Ixil language

Ixil (Ixhil) is a Mayan language spoken in Mexico and Guatemala.[2] It is the primary language of the Ixil people, which mainly comprises the three towns of San Juan Cotzal, Santa Maria Nebaj, and San Gaspar Chajul in the Guatemalan highlands and numerous towns in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo in southeast México.[3] There is also an Ixil speaking migrant population in Guatemala City, Mexico City and the United States. Although there are slight differences in vocabulary in the dialects spoken by people in the three main guatemalan Ixil towns, they are all mutually intelligible and should be considered dialects of a single language. According to historical linguistic studies Ixil emerged as a separate language sometime around the year 500AD.

Ixil
Pronunciation[iʂil]
Native toGuatemala, Mexico
RegionQuiché Department
Campeche, Quintana Roo
Ethnicity133,329 Ixil (2019 census)
Native speakers
120,000 (2019 census)[1]
Mayan
Dialects
  • Chajuleño and Nebajeño
Latin
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Regulated byInstituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas
Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala
Language codes
ISO 639-3ixl
Glottologixil1251
ELPIxil
History and genealogy of the Mayan languages. Ixil is part of the Mamean subfamily, colored indigo in this image.

Distribution

Ixil language is spoken in Mexico in some municipalities of the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo. In the state of Campeche is spoken in the communities of Los Laureles and Quetzal-Edzná from the Campeche municipality and in Maya Tecún in Champotón municipality, while in Quintana Roo is spoken in the towns of Maya Balam and Kuchumatán, Bacalar municipality.

In Guatemala, the municipalities where Ixil is spoken the most are San Gaspar Chajul, San Juan Cotzal and Santa María Nebaj, Quiché department.

Phonology
Ixil vowels[4]
Front Central Back
High i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open a aː
Ixil consonants (Nebaj dialect)[5]
Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar		 Retroflex Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal m ⟨m⟩ n ⟨n⟩
Plosive/
Affricate		 plain pʰ ⟨p⟩ tʰ ⟨t⟩ t͡sʰ ⟨tz⟩ ȶ͡ɕʰ ⟨ch⟩ ʈ͡ʂʰ ⟨tx⟩ kʰ ⟨k⟩ qʰ ⟨q⟩ ʔ ⟨'⟩
glottalized ɓ ⟨bʼ⟩ tʼ ⟨tʼ⟩ t͡sʼ ⟨tzʼ⟩ ȶ͡ɕʼ ⟨chʼ⟩ ʈ͡ʂʼ ⟨txʼ⟩ kʼ ⟨kʼ⟩ qʼ ⟨qʼ⟩
Fricative β ~ v ⟨v⟩ s ⟨s⟩ ɕ ⟨xh⟩ ʂ ⟨x⟩ χ ⟨j⟩
Flap ɾ ⟨r⟩
Approximant l ⟨l⟩ j ⟨y⟩

Grammar

Ixil pronominals are discerned between ergative ones and absolutive ones.[6] A notable feature of the language's grammar is its ambiguity in discerning reflexive from reciprocal pronouns.[7]

See also

Notes
  1. Ixil at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021) closed access
  2. Colby, Benjamin N., Pierre L. van den Berghe. 1977. Ixiles y Ladinos: El Pluralism Social en el Altiplano de Guatemala. Guatemala: Editorial "Jose de Pineda Ibarra". p. 57.
  3. "Catálogo de las lenguas indígenas nacionales: Ixil".
  4. Ayres (1991), p. 1.
  5. Ayres (1991), p. 2–7.
  6. "Toward a Dialectology of Ixil Maya: Variation across Communities and Individuals" Thomas E. Lengyel
  7. "Reflexive and Reciprocal Elements in Ixil", ERIC: ED353802, Glenn Ayres, 1990.

Bibliography
  • Asicona Ramírez, Lucas, Domingo Méndez Rivera, Rodrigo Domingo Xinic Bop. 1998. Diccionario Ixil de San Gaspar Chajul. La Antigua Guatemala: Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquín.
  • Ayres, Glenn Thompson (1991). La Gramática Ixil. La Antigua Guatemala: CIRMA.
  • Cedillo Chel, Antonio, Juan Ramírez. 1999. Diccionario del idioma ixil de Santa María Nebaj. La Antigua Guatemala: Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquín.
  • England, Nora C. 1994. Ukutaʼmiil Ramaqʼiil Utzijobʼaal ri Mayaʼ Amaaqʼ: Autonomia de los Idiomas Mayas: Historia e identidad. (2nd ed.). Guatemala City: Cholsamaj.
  • Maximiliano Poma S., Tabita J.T. de la Cruz, Manuel Caba Caba et al. 1996. Gramática del Idioma Ixil. La Antigua Guatemala: Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquín.
  • Oxlajuuj Keej Mayaʼ Ajtzʼiibʼ (OKMA). 1993. Mayaʼ chiiʼ. Los idiomas Mayas de Guatemala. Guatemala City: Cholsamaj.
  • Programa de Rescate Cultural Maya-Ixil. 1995. Aqʼbʼal Eluʼl Yol Vatzsaj: Diccionario Ixil. Guatemala City: Cholsamaj.
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