RUTZIL WACHAJ / GREETINGS
Le ali, al Tara le ub’i. Pa le nima tinamit Boston kape wi re le amaq’ Estados Unidos. Ri are’ tijoxel re k’iche’ pa le tinamit Nawalja’. Je wa’ kub’an ri are’ che uya’ik jun rutzil wachaj pa k’iche’ ch’ab’al:
This is Tara. She is from the city of Boston in the United States. She’s a student of K’iche’ in the twon of Nahualá. This is how she greets someone in K’iche’:
[fvplayer width=570 height=320 src=”https://youtu.be/ZRQLZlBimq0″]
The following are common greeting formulas:
| Saqirik! | Good morning! |
| Xb’e q’ij! | Good afternoon! |
| Xok aq’ab’! | Good evening! |
| Jeb’a’! | Good bye! |
| Tat | sir |
| Nan | ma’am |
| Ala | boy |
| Ali | girl |
| Saqirik tat! | Good Morning, sir! |
| Xb’e q’ij nan! | Good Morning, ma’am! |
| Xok aq’ab’ ali! | Good evening, girl! |
K’iche’ has different formal and colloquial address forms. In Nahualá, formal address is required to engage town elders, family in-laws, school teachers, the elderly, church leaders (Catholic priests, catechists, Evangelical pastors) as well as civil authorities (town mayor, departmental governor and other high government officials). Formal address is also used to address God and other divine beings in religious ritual. It is required to address adult audiences in public functions such as school graduations, political speeches and masses. Finally, it is commonly used in radio broadcasts to address listeners. Colloquial forms are expected in informal conversations between kin -except between in-laws- as well as between friends. They are also used in market transactions and in brief exchanges between strangers of the same social status.
Watch each of the following short videos paying special attention to the greetings the speakers utilize.
[fvplayer width=570 height=320 src=”https://youtu.be/y8cmSlmBFXU”]
[flowplayer width=570 height=320 src=”https://youtu.be/V4V9QPFxThg”]
[flowplayer width=570 height=320 src=”https://youtu.be/-kdkjquWGIY”]
[flowplayer width=570 height=320 src=”https://youtu.be/uSyNcljuVN8″]
Informal greeting
| A: | La utz awach? |
| How are you? | |
| B: | Utz maltyox- e k’u ri at – la utz awach? |
| Well, thank you – And you? – How are you? |
| A: | Utz maltyox! |
| Well, thank you! |
formal greeting (directed to a person of higher respect)
| A: | La utz wach la? |
| How are you (formal) | |
| B: | Utz maltyox- e k’u ri lal- la utz wach la? |
| Well, thank you! – And you? – How are you? | |
| A: | Utz maltyox! |
| Well, thank you! |
Names in K’iche’
Every name is preceded by a classifier or title that indicates gender and married status
(less so age) of the name holder. Some common names have a special version in K’iche’.
| masculine | feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| children / young adults | a | al |
| older adults / married | tat | nan |
| a Wel (Manuel) | al Kante’l (Candelaria) | tat Xwan (Juan) | nan Ska’ (Francsica) |
| a Pal (Gaspar) | al Xe’p (Isabel) | tat Si’s (Francisco) | nan Xwa’n (Juana) |
| a Lu’ (Pedro) | al We’l (Manuela) | tat Ku’ (Domingo) | nan Talin (Catarina) |
| a Tun (Antonio) | al Re’n (Lorenza) | nan Mari’y (Maria) |
Jas ab’i’ , ali/ala?
what your-name, girl/boy/child?
What is your name?
What your-name (formal), Sir?
What is your name, Sir?
_________ le nub’i’
_________ this my-name
My name is __________
Maltyox chawe! (informal)
Thank you!
Maltyox che la! (formal)
Thank you!
Maj kab’ij la! Maj kub’ano!
You are welcome! You are welcome!