The Maya Tropical Forest: People, Parks, and Ancient CIties

Notes on Names and Orthography

Notes on Names and Orthography The Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala (ALMG), formed in Guatemala in 1986, is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of Maya languages. Among the group’s accomplishments is the publication of recommended spellings for Maya language names. Some of these spellings are logical and easily adopted: “Q’eqchi’” “Kaqchikel,” “K’iche’” are good examples. Others go beyond long-accepted usage. I have respectfully chosen not to use their recommended term “Yukateko” for the people who live in Yucatán or “Lakantún” for the traditional Lacandón. “Yucateco” is a commonly used spelling in modern Spanish, including among the Yucatec Maya themselves. Modern Lacandones refer to themselves as “Lacandones” or “Caribes” when speaking Spanish. When speaking their native language, they call themselves “Hach Winik” and their language “Hach T’an.” I have used Spanish accents where appropriate, even in a few cases where the words are actually Maya that have been Hispanicized. The best example is Petén Itzá, the northern Guatemalan lake, which is written and pronounced in Spanish with the accent on the final syllables. But the words are Maya, properly pronounced with the accent on the first syllables; thus, Peten Itza. The ALMG recommends Itzá for the Itza Maya people, but the Itza Maya themselves, most of whom are literate, have not adopted this spelling nor the indicated change in pronunciation. In these pages, I bow to the tradition of the Itza people. Finally, some scholars use the term “Maya” for people and cultures, reserving the term “Mayan” for the written and spoken languages. I have utilized the more accepted “Maya” for all of these references. xviii  the maya tropical forest Lacandón Maya vowels and consonants are pronounced as they wouldbeinSpanish,althoughIhavechangedtheSpanish jtohinLacandón transcriptions that appear here. Lacandón also has two vowels that do not appear in Spanish: The vowel ä, as in the Lacandón Maya word for yellow , kän, is pronounced like the u in the English word “but.” The Lacand ón vowel i, as in the word for hill, witz, is pronounced as in the English word “wit.” Unless otherwise noted, all translations are mine. ...