Achi
Achiʼ
Native toGuatemala
RegionBaja Verapaz
Ethnicity161,000 Achi (2019 census)
Native speakers
120,000 (2019 census)[1]
Mayan
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Regulated byAcademia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala
Language codes
ISO 639-3acr
Glottologachi1256
ELPAchi'

Achi (Achí in Spanish) is a Mayan language very closely related to Kʼicheʼ (Quiché in the older orthography). It is spoken by the Achi people, primarily in the department of Baja Verapaz in Guatemala.

There are two Achi dialects. Rabinal Achi is spoken in the Rabinal area, and Cubulco Achi is spoken in the Cubulco area west of Rabinal.

One of the masterpieces of precolumbian literature is the Rabinal Achí, a theatrical play written in the Achi language.

Phonology

The tables present the consonant[2] and vowel[3] phonemes of Achi. On the left is the spelling in use.[4]

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Post-alv./
Palatal		 Velar Uvular Pharyn-
geal		 Glottal
Nasal m [m] n [n]
Plosive/
Affricate		 voiceless p [p] t [t] tz [ts] ch [tʃ] k [k] q [q] ’ [ʔ]
ejective tʼ [tʼ] tzʼ [tsʼ] chʼ [tʃʼ] kʼ [kʼ]
implosive bʼ [ɓ]
Fricative s [s] x [ʃ] j [χ] qʼ [ʕ]
Trill r [r]
Approximant w [w] l [l] y [j]
  • Voiceless plosives can have aspirated allophones [pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ], either when preceding a consonant or in word-final position.
  • A uvular consonant /χ/ can also be heard as velar [x] in some environments.
  • /n/ when preceding a velar consonant can be heard as a velar nasal [ŋ].
  • Sonorants /l r j/ when preceding a voiceless consonant or in word-final position can occur sounding voiceless [l̥ r̥ j̊].[5]

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i [i] ii [iː] u [u] uu [uː]
Mid e [e] ee [eː] o [o] oo [oː]
Open a [a] aa [aː]

References

  1. ↑ Achi at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021) Closed access icon
  2. ↑ Lopez & Iboy (1992:36)
  3. ↑ Lopez & Iboy (1992:41)
  4. ↑ Lopez & Iboy (1992:45)
  5. ↑ Lopez, Manuel Antonio; Iboy, Juliana Sis (1993). Gramática del Idioma Achi. La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala: Proyecto Lingüístico Francisco Marroquín.
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