In the context of Latin American Indigenous languages, the term "Mayan" does not refer to a single language, but rather a family of over 30 unique languages spoken throughout Mesoamerica. Contrary to popular misconceptions, Mayan languages are not dialects of one singular Mayan language. They can be compared to French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian, which all belong to the Romance language family, but are each different.
Among the Indigenous languages of the Americas, the Mayan language family stands out for its resilience, having survived Spanish colonization and centuries of conflict.
In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the history of Mayan languages, their cultural and linguistic characteristics, and the role of interpreters in supporting Mayan-speaking communities in the United States.
A Brief History of Mayan Languages
Mayan languages all stem from Proto-Mayan, an ancestral language spoken over 5,000 years ago during the Mayan Empire. They played an important role in the development of Mayan civilization, especially during the Classical period, as they were used for cultural, religious, and administrative communications, such as the codices.
Mayan Writing System
From around 300–200 BCE until around the end of the 17th century, the Mayan languages all used a complex hieroglyphic writing system. This system, which consisted of over 800 hieroglyphic and phonetic characters, was one of the only writing systems developed in the pre-Columbian Americas.
Mayan hieroglyphics have been found on stone monuments (stelae), frescoes, pottery, and cave walls. Only four codices survived the colonial Spaniards' attempts to erase Mayan writing.
By imposing their language, culture, and religion, oftentimes brutally, the Spanish drastically altered Mayan culture and languages. Among the major changes was the introduction of the Roman alphabet for their writing systems.
Mayan Languages Today
The legacy of Mayan languages remains strong. Many are still widely spoken in Central America, primarily in Guatemala and Mexico in more rural, remote areas where they have been passed down from generation to generation. Among the most widely spoken Mayan languages today are K’iche’, Yucatec, Q’eqchi’, and Mam.
They are still an integral part of communities and are used in daily life, religious ceremonies, and cultural events. Mayan language speakers, however, often face discrimination in their countries, and Spanish remains the primary language in schools, governments, and workplaces. In response, younger generations are, whether by choice or by circumstances, not learning their native Mayan languages, putting these languages at risk of endangerment or extinction.
The Mayan Language Family
Following the Classic Period, the Mayan languages were divided and over 30 distinct languages were formed across six branches. Each language also features multiple dialects, varying according to region or village.
What makes Mayan languages unique?
Mayan languages, while similar in grammar, are not mutually intelligible. Someone who speaks Yucatec Maya, for example, wouldn’t be able to speak with someone who speaks K’iche’. Despite the many differences between them, they all share unique phonological, grammatical, and syntactic features that set them apart from other languages.
Mayan languages are known for their complex verbal morphology, using prefixes, suffixes, and infixes to convey information about a person, tense, number, mood, and aspect. Most Mayan verbs have a lot of inflection and are also divided into transitive and intransitive stems, with some exceptions.
Phonologically, Mayan languages share features like glottalized or ejective consonants, a five-vowel system (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/) that uses short and long vowels, and uvular consonants, like the /q/. Syntactically, Mayan languages are considered agglutinative, meaning that they utilize a system of root words that can be modified with prefixes and suffixes to indicate possession or subject and object.
Language is integral to the Mayan culture, identity, and transmission of their oral traditions, stories, and spiritual beliefs. In terms of how Mayan language speakers live, think, and perceive the world, their perspectives are very different from those of modern, Western societies. Their languages, similar to most Indigenous languages, are rich in traditional medicinal knowledge, geographic information, cultural practices, and social structures.
Mayan Language Interpretation Services at Maya Bridge
Currently, there are far too many cases in healthcare, immigration proceedings, and community services, where speakers of Indigenous languages who have limited proficiency in English or Spanish are not offered interpretation services in their native languages.
In the United States, language access is a right. Many Indigenous communities, however, are unable to access services in their native languages. For Mayan migrants, who are generally monolingual and speak lower-diffusion languages, this is particularly true. Having language access can have a direct impact on the outcome of their legal cases and immigration proceedings as well as their access to healthcare treatments and social services.
Misinterpretation can lead to serious issues, like incorrect medical diagnoses or unjust legal judgments, both of which can have life-altering consequences. In Kansas, language gaps have been identified as a major barrier to providing adequate medical care to patients with limited English proficiency.
Fortunately, several cities have taken steps to improve language access for Mayan language speakers. A health center in Oakland is working to support its growing Mam community by providing them with interpretation services. Through the expansion of language access services, new legislation in San Francisco helps to make sure that every individual receives the support they need in their native language. In Washington, D.C. and Virginia, efforts are being made to make healthcare and food assistance more accessible to Mayan migrants.
We offer language services for all Mayan languages at Maya Bridge. Our interpreters not only interpret but also help to eliminate cultural misunderstandings, so that Mayan migrants can receive the essential services they need.
Maya Bridge - A Leading Advocate For Latin American Indigenous Language Access In The U.S.
Since 2021, Maya Bridge Language Services has been advocating for increased access for speakers of Mayan and other Latin American and global Indigenous languages here in the United States. Maya Bridge is a mission-driven, niche interpretation agency offering 24/7 on-demand services for over 60 Indigenous languages from Latin America, as well as African, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, and other Indigenous languages.
We have worked diligently to mobilize, train, and evaluate a network of hundreds of interpreters both in the U.S. and throughout the world to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages can fully understand and be understood in important situations like healthcare, legal settings, in disaster and emergency response scenarios, and in receiving access to government programs.
Contact us to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568.
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