z/ | /s/ | /s/ | /sʰ, z/ |
| tz | /tsʰ/ | /tsʰ/ | /tsʰ/ | /tsʰ/ |
| tzʼ | /tsʼ/ | /tsʼ/ | /tsʼ/ | /tsʼ/ |
| r | /ɾ~r/ | /ɾ/ | /ɾ/ | /ɾ/ |
| l | /l, ɹ, ɬ/ | /l, ɬ/ | /l, ɬ/ | /l, ɹ, ɬʰ/ |
| xh | /ʃʰ, ɕʰ/ | /ʃʰ/ | /ɕʰ/ | /ɕʰ~ʃʰ/ |
| ch | /tʃʰ, tɕʰ/ | /tʃʰ/ | /tɕʰ/ | /tɕʰ/ |
| chʼ | /tʃʼ, tɕʼ/ | /tʃʼ/ | /tɕʼ/ | /tɕʼ/ |
| x | /ʐ, ʂ/ | /ʂ, ʑ/ | /ʂ, ʐ/ | /ʐ, ʂ/ |
| tx | /ʈʂʰ/ | /ʈʂʰ/ | /ʈʂʰ/ | /ʈʂʰ/ |
| txʼ | /ʈʂʼ/ | /ʈʂʼ/ | /ʈʂʼ/ | /ʈʂʼ/ |
| y | /j/ | /j/ | /j/ | /j~ʝ/ |
| k | /kʰ/ | /kʰ/ | /kʰ/ | /kʰ/ |
| kʼ | /kʼ/ | /kʼ/ | /kʼ~ɠ/ | /kʼ/ |
| nh | N/A | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ | /ŋʰ/ |
| ky | /kʲ, kɕʲ/ | /kʲʰ/ | /kʲ/ | /kʰʲ~kç/ |
| kyʼ | /kʼʲ~kɕʼ/ | /kʼʲʰ/ | /ɠʲ/ | /kʰʲʼ, kʼʝ/ |
| q | /qʰ/ | /qʰ/ | /qʰ/ | /qʰ/ |
| qʼ | /ʛ/ | /qʼ, ʛ/ | /ʛ/ | /ɢʼ/ |
| j | /χʰ, ʁ/ | /χ/ | /χ/ | /χʰ/ |
| h | N/A | N/A | /ʜ, h/ | N/A |
See Mayan languages#Mamean for details.
References
- ^ England, Nora C. (1983). "Ergativity in Mamean (Mayan) Languages". International Journal of American Linguistics. 49 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1086/465762. ISSN 0020-7071. JSTOR 1265575. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ "Quichean-Mamean Mayan Subfamily". mexico.sil.org. SIL Mexico. Retrieved 15 April 2025.