Yucatecan languages

The Yucatecan languages are split into two branches, namely, Mopan–Itzaj and Yucatec–Lacandon.{{sfn|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=44}} This subdivision, and the inclusion of the Yucatecan languages within the Core Mayan family, is ‘the most widely accepted classification’ as of 2017.{{sfn|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=44}} However, some linguists formerly grouped Huastecan, Cholan–Tseltalan, and Yucatecan languages together, but this is now deemed erroneous.{{sfn|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=45}}{{notetag|The grouping was proposed ‘because Huastecan shares several sound changes with Ch’olan–Tseltalan and with Yucatecan,’ but this is now thought to have been due to language contact rather than shared innovation {{harv|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=45}}.}}

Yucatecan speakers are thought to have first settled the Maya Lowlands some 400 years after the diversification of Core Mayan, which has been glottochronologically dated to around 1900 BC.{{sfnm|1a1=Aissen|1a2=England|1a3=Zavala Maldonado|1y=2017|1pp=54, 65–66, 70–72|2a1=Hofling|2y=2018|2p=7}}{{notetag|Making the Yucatecan branch the second oldest in the Mayan family of languages, after the Huastecan branch {{harv|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=45}}.}} There, they were joined by Ch’olan–Tseltan speakers sometime during 1000–800 BC, though only Ch’olan speakers remained after about 200 BC.{{sfn|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|pp=54, 66–67, 72–73}} By the third century AD, Yucatecan speakers would form part of an area of heightened language contact, centred on the Lowlands, which saw significant linguistic diffusion across Mayan and non-Mayan languages.{{sfnm|1a1=Aissen|1a2=England|1a3=Zavala Maldonado|1y=2017|1pp=54, 73|2a1=Hofling|2y=2018|2p=7}} By the ninth century AD, their language would start appearing in Classic Mayan hieroglyphic texts.{{sfnm|1a1=Aissen|1a2=England|1a3=Zavala Maldonado|1y=2017|1p=73|2a1=Hofling|2y=2018|2pp=8–9}} {{blockquote|text=The Yucatecan languages began to diversify perhaps a millennium ago and have had repeated contacts with one another since. The first split in this group was Mopan, followed by Itzaj after 1200, Northern Lacandon and Southern Lacandon after 1700, with Yucatec Maya remaining.|author=CH Hofling, {{em|The Mayan Languages}}.{{sfn|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=685}}{{notetag|{{harvnb|Aissen|England|Zavala Maldonado|2017|p=45}} seem to roughly agree with these dates. {{harvnb|Hofling|2018|p=8}} roughly agrees with the first date.}}}} Presently, Itzaj is spoken in Peten (Guatemala), Lacandon in Chiapas (Mexico), Mopan in Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo (Belize) and Peten (Guatemala), and Yucatec in Corozal, Orange Walk (Belize) and Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo (Mexico).{{sfn|Lewis|2009|pp=233, 265–266, 274}}

• Mesoamerican Linguistic Area
• Itza people

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{{reflist}}

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1. {{cite book

| veditors = Aissen J, England NC, Zavala Maldonado R

| date = 2017

| title = The Mayan Languages

| volume =

| series = Routledge Language Family Series

| url =

| location = London and New York

| publisher = Routledge

| isbn = 9781315192345

| lccn = 2016049735

| doi =

}}

1. {{cite journal

| vauthors = Hofling CH

| date = 2018

| title = Cambio diacrónico en la familia lingüística yucatecana

| journal = Cuadernos de Lingüística de el Colegio de México

| volume = 5

| issue = 1

| pages = 6–46

| doi = 10.24201/clecm.v5i1.95

| doi-access = free

}}

1. {{cite book

| veditors = Lewis MP

| date = 2009

| orig-date = first published 1951 by SIL

| title = Ethnologue: Languages of the World

| edition = 16

| series =

| url =

| location = Dallas

| publisher = SIL International

| isbn = 9781556712166

| lccn =

| ol = 19636399W

}}

{{refend}}

• [http://www.native-languages.org/itzaj.htm Itzaʼ language resources at Native-languages.org]

{{Mayan languages}}

{{Languages of Guatemala}}

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Category:Mayan languages

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