Mamean languages

Last updated
Mamean
Greater Mamean
Geographic
distribution		 Mesoamerica
Linguistic classification Mayan
  • Eastern
    (Quichean–Mamean)
    • Mamean
Subdivisions
  • Mamean proper
  • Ixilan
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]

Contents

Languages

Genealogy of Mayan languages. Mayan languages tree en.svg
Genealogy of Mayan languages.

Phonology

Vowels

Vowels system of Mamean languages
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

Consonant inventory of the Mamean languages
Letter Mam
(Todos Santos)		 Tektiteko
(Tectitán)		 Awakatek
(Aguacatán)		 Ixil
(Chajul)
p/pʰ~ɸʰ//p̪ʰ//pʰ~ɸʰ//pʰ/
pʼN/AN/A/pʼ/N/A
b/β/N/AN/AN/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/
nhN/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/
hN/AN/A/ʜ, h/N/A

See Mayan languages#Mamean for details.

References

  1. ↑ England, Nora C. (1983). "Ergativity in Mamean (Mayan) Languages". International Journal of American Linguistics. 49 (1): 1–19. ISSN   0020-7071 . Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  2. ↑ "Quichean-Mamean Mayan Subfamily". mexico.sil.org. SIL Mexico. Retrieved 15 April 2025.


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