Guatemala Languages

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Guatemala

Languages

Description

The official language of Guatemala is Spanish and as a first and second language, Spanish is spoken by 93% of the population.
Guatemalan Spanish is the local variant of the Spanish language.

Twenty-one Mayan languages are spoken, especially in rural areas, as well as. The top three are:

• Kʼicheʼ or Quiché
  
• Q'eqchi' Maya
  
• Kaqchikel or Cakchiquel or Cachiquel
  

Two non-Mayan Amerindian languages, Xinca, an indigenous language, and Garifuna, an Arawakan language spoken on the Caribbean coast.
According to the Language Law of 2003, the languages of Mayas, Xincas, and Garifunas are recognized as national languages.

Word List(s)

Spanish

• Spanish Genealogical Word List
• Useful Spanish phrases (Omniglot)

Guatemalan Spanish

• Guatemalan Spanish Vocabulary (Wikipedia)

Kʼicheʼ or Quiché

• K’iche’ (MustGo)

Q'eqchi' Maya

• Q'eqchi' Maya Grammar (Wikipedia)
• Q'eqchi' Phrases (Quizlet)
• Book of Phrases, Compact Dictionary (Q’eqchi’) (Mayaglot)

Kaqchikel or Cakchiquel or Cachiquel

• Useful phrases in Kaqchikel (Omniglot)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Spanish

• Spanish Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Spanish Pronunciation Dictionary (Forvo)
• Spanish grammar (Wikipedia)

Guatemalan Spanish

• Guatemalan Spanish Phonetics and phonology (Wikipedia)

Kʼicheʼ or Quiché]

• Kʼicheʼ or Quiché Phonology (Wikipedia)
• Kʼicheʼ Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)

Q'eqchi' Maya

• Q'eqchi' Maya Phonology (Wikipedia)
• Q'eqchi' Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)

Kaqchikel or Cakchiquel or Cachiquel

• Kaqchikel Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Spanish

• Spanish Letter Writing Guide
• Spanish Handwriting Clarified
• Learn Spanish (duolingo)
• Spanish dictionary (Lexilogos)
• English to Spanish Dictionary (Glosbe)
• The Spanish Script Tutorial (byu.ed)

Kʼicheʼ or Quiché]

• English to Cakchiquel-Quiché Mixed Language Dictionary (Glosbe)

Q'eqchi' Maya

• English to Maya-Q'eqchi' Dictionary (Glosbe)

Kaqchikel or Cakchiquel or Cachiquel

• English to Cakchiquel-Quiché Mixed Language Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Blair, Robert W. Cakchiquel Basic Course. n.p.: Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse, 1969. Available at: WorldCat.

Additional Resources

• Guatemala (Britannica)
• Mayers, Marvin K. Languages of Guatemala. London: Mouton & Co., 1966. Available at: WorldCat.