Maya Country in the Contemporary Mayan Languages

Maya Country in the contemporary Mayan Languages, by Jordan Engel
Maya Country in the contemporary Mayan Languages, by Jordan Engel
The location of Mayan speaking populations. The Huastecan branch, spoken in communities much further north than the rest of the Mayan family, in not included in the Maya Country map.
The location of Mayan speaking populations. The Huastecan branch, spoken in communities much further north than the rest of the Mayan family, in not included in the Maya Country map.

The Maya peoples are a diverse group of indigenous peoples in so-called Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, speaking approximately 30 distinct but related Mayan languages. In traditional Maya culture, the principle axis of the Maya Middleworld is the path of the sun, and Mayan maps are consequently oriented to the east.

Ahk’ìin Pech – Campeche, Mexico (Yucatec)
Armit – Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala (Kaqchikel)
Balún Canán – Comitán, Mexico (Tojolab’al)
Beelmopan – Belmopan, Belize (Yucatec)
B’oko – Chimaltenango, Guatemala (Kaqchikel)
Chactemàal – Chetumal, Mexico (Yucatec)
Chna’jal – Huehuetenango, Guatemal (Mam)
Chowáakha’ – Valladolid, Mexico (Yucatec)
Chuwila – Chichicastenango, Guatemala (K’iche’)
Ho’pelche’en – Hopelchen, Mexico
Holzuz – Belize City, Belize (Yucatec)
Itsamna’ – Izamal, Mexico (Yucatec)
Jo’ – Merida, Mexico (Yucatec)
Jobel – San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico (Tzotzil)
Kaan Witz – Doyle’s Delight, Belize
Kaank’uun – Cancun, Mexico (Yucatec)
Kob’an – Cobán, Guatemala (Q’eqchi)
Kusamil – Cozumel, Mexico (Yucatec)
Mamejuyu – Volcan Tajumulco, Guatemala (Mam)
Noj Petén – Flores, Guatemala (Itza)
Pacbitun – San Ignacio, Belize (Yucatec)
Ranchu – Villahermosa, Mexico (Chontal)
Sa’aal – Naranjo, Guatemala
T-K’áax – Tekax, Mexico (Yucatec)
T-Tsíimin – Tizimín, Mexico (Yucatec)
T-Xiib – Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico (Yucatec)
Tenahtsiik – Tenosique, Mexico
Ti’culí – Ticul, Mexico (Yucatec)
Tu’u’lu’um – Tulúm, Mexico
Tz’alama’ – Salamá, Guatemala (Achi)
Tz’iyuuq’ – Esquintla, Guatemala (Poqomam)
Tzolola’ – Sololá, Guatemala (Tz’utujil)
Ucutsin – Ocosingo, Mexico (Tzeltal)
Xahnil Na – Palenque, Mexico (Tzeltal)
Xamanha’ – Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Xeelaju’ – Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (K’iche’)
Xpujil – Xpujil, Mexico

Map: Jordan Engel. As always, the Decolonial Atlas’ original media can be reused under the Decolonial Media License 0.1.

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4 comments

  1. Are you working on maps that cover El Salvador more extensively? If not, do you have any other sources for maps that do include the indigenous people of El Salvador?

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  2. Bueno, muy bueno. Pero tengo una observación:

    En los idiomas mayas no existe la letra “C” y la “H” se encuentra restringida a unos cuantos idiomas, En el caso de la segunda letra, el Yukateko no la usa, usa una “J” en su lugar.

    En estos idiomas, no existe la combinación de “U” + vocal, suele ser separada por W o Y, tal el caso de “Chuwa” o “Xuya”, respectivamente. 😉

    Saludos de las tierras altas.

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    • PD: Olvidé mencionar que la “Z” no existe a solas; sin embargo en Guatemala se usan Tz y Tz’ y a su vez en México se usan Ts y Ts’ respectivamente.
      La Z se sustituye por “S”.
      Saludos.

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