Lacandon language

Spoken in

• Mayan languages Yucatán languages Yucatec - Lakandonisch

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Lakandonisch ( Jach - t'aan, " true language ") is the language of the indigenous people of the Lacandon Indians in the Lacandon Jungle in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

Classification

Lakandonisch (SIL Code lac ) is one of the Mayan languages ​​, and is most closely related to the Mayathan that. Mayan language of the Yucatan as it has evolved from the language yukatekischer Mayan refugees It is therefore referred to by some as a variant of the Mayathan. Two other closely related languages ​​are the language in the Guatemalan Petén Itza and Mopan language in Belize.

The Lacandon decays corresponding to the two Unterethnien the Lacandon into a northern and a southern variant. Mutual understanding is possible, but is partially looked down upon the variant of each other Lakandonengruppe.

The preferred word order is as in Mayathan of Yucatán subject-verb - object (SVO ), but the language is not tonal as opposed to this.

Dissemination

The Lacandon is still spoken by a majority of the Lacandon Indians in the Lacandon Jungle. The census of 2010 showed only 20 speakers of the Lacandon, including no speaker under 20. However, these data are certainly wrong, since the very show you the video footage of a speech Documentation Project more people who speak this language. SIL International is for 2000, citing the Mexican ALI (Instituto Nacional de Lenguas indigenous ) 560 speakers within an ethnic population of 1,000 at Lacandon. Almost all Lacandon speak fluent Spanish Except for the elderly. In the schools no Lakandonisch is taught.

Documentation

In the course of the Christianization of the southern Lacandon since the 1940s, the southern variant of the Lacandon was documented. A dictionary and other materials have been created since then. 1978, a translation of the New Testament was published.

Since the northern Lacandon were never converted to Christianity and had always lived until a few years ago shielded by Spaniards and Mexicans can be assumed that their language far more original features and ancient Mayan words has retained as the southern Lacandon or the other Mayan languages. This is exactly why this language is but little documented. Therefore, there is the Lacandon of Naja of special scientific interest. Since 2002 there is a project of the University of Victoria (Canada), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation to document as much as possible from the traditional culture and language in the form of video recordings.