Category: English

Tïjonïk 6 (Unit 6) In ajtij; at tijoxel (I am a teacher; you are a student)

In this unit, you will learn about K’iche’ pronouns. We will start with personal pronouns and how to use them in conversation. Next, you will learn how to report the location of people and objects.

Independent pronouns Independent pronouns–equivalent to English personal pronouns–are used in K’iche’ as subjects of non-verbal predicates as well as for emphasis or topicalization (for example, “As for me, I am sure I’ll learn K’iche’”). They are used more sparsely than in English, however. Non-verbal predicates include stative phrases denoting states, conditions or qualities. Unlike Spanish or English, K’iche’ does not have a verb equivalent to ‘to be’. You will notice that the English translations of the example sentences below require the verb ‘to be’ as copula. In pronominal, non-verbal sentences in K’iche’, independent pronouns occupy the first slot followed by the predicate as in the following examples:

[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pronouns_04_in-ajtij.mp3″]In ajtij. I teacher I am a teacher.
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pronouns_04_at-rajkun.mp3″]At r-ajkun le nu-nan. You her-doctor art. my-mother You are my mother’s doctor.
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pronouns_04_are-le-utat.mp3″]Are le u-tat le al Ska’. He art. her-dad- art. class. Francisca He is Francisca’s dad.
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pronouns_04_oj-ajxojolob.mp3″]Oj ajxojolob’ pa Awas Q’ij. We dancers prep. Holy Week We are dancers on Holy Week.
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pronouns_04_are-ral.mp3″]A’re e r-al le nan We’l. They her-children art. class. Manuela They are the children of mrs. Manuela.

Look at the table of independent pronouns. Note that the pronouns are not marked for gender like in the third person in English (in other words, there is no difference between the pronoun for she and he).

in	I	oj/uj	we
at	you	ix	you (pl)
lal	you (formal)	alaq	you (pl, formal)
are(’)	he/she/it	a’re(’)	they

The glottal stop after “are(‘)” and “a’re(‘)” appears when phrase final. We have already seen these pronouns, for example, in greetings:

La utz awach? – Utz maltyox, e k’u ri at? – Utz maltyox. How are you? – Well, thank you, and you?– Well, thank you.
La utz wach la? – Utz maltyox, e k’u ri lal ? – Utz maltyox. How are you (formal) – Well, thank you, and you (formal)?– Well, thank you.

Let’s look at more examples:

In ajtij. I teacher I am a teacher.
At tijoxel You student You are a student.
Are utz u-na’oj He/she/it good his-knowledge He is a good man/woman (she/he has good character/ buena gente).
Lal k’amal b’e you (formal) leader You (formal) are a leader.

Locative sentences Locative sentences, as the name suggests, describe the location of the subject. In K’iche’, locative sentences consist of independent pronouns in the first slot followed by the existential particle k’o and its locative complement, in other words, the place where the subject is. As we have seen in stative phrases, we use the verb “to be” when glossing the sentence in English. Note that if a third person subject is plural the form e k’o is used (we will discuss plurals in more detail in lesson 9). If a third person is explicit, it precedes the existential k’o as well. Let’s look at the following examples:

At k’o pa swan! at k’o pa swan You ex. prep. ravine You are in the ravine!
Oj k’o pa le r-o’ch le a Wel. we ex. prep. his-house Manuel We are at Manuel’s house.
In k’o pa le u-k’isb’al cholaj. I ex. prep. its-last row/lane I’m in the last row.

If the subject of the sentence is the third person singular pronoun, the particle k’o stands alone.

K’o pa tijob’al Ex. prep. school He/she/it is at school.

If the subject of the sentence is the third person plural pronoun, e precedes the particle k’o:

E k’o pa tijob’al They ex. prep. school They are at school.
E k’o keb’ u-k’ajol le tat Xwan They ex. two his-sons art. class. Juan Mr. Juan has two sons.

Emphasis, topicalization, and independent pronouns When the subject is topicalized or emphatic contrast is stressed, independent pronouns are copied in sentence-initial position.

In in k’o pa tijob’al! I am the one who is at school!
At at le utaqo’n le q’atal tzij! You are the one who is the judge’s messenger!
Are le Tu’r le loq’omanel! Venturo is the one who is the buyer!
Oj oj wokol ja! We are the ones who are construction workers!
Ix ix e’laq’omab’! You all are the ones who are thieves!

tz’ib’ab’al	pencil, pen, chalk
wuj	book
uxaq wuj	piece of paper
wanke’t	table, desk
tem	chair
chim	bag, backpack
rax	green, blue
q’eq	black
q’an	yellow
saq	white
kaq	red
ajtij	teacher
tijoxel	student
tikonel	farmer (someone who plants)
ajtij	teacher
ajkun	doctor
pare’	priest
kojol b’aq	nurse, pharmacist
chakunel	worker
k’amal b’e	leader; president; traditionally a person who is an expert in ceremonial speech, for example for weddings
ajanel	wood worker, carpenter
ajq’ij	calendar specialist, daykeeper, shaman
Ajik’	maid, domestic worker (someone who is paid by the month – ik’)
b’insanel ch’ich’	driver
b’anal si’	someone who gets and sells firewood
b’anal ch’ajo’n	somebody who does laundry for a living
b’anal wa	cook
wokol ja	handyman/woman; construction worker
alkalte’	mayor

Translate the following phrases into English.

Oj k’o pa Iximulew.
In ixoq.
Alaq k’o alaq pa juyub’.
A’re’, utz kina’oj.
Rax le nuchim.
La utz wach alaq?
K’o jun tz’i’ pa le nuchakub’al.
In in k’o pa ja.
Are’ le wajtij.
Ix k’o pa le nimatijob’al.
Le qab’ix k’o chila’.
Are’ k’o wuk’.
A’re’ le tijoxelab’.
Oj k’o pa b’e.
K’o jun chi tzij pa le cholaj tzij.

Answers

We are in Guatemala.
I am a woman.
You all are on the mountain.
They have a good character (good-natured).
My bag is green.
How are you all?
There is a dog in my office.
I am at home.
He/she is my teacher.
You all are at the university.
Our cornfield is over there.
He/she is with me.
They are the students.
We are on the road.
I have another word in the sentence.

Translate the following phrases into K’iche’.

I have a bag.
I am a teacher.
He is a student.
They are thieves.
They are the ones who are thieves! (focus)
I have two children.
The cook is at Ernesto’s house.
They have shoes.
The priest is at the church.
How is your mom?

Answers

K’o jun nuchim.
In Ajtij.
Are jun tijoxel.
Ri a’re elaq’omab’.
A’re le e winaq le elaq’omab’.
E k’o keb’ nuk’ajol.
K’o le b’anal wa pa le ro’ch tat Ernesto.
A’re k’o kixajab’.
K’o le pare’ pa le tyox.
La utz uwach le anan?

January 6, 2016

Tïjonïk 5 (Unit 5) K’o jun qat’u’y pa ja! (We have a pot at home!)

100_5628

K’iche’ does not have verbs equivalent to English ‘to have’ and ‘to be’, which introduce existential sentences or possession clauses such as “There is maize in the kitchen” or “I have a mean dog.” In K’iche’, as in most Mayan languages, possession and existence are denoted with a special particle called an “existential” (k’o in K’iche’). The existential k’o often appears in sentence or phrase initial position. In sentence-final position it is replaced with k’olik. In this unit you will learn how to use k’o and its use in conversations.

Possession The particle k’o followed by a possessed noun indicates possession (which in English is expressed with the verb “to have”), as we see in the examples below:

Ex. 1 K’o nuwuj k’o nu-wuj Ex my-book I have a book.	Ex.2 K’o nuwa chi’. k’o nu-wa chi’ Ex my-food here I have food here.
Ex. 3 K’o uxajab’ ri ak’al. k’o u-xajab’ ri ak’al Ex his-sandals det child The child has sandals.	Ex. 4 K’o qo’ch chila’ Nawalja’. k’o q-o’ch chila’ Nawalja’ Ex our-house there Nahualá We have a house in Nahualá.
Ex. 5 K’o iwab’ix pa juyub’. k’o iw-ab’ix pa juyub’ Ex y’all’s-cornfield loc hill You all have a cornfield in the forest/mountain/hill.	Ex. 6 E k’o kik’ajol le a’chijab’. e k’o ki-k’ajol le a’chij-ab’ PL ex their-son (of man) det men-PL The men have sons.

Existential Sentences The particle k’o also functions as an existential (which in English can be glossed as “There is/There are” or different conjugations of the verb “to be”), as we can see from the examples below:

Ex. 7 K’o jun ala pa tijob’al. k’o jun ala pa tijob’al Ex one boy loc school There is a boy in the school.	Ex. 8 K’o jun tz’i’ pa b’e. k’o jun tz’i’ pa b’e Ex one dog loc road There is a dog on the road.
Ex. 9 At k’o pa swan! at k’o pa swan You Ex. loc ravine You are in the ravine!	Ex. 10 Oj k’o pa le ro’ch le a Wel. Oj k’o pa le r-o’ch le a Wel. we Ex. loc. det his-house det Manuel We are at Manuel’s house.

In the following lesson, we will learn more about how to use the existential particle k’o, and we will also learn about personal pronouns. For now, practice using the possessive and existential phrases we have learned in this lesson.

ab’ix	cornfield, milpa
k’ayib’al	market
swan	ravine
tz’ib’ab’al	pen, pencil
sib’alaj	very, much, a lot
b’e	road, path
t’uy’	pot (for cooking)
chak	work
achi	man
achijab’	men
ixoq	woman
ixoqib’	women
tijonik	class, lesson
rajil	money

Write three sentences using the possessive k’o and three sentences using the existencial k’o.

Translate the following sentences to K’iche’.

I have a pen.
My friends have a house in Nahualá.
There is a cow on the road.
My mother has a lot of money.
There is a lot of work in the lesson.
We are in the K’iche’ class.
There is a pot in the kitchen.
We have a cornfield in the ravine.
Manuela is at Xwan’s house.
My dad is at the market.

Answers

In k’o nutz’ib’ab’al.
Le e wachi’il k’o k’och pa Nahualja’.
K’o jun wakax pa le b’e.
Sib’alaj k’o urajil le nunan.
K’i le chak pa we tijonik.
Oj k’o pa le tijonik re K’iche’.
K’o jun t’u’y pa le nuk’b’al.
K’o qab’ix pa siwan.
Al Manuela k’o pa le ro’ch a Xwan.
Le nutat k’o pa le k’ayib’al.

January 5, 2016

Tïjonïk 4 (Unit 4) Are wa’ nuwuj! (This is my book!): K’iche nominal possessive markers

In this lesson, you will learn about nominal possession in K’iche’. It is a bit more intricate than English or Spanish as K’iche’ has a very rich word morphology. You will have plenty of examples and drills!

Possession

In K’iche’ nominal possession markers are prefixed on the possessed person/object. Different sets of prefixes are used with consonant-initial nouns and with vowel-initial nouns. The exception is formal address, in which the post-nominal particles la (sing.) or alaq (plural) are used instead of prefixes. See the examples in the table below:

Before a consonant	rajil “money”	Before a vowel	achi’l “friend”
nu-rajil	my money	w-achi’il	my friend
a-rajil	your money	aw-achi’il	your friend
rajil la	your money (formal)	achi’l la	your friend (formal)
u-rajil	his/her money	r-achi’il	his/her friend
qa-rajil	our money	q-achi’il	our friend
i-rajil	your money (pl. informal)	iw-achi’il	your friend (pl. informal)
rajil alaq	your money (pl. formal)	achi’l alaq	your friend (pl. formal)
ki-rajil	their money	k-achi’il	their friend

Inherent possession (-Vl) A certain class of K’iche’ nouns may take an additional /-Vl/ suffix. This is known as inherent possession and marks a part-whole relationship between possessor and possessed object/person. For example, there is a semantic difference between nub’aq and nub’aqil. The former references bones that are not part of the possessor’s body, chicken bones used to make soup, for example. The latter, in contrast, means “my body” which references the possessor’s own body. Some nouns take only inherent possession markers (wife, husband), others may take both (bone, house). The large majority of nouns do not take inherent possession markers, however. A few nouns take irregular possessed forms such as house (ja when not possessed, -ochoch when possessed).

Preconsonantal	b’aq ‘bone’	Prevocalic	ixoq ‘woman’	–o’ch	‘house’
nu-b’aq-il	my body	w-ixoq-il	my wife	w-o’ch	my house
a-b’aq-il	your body	aw-ixoq-il	your wife	aw-o’ch	your house
b’aq-il la	your body (formal)	ixoq-il la	your wife (formal)	o’ch la	your house (formal)
u-b’aq-il	his/her/its body	r-ixoq-il	his/her wife	r-o’ch	his/her house
qa-b’aqi-il	our body	q-ixoq-il	our wife	q-o’ch	our house
i-b’aq-il	your body (pl.)	iw-ixoq-il	your wife (pl.)	iw-o’ch	your house (pl.)
b’aq-il alaq	your body (pl. formal)	ixoq-il alaq	your wife (pl. formal)	o’ch alaq	your house (pl. formal)
ki-b’aq-il	their body	k-ixoq-il	their wife	ko’ch	their house

Other examples:

kik’ ‘blood’ – nukik’el ‘my blood’

kaq ‘red’ – nukaqal ‘my redness’

q’aq’ ‘fire’ – nuq’aq’al ‘my fever’

suk’ ‘pure’ – nusuk’mal ‘my absence of sin; purity’

wuj	book
che’	tree
ja	house (unpossessed)
-o’ch	house (possessed)
-ij	back of… (possessed)
achi’il	friend
-wach	face (possessed
-al	child (of woman)
kaq	red
ch’ich’	metal; car
kik’	blood
xa’r	cup
wakax	cow
q’oq’	chilacayote
oj	avocado
ulew	tierra
b’aq	bone
rajil	money
tijonik	lesson
tz’ib’ab’al	pencil, pen

Mark all of the following nouns using the possessive markers for all persons:

ch’ich’
kik’
xa’r
wakax
q’oq’
oj
ulew
b’aq
wuj
tijonik
tz’ib’ab’al

Answers

Nuch’ich’; Ach’ich’; Ch’ich’ la; Uch’ich’; Qach’ich’; Ich’ich’; Ch’ich’ alaq; Kich’ich’
Nukik’el; Akik’el; Kik’el la; Ukik’el; Qakik’el; Ikik’el; Kik’el alaq; Kikik’el
Nuxa’r; Axa’r; xa’r la; Uxa’r; Qaxa’r; Ixa’r; xa’r alaq; Kixa’r
Nuwakax; Awakax; wakax la; Uwakax; Qawakax; Iwakax; wakax alaq; Kiwakax
Nuq’oq’; Aq’oq’; q’oq’ la; Uq’oq’; Qaq’oq’; Iq’oq’; q’oq’ alaq; Kiq’oq’
Woj; Awoj; oj la; Roj; Qoj; Iwoj; oj alaq; Koj
Wulew; Awulew; ulew la; Rulew; Qulew; Iwulew; ulew alaq; Kulew
Nub’aqil; Ab’aqil; b’aqil la; Ub’aqil; Qab’aqil; Ib’aqil; b’aqil alaq; Kib’aqil
Nuwuj; Awuj; wuj la; Uwuj; Qawuj; Iwuj; wuj alaq; Kiwuj
Nutijonik; Atijonik; tijonik la; Utijonik; Qatijonik; Itijonik; tijonik alaq; Kitijonik
Nutz’ib’ab’al; Atz’ib’ab’al; tz’ib’ab’al la; Utz’ib’ab’al; Qatz’ib’ab’al; Itz’ib’ab’al; tz’ib’ab’al alaq; Kitz’ib’ab’al

January 4, 2016

Tïjonïk 3 (Unit 3) Rutzil wachaj (Greetings)

This unit introduces the most common greetings. Click on each example, listen to the audio, and read along. Repeat each formula aloud paying attention to Juan Manuel’s pronunciation. Finally, you will also learn several common K’iche’ names.

The following are common greetings:

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 afternoon, ma’am!
Xok aq’ab’ ali!	Good evening, girl!

Social status and greetings in K’iche’ K’iche’ greetings change based on the speakers and the context. There are formal and colloquial greetings. In Nahualá, formal address is required to engage town elders, family in-laws, school teachers, 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 rituals. 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.

[embed-youtube id=”y8cmSlmBFXU”]

[embed-youtube id=”V4V9QPFxThg”]

[embed-youtube id=”-kdkjquWGIY”]

[embed-youtube id=”uSyNcljuVN8″]

Informal greeting

A:	Xb’e q’ij!
	Good afternoon!
B:	Xb’e q’ij
	Good afternoon!
A:	La utz awach?
	How are you (informal)?
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!

[sc_embed_player_template1 fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/greetings_03_la-utz-awach.mp3″]

Formal greeting (addressed to persons of high social status such as in-laws and town authorities)

A:	Saqirik tat/nan!
	Good morning!
B:	Saqirik tat/nan!
	Good morning!
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!

[sc_embed_player_template1 fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/greetings_03_la-utz-wach-la.mp3″]

K’iche’ first names

First names are preceded by a particle known as nominal classifier that indicates gender and marital status of the name holder. Some etymologically Spanish names have their own K’iche’ adapted form.

K’iche’ first name classifiers	masculine	feminine
children / young adults	a	al
older adults / married individuals	tat	nan

Some common first names in Nahualá

a Wel (Manuel)	al We’l (Manuela)	tat Xwan (Juan)	nan Xwa’n (Juana)
a Pal (Gaspar)	al Xe’p (Isabel)	tat Si’s (Francisco)	nan Ska’ (Francisca)
a Lu’ (Pedro)	al Kante’l (Candelaria)	tat Ku’ (Domingo)	nan Talin (Catarina)
a Tun (Antonio)	al Re’n (Lorenza)	nan Mari’y (Maria)

[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/greetings_03_jas-abi-ala.mp3″]Jas ab’i’, ali/ala? What your-name, girl/boy? What is your name, girl/boy?

[sc_embed_player fileurl=”https://tzij.coerll.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/greetings_03_jas-bi-la-tat.mp3″]Jas b’i’ la, tat? 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! (formal) Maj kub’ano! You are welcome! You are welcome!

January 3, 2016

Tïjonïk 2 (Unit 2) Jas ub’anik jun k’otoj chi’aj pa tijonik? (How do we ask questions in class?)

In this lesson we introduce a number of colloquial phrases that will be useful in the classroom. Unless working with a native speaker instructor, we recommend you skip this lesson for now and return to it after finishing lesson 10.

HELPFUL PHRASES FOR THE CLASSROOM

K’o jun nuk’otoj chi’aj.	I have a question.
La k’o jun k’otoj chi’aj?	Is there a question?
La k’o jun na kak’oxomaj taj?	Is there something you don’t understand?
La k’o na kik’oxomaj taj?	Is there something you all don’t understand?
La k’o tzij na kik’oxomaj taj?	Is there any word you all don’t understand?
Na kink’oxomaj taj jas karaj kub’ij…	I don’t understand what …. means.
Na kink’oxomaj taj jas che…?	I don’t understand why…
Na kink’oxomaj taj. Jas che kab’e le jun tzij…?	I don’t understand. Why does the word … go here?
Xinsachik.	I got lost. I made a mistake.
Xinsach che le uwokik le tzij.	I made a mistake constructing the word.
Xsachan le tzij chwe.	I forgot that word.
Xsachan chwe.	I forgot. I can’t remember.
Na weta’m taj.	I don’t know
Jas ub’ixik ….?	How do you say…?
Jas ub’ixik …. pa K’iche’?	How do you say… in K’iche’?
Jas karaj kub’ij….?	What does… mean?
Jas upatan le tzij…?	What’s the function of the word…?
La utz we kinb’ij….?	Is it ok to say…?
Nutom le tzij…	I have heard the word…
Na nutom ta la’ le tzij …	I have not heard the word…

January 2, 2016

Tïjonïk 1 (Unit 1) Jas kab’an che ub’ixik le K’iche’ ch’ab’al? (The sounds of K’iche’)

This unit introduces the sounds of K’iche’. The goal is to become familiar, first, with the pronunciation of consonants and vowels and, second, with the spelling conventions that are used to write K’iche’. Do not worry if your pronunciation is not perfect. You will improve with practice throughout the course.

Jas kab’an che ub’ixik le K’iche’ ch’ab’al (The sounds of K’iche)

Most of the sounds of K’iche’ will not be challenging for a speaker of English or Spanish, as the reader will soon discover. The series of ejective consonants (b’, t’, k’, q’) will be a bit harder to articulate, but with patience and practice they can be mastered too. It should be noted that vowel length is important as several words are distinguished only by the length of their vocalic articulation. For example, the ä in chäj “pine tree” is short, while the a in chaj “ashes” is long. Short vowels will be spelt with a dieresis diacritic (¨) as in the previous example chäj. We encourage the reader not to feel discouraged if her or his pronunciation is not exactly like a native speaker’s. In this course, we strive to develop communicational competence, not “perfect articulation”! Your pronunciation will improve as you continue to practice and engage with native speakers. Begin by reading the words below and then click on the examples and listen carefully. Repeat the words aloud until you feel comfortable with your pronunciation.
The sounds of K’iche’ Some features of K’iche’ consonants and vowels are quite different from those of most Indo-European languages. The most striking are a glottalized series of consonants (ejectives) as well as the presence of both short and long vowels. Vowels are sometimes followed by a closure of the glottis (glottal stop) in which case they are followed by an apostrophe (‘).

p
t
ch
tz
k
q ‘

b’
t’
ch’
tz’
k’
q’

s
j
x

m
n

l
l (final word position)

r

w
y

Figure 1. K’iche’ Consonants

i/ï
u/ü

e/ë
o/ö

a/ä

Figure 2. K’iche’ Vowels

Next we will see the letters and their pronunciation. Listen to the examples carefully and repeat them out loud. The previous tables will be useful for your reference in the future.

Consonants

/p/

pïx                   tomato

pim                  thick

xpëq               toad

pop                 mat

inup ceiba tree

/t/

tiko’n              harvest

patän               tumpline (mecapal)

patan               cargo (religious office); (religious) obligation; role, function

/k/

ka’                   grinding stone; metate

mukün baby squash, ayote

kok’ finely ground (adj.)

tuktuk woodpecker

tukur   tecolote, owl

pëk                  cave

këj                   horse

kem                 weaving

keb’                 two

/q/

qulaj                throat, neck

eqä’n               load

uq                    corte (traditional skirt)

aq                    pig

säqsöj whitish

/b’/

b’aq                 bone

ab’äj                rock, stone, testicle

kab’                 raw sugar, honey, bee

/t’/

t’ü’y pot

at’ïxnab’ to sneeze

t’ot’ snail

/k’/

k’ak’                new

ak’al                child

k’äq                 flea

ixk’äq              (finger) nail; talon (bird)

k’ïm                 grass, fodder

k’ël perikeet

/q’/

q’oq’               chilacayote (a kind of big, oblong squash/pumpkin)

q’e’l                 old (for things)

q’ëq                 black

q’aq’                fire

aq’ab’              night

/tz/

tza                   salty

pä’tz               hairy, bushy

/ch/

chak                 work

k’üch               vulture, zopilote

chom               fat(adj)

chomal             meeting

/tz’/

tz’i’                 dog

tz’äläm wooden plank, cutting board

kotz’i’j flower, candle, Maya ceremony, placenta

sutz’ cloud

/ch’/

ch’at                bed

ch’ab’äl           language

ch’ö                 mouse

/s/

sutz’ cloud

t’isö’m sewn (fabric)

mes                  garbage

/x/

xik   hawk (gavilán)

ixöq                 woman

ab’ix                cornfield

Küx                 Mark, aguardiente (liquor)

/j/

jö’q                  corn husk

ajij                   sugar cane

ja’ water

/m/

më’s                cat

mes                  trash

pamaj              stomach, belly, excrement

mem                mute

mam                grandfather

meb’a’             poor, orphan

moy                 blind

möx                 fool, stupid, crazy, left

/n/

na’oj                thought, idea, wisdom

wanke’t table

ne’                   baby

nö’s                 turkey

nan                  mother, lady

/l/

lol                    cricket

tulül sapote

web’al plate

al                     heavy

ul   landslide

/r/

räx                   green, blue

rajil money

poro’n   fire

/w/

winäq              person, people

iwir                  yesterday

waral               here

utiw                 coyote

ulew                land

ajaw lord, owner, God

wakax   cow

/y/

yak                  mountain lion

yab’il               sickness, state of pregnancy

k’ayb’al          market

t’o’y hat

k’oy                spider monkey

poy                 scarecrow

Consonants borrowed from Spanish

In addition to the phonemes shown above, K’iche’ has borrowed some Spanish phonemes (b, f, d, g), which are restricted to Spanish loanwords such as the following:

bas drinking glass

bin                   wine

botax boots

doctor              doctor

dyos                God (the Christian deity)

parmas pharmacy, drug store

grad                 staircase, steps

Vowels

K’iche’ has a ten-vowel vocalic inventory, as seen in Figure 2. Vowel length is phonemic, in other words, it indicates different words. As we have seen, short vowels are distinguished from long vowels by a two dot diacritic. Note that vowel length is only important on stressed syllables (in other words, the accented syllable of each word). Most K’iche’ dialects stress word-final syllables only, including the Nahuala dialect.

/ï/

ïs                     body hair

pïx                   tomato

tzï hominy, nixtamal

/i/

k’ix                  thistle

ik’                    moon, month

tzij                   word

/ü/

üs                    mosquito

jül                    hole

tzü                   gourd

/u/

kuk                  squirrel

juyub’ mountain

k’um                squash

/ë/

k’ël                  parrot

tzë’                  laughter

Të’k                Diego

/e/

ek’ decorative plant, “pie de gallo”

mem                mute

jech’                uneven

/ö/

kö hard

chö lake

/o/

xot   shingle, griddle, comal

oj                     avocado

k’oj                  mask

pom                 incense

/ä/

äm                   spider

äj                     corn-on-the-cob

q’än                 yellow

/a/

mam                grandfather

k’a’am   string

q’ä’am             bridge, staircase

January 1, 2016