The Ch’olan languages are split into two branches, namely, the Eastern and Western Ch’olan languages, each of which comprises two languages.[1]Chʼortiʼ and Chʼoltiʼ are the two Eastern Ch’olan languages, while Chʼol and Chontal are the two Western Ch’olan languages.[2]
The inclusion of the Ch’olan languages within the Chʼolan–Tseltalan, Western Mayan, and Core Mayan families is the most widely accepted classification as of 2017.[1] Nonetheless, while it is generally accepted that the Western Mayan family comprises Ch’olan–Tseltalan and Greater Q’anjob’alan languages, this has never been completely confirmed.[3] Furthermore, some linguists formerly grouped Huastecan, Cholan–Tseltalan, and Yucatecan languages together, but this is now deemed erroneous.[3][note 1]
Historyedit
Ch’olan–Tseltlan speakers are thought to have first settled the Maya Lowlands after the diversification of Western Mayan some 3,000 years before present.[4] There, the Ch’olan–Tseltlan languages would have split into Ch’olan and Tseltlan at around 200 BC.[5] By the third century AD, Ch’olan speakers formed part of an area of heightened language contact, centred about the Lowlands, which saw significant linguistic diffusion across Mayan and non-Mayan languages.[6] During the same period, their language would come to dominate Mayan hieroglyphic writing.[7][note 2] Ch’olan would then split into Eastern and Western Ch’olan in about AD 600, with Western Ch’olan diversifying first in about AD 800, and Eastern Ch’olan last in about AD 1500.[8] By the time of Spanish contact, Ch’olan speakers would be found splayed across a crescent at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula, stretching from the Bay of Campeche to that of Honduras, with Chontal speakers in the western Lowlands, Ch’ol in the southwestern Lowlands, Ch’olti’ in the southern Lowlands, and Ch’orti’ in the northeastern Highlands.[9] The Spanish conquest of Peten brought about the extinction of Ch’olti’, one of only two Mayan languages not extant as of 2017.[10] Presently, Ch’ol is spoken in Tabasco and Campeche, Mexico, Ch’orti’ in Chiquimula and Zacapa, Guatemala, and Chontal in Tabasco.[11][note 3]
^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 (Aissen, England & Zavala Maldonado 2017, p. 45).
^The language of Classic Mayan hieroglyphs is now deemed the ancestor of one, two, or all of the Ch’olan languages. That is, the Epigraphic or Classical Mayan language is now identified as either (i) proto–Ch’olan or Ch’olan, and so ancestor of all Ch’olan languages, (ii) proto–Eastern Ch’olan or Eastern Ch’olan, and so ancestor of Ch’orti’ and Ch’olti’, (iii) proto–Western Ch’olan or Western Ch’olan, and so ancestor of Ch’ol and Chontal, or (iv) the proto-language of exactly one of the Ch’olan languages, and so ancestor of one such. Kettunen & Helmke 2020, p. 13 and Aissen, England & Zavala Maldonado 2017, pp. 123, 129–130, 170 favour option (ii). Note that Epigraphic Mayan is sometimes listed as an extinct, rather than ancestral, language, similar to how Latin is sometimes deemed an extinct language, rather than the common ancestor of modern Romance languages (Aissen, England & Zavala Maldonado 2017, pp. 44–45).
^As of 2012, the Ch’olan languages are the second smallest branch of the Mayan family of languages, by number of speakers, given that only it and the Huastec languages have fewer than 300,000 speakers (Becquey 2012, para 1). Furthermore, only one of the three extant Ch’olan languages was not deemed an endangered language by UNESCO, namely Ch’ol (Becquey 2012, para 1).
Aissen J, England NC, Zavala Maldonado R, eds. (2017). The Mayan Languages. Routledge Language Family Series. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN9781315192345. LCCN 2016049735.
Becquey C (5 December 2012). "Quelles frontières pour les populations cholanes?". Ateliers d'Anthropologie. 37 (37). doi:10.4000/ateliers.9181.
Becquey C (2014). Diasystème, diachronie: Études comparées dans les langues cholanes (Thesis). Amsterdam: Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap. ISBN978-94-6093-159-8.
Kettunen H, Helmke C (2020) [first published 2003 by Wayeb]. Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs (17th revised ed.). Wayeb. from the original on 20 June 2023.
External linksedit
April 09, 2024
chʼolan, languages, form, branch, mayan, family, languages, comprising, four, languages, namely, chʼol, chʼoltiʼ, chʼortiʼ, chontal, notably, language, mayan, hieroglyphs, deemed, ancestor, more, olan, languages, chʼolancholanethnicitymaya, peoplesgeographicdi. The Chʼolan languages form a branch of the Mayan family of languages comprising four languages namely Chʼol Chʼoltiʼ Chʼortiʼ and Chontal Notably the language of Mayan hieroglyphs is now deemed the ancestor of one or more of the Ch olan languages ChʼolanCholanEthnicityMaya peoplesGeographicdistributionBelize Guatemala Mexico former Guatemala Mexico nowNative speakers229 500 2002 2005 Linguistic classificationMayanCore MayanWestern MayanChʼolan TseltalanChʼolanProto languageProto Ch olanSubdivisionsEastern Chʼolan Western Ch olanGlottologchol1286NotesClassification subdivisions per Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 44 45 Speakers distribution per Becquey 2012 paras 1 14 Contents 1 Classification 2 History 3 See also 4 Notes and references 4 1 Explanatory footnotes 4 2 Short citations 4 3 Full citations 5 External linksClassification editThe Ch olan languages are split into two branches namely the Eastern and Western Ch olan languages each of which comprises two languages 1 Chʼortiʼ and Chʼoltiʼ are the two Eastern Ch olan languages while Chʼol and Chontal are the two Western Ch olan languages 2 The inclusion of the Ch olan languages within the Chʼolan Tseltalan Western Mayan and Core Mayan families is the most widely accepted classification as of 2017 1 Nonetheless while it is generally accepted that the Western Mayan family comprises Ch olan Tseltalan and Greater Q anjob alan languages this has never been completely confirmed 3 Furthermore some linguists formerly grouped Huastecan Cholan Tseltalan and Yucatecan languages together but this is now deemed erroneous 3 note 1 History editCh olan Tseltlan speakers are thought to have first settled the Maya Lowlands after the diversification of Western Mayan some 3 000 years before present 4 There the Ch olan Tseltlan languages would have split into Ch olan and Tseltlan at around 200 BC 5 By the third century AD Ch olan speakers formed part of an area of heightened language contact centred about the Lowlands which saw significant linguistic diffusion across Mayan and non Mayan languages 6 During the same period their language would come to dominate Mayan hieroglyphic writing 7 note 2 Ch olan would then split into Eastern and Western Ch olan in about AD 600 with Western Ch olan diversifying first in about AD 800 and Eastern Ch olan last in about AD 1500 8 By the time of Spanish contact Ch olan speakers would be found splayed across a crescent at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula stretching from the Bay of Campeche to that of Honduras with Chontal speakers in the western Lowlands Ch ol in the southwestern Lowlands Ch olti in the southern Lowlands and Ch orti in the northeastern Highlands 9 The Spanish conquest of Peten brought about the extinction of Ch olti one of only two Mayan languages not extant as of 2017 10 Presently Ch ol is spoken in Tabasco and Campeche Mexico Ch orti in Chiquimula and Zacapa Guatemala and Chontal in Tabasco 11 note 3 See also editAcala Chʼol Lakandon Chʼol Manche ChʼolNotes and references editExplanatory footnotes edit 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 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 p 45 The language of Classic Mayan hieroglyphs is now deemed the ancestor of one two or all of the Ch olan languages That is the Epigraphic or Classical Mayan language is now identified as either i proto Ch olan or Ch olan and so ancestor of all Ch olan languages ii proto Eastern Ch olan or Eastern Ch olan and so ancestor of Ch orti and Ch olti iii proto Western Ch olan or Western Ch olan and so ancestor of Ch ol and Chontal or iv the proto language of exactly one of the Ch olan languages and so ancestor of one such Kettunen amp Helmke 2020 p 13 and Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 123 129 130 170 favour option ii Note that Epigraphic Mayan is sometimes listed as an extinct rather than ancestral language similar to how Latin is sometimes deemed an extinct language rather than the common ancestor of modern Romance languages Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 44 45 As of 2012 the Ch olan languages are the second smallest branch of the Mayan family of languages by number of speakers given that only it and the Huastec languages have fewer than 300 000 speakers Becquey 2012 para 1 Furthermore only one of the three extant Ch olan languages was not deemed an endangered language by UNESCO namely Ch ol Becquey 2012 para 1 Short citations edit a b Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 p 44 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 123 246 a b Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 p 45 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 54 65 66 72 73 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 54 66 67 73 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 54 73 117 119 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 44 45 52 53 73 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 66 67 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 p 64 Aissen England amp Zavala Maldonado 2017 pp 44 45 Becquey 2012 paras 49 55 59 maps 14 16 Full citations edit Aissen J England NC Zavala Maldonado R eds 2017 The Mayan Languages Routledge Language Family Series London and New York Routledge ISBN 9781315192345 LCCN 2016049735 Becquey C 5 December 2012 Quelles frontieres pour les populations cholanes Ateliers d Anthropologie 37 37 doi 10 4000 ateliers 9181 Becquey C 2014 Diasysteme diachronie Etudes comparees dans les langues cholanes Thesis Amsterdam Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap ISBN 978 94 6093 159 8 Kettunen H Helmke C 2020 first published 2003 by Wayeb Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs 17th revised ed Wayeb Archived from the original on 20 June 2023 External links edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chʼolan languages amp oldid 1195445249, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
