List of Mayan languages
The Mayan languages are a family of languages spoken by the Maya people. The Maya form a group of approximately 7 million people descendant from an ancient Mesoamerican civilization and spread across the modern-day countries of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. They speak descendant languages from their original Proto-Mayan language, and some of their languages were recorded in the form of glyphs of a Mayan script.
Languages
The languages are shown along with their population estimates, as available.
| Family | Branch | Subgroups | Subgroups | Subbranch | Language | Speakers | Estimate Years | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayan | Cholan–Tzeltalan | Ch'ol | Cholan | Chontal | 36,500 | (2000) | Mexico (Tabasco) | |
| Ch'ol | 145,000 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | |||||
| Chortian | Ch'orti' | 30,000 | (2000) | Guatemala, Honduras | ||||
| Ch'olti' | extinct | Guatemala, Belize | ||||||
| Tzeltalan | Tzeltal | 372,000 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | ||||
| Tzotzil | 225,000 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | |||||
| Huastecan | Chicomuceltec | extinct | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||||
| Huastec | 131,000 | (2000) | Mexico (San Luis Potosi, Veracruz) | |||||
| Q'anjobalan–Chujean | Chujean | Chuj | 43,000 | (1991) | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||
| Tojolab'al | 34,000 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | |||||
| Q'anjob'alan | Q'anjob'al–Jakaltek | Jakaltek | 100,000 | (1998) | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||
| Q'anjob'al | 78,000 | (1998) - in Guatemala | Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||||
| Akatek | 57,000 | (1998) | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||||
| Mocho' (Mototzintleco) | Mocho' | 140 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | ||||
| Quichean–Mamean | Greater Mamean | Ixilean | Awakatek | 18,000 | (1998) | Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | ||
| Ixil | 69,000 | (1998) | Guatemala (El Quiché) | |||||
| Mamean | Mam | 540,000 | (1991–2000) | Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala | ||||
| Tektitek | 5,000 | (2002) | Guatemala (Huehuetenango) | |||||
| Greater Quichean | Q'eqchi' | Q'eqchi' | 800,000 | (2009) | Guatemala, Belize | |||
| Poqom | Poqomam | 49,000 | (1990–1991) - in Guatemala | Guatemala | ||||
| Poqomchi' | 92,000 | (1998–2000) | Guatemala (Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, El Quiché) | |||||
| Quichean proper | Quiche– Achi |
Achi | 85,000 | (1990–2000) | Guatemala (Baja Verapaz) | |||
| K'iche' | 2.3 million | (ca. 2010) | Guatemala | |||||
| Kaqchikel | 450,000 | (1990–1998) | Guatemala | |||||
| Tz'utujil | 84,000 | (1990–1998) | Guatemala | |||||
| Sakapultek | Sakapultek | 15,000 | (2006) | Guatemala (El Quiché) | ||||
| Sipakapense | Sipakapense | 8,000 | (2000) | Guatemala (San Marcos) | ||||
| Uspantek | Uspantek | 3,000 | (1998) | Guatemala (El Quiché) | ||||
| Yucatecan | Mopan–Itza | Itza' | extinct | (12 in 1986) | Guatemala (El Petén) | |||
| Mopan | 14,000 | (2006–2007) | Belize, Guatemala (El Petén) | |||||
| Yucatec–Lacandon | Lacandon | 560 | (2000) | Mexico (Chiapas) | ||||
| Yucatec Maya | 770,000 | (2000) | Mexico, Belize | |||||
The numbers above are based on Ethnologue estimates. Some are significantly out of date, and some are inaccurate for geopolitical reasons. In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was also significant refugee movement of populations near the border from Guatemala into Mexico, so generally the Mexican numbers above for the cross-border populations may be lower than reality. The numbers may generally reflect a relatively broad definition of language speakers, leading to somewhat higher numbers than other contemporary estimates.
