A Closer Look at Mayan Language Family

Mayan

divides into Cholan–Tzeltalan, Huastecan, Q'anjobalan–Chujean, Quichean–Mamean and Yucatecan.

Cholan–Tzeltalan

divides into Ch'ol group and Tzeltalan group.

Ch'ol group divides into Cholan group and Chortian group.

Cholan group divides into Chontal, 36,500 speakers in Mexico (Tabasco), and Ch'ol properly speaking, 145,000 speakers in Mexico (Chiapas). 181,000 speakers for Cholan group.

Chortian group divides into Ch'orti' proper, 30,000 speakers in Guatemala, Honduras, and formerly Ch'olti', extinct from Guatemala, Belize. Extinct 18th century. Chortian group 30,000 speakers. Ch'ol group overall 211,000 speakers.

Tzeltalan group divides into Tzeltal, 372,000 speakers Mexico (Chiapas) and Tzotzil, 225,000 speakers Mexico (Chiapas). 597,000 speakers for Tzeltalan. 808,000 speakers for Cholan–Tzeltalan.

Huastecan

divides into Chicomuceltec, extinct from Mexico (Chiapas), as well as from Guatemala (Huehuetenango), extinct 1970s–80s, and into Huastec, 131,000 speakers Mexico (San Luis Potosi, Veracruz), which is all of Huastecan group.

Q'anjobalan–Chujean

divides into Chujean group and Q'anjob'alan group.

Chujean group divides into Chuj, 43,000 speakers Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango), and into Tojolab'al with 34,000 speakers, Mexico (Chiapas). Chujean group 77,000 speakers.

Q'anjob'alan

divides into Q'anjob'al–Jakaltek and Mocho' (Mototzintleco).

Q'anjob'al–Jakaltek

divides into Jakaltek, 100,000 speakers Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango), and into Q'anjob'al, 78,000 speakers, Guatemala (Huehuetenango), and into Akatek, 57,000 speakers, Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala (Huehuetenango).

Mocho' (Mototzintleco) is one language with 140 speakers in Mexico (Chiapas).

235,140 speakers for Q'anjob'al–Jakaltek. 312,140 speakers for Q'anjobalan–Chujean.

Quichean–Mamean

divides into Greater Mamean and Greater Quichean.

Greater Mamean

divides into Ixilean and Mamean.

Ixilean

divides into Awakatek, 18,000 speakers in Guatemala (Huehuetenango), and Ixil, 69,000 speakers Guatemala (El Quiché). Ixilean, 87,000 speakers.

Mamean

divides into Mam, 540,000 speakers Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, and into Tektitek, 5,000 speakers in Guatemala (Huehuetenango). Mamean 545,000 speakers. Greater Mamean 632,000 speakers.

Greater Quichean

divides into Q'eqchi' language, Poqom group, Quichean proper, and Sakapultek, Sipakapense and Uspantek.

Q'eqchi' is a language with 800,000 speakers in Guatemala, Belize.

Poqom group divides into Poqomam, 49,000 speakers in Guatemala and Poqomchi', 92,000 speakers in Guatemala (Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, El Quiché). 141,000 speakers for Poqom group.

Quichean proper

divides into Quiche–Achi and another group.

Quiche–Achi

divides into Achi, 85,000 speakers in Guatemala (Baja Verapaz) and into K'iche' 2,300,000 speakers in Guatemala. 2,385,000 speakers for Quiche–Achi.

Other group of Quichean proper divides into

Kaqchikel, 450,000 speakers in Guatemala and into Tz'utujil, 84,000 speakers in Guatemala. 2,919,000 speakers for Quichean proper.

Sakapultek is a language spoken by 15,000 in Guatemala (El Quiché).

Sipakapense is a language spoken by 8,000 in Guatemala (San Marcos).

Uspantek is a language spoken by 3,000 in Guatemala (El Quiché).

Greater Quichean is spoken by 3,886,000 people.

Yucatecan

is divided into Mopan–Itza and Yucatec–Lacandon.

Mopan–Itza

is divided into Itza', now extinct from Guatemala (El Petén), where 12 speakers survived in 1986, and Mopan, 14,000 speakers in Belize, Guatemala (El Petén). All group, then, 14,000 speakers.

Yucatec–Lacandon

is divided into Lacandon, 560 speakers in Mexico (Chiapas), and into Yucatec Maya, 770,000 speakers in Mexico, Belize. 770,560 speakers for Yucatec–Lacandon. Yucatecan has 784,560 speakers.

808,000 Cholan–Tzeltalan
131,000 Huastecan
312,140 Q'anjobalan–Chujean
632,000 Greater Mamean
3,886,000 Greater Quichean
784,560 Yucatecan.

Theoretically

6,553,700 speakers of Mayan languages, if I count correctly. I am here supposing there is no overlap and I am adding together statistics from different censuses.

Of the language family 3 languages have died, but none of the three in immediate connexion with the Conquista.

Hans Georg Lundahl
Nanterre UL
St Michael, Archangel
29.IX.2016