Phonology
The Proto-Mayan language is reconstructed (Campbell and Kaufman 1985) as having the following sounds: Five vowels: ''a'', ''e'', ''i'', ''o'' and ''u''. Each of these occurring as short and long: ''aa'', ''ee'', ''ii'', ''oo'' and ''uu'',Sound rules
The following set of sound changes from proto-Mayan to the modern languages are used as the basis of the classification of the Mayan languages. Each sound change may be shared by a number of languages; a grey background indicates no change.Developments
The palatalized plosives and are not carried down into any of the modern families. Instead they are reflected differently in different branches allowing a reconstruction of these phonemes as palatalized plosives. In the western branch (Chujean–Qʼanjobʼalan and Cholan) they are reflected as and . In Mamean they are reflected as and and in Yukatek and Kʼichean as and .England (1994), p.35. The Proto-Mayan liquid is reflected as in the western languages (Chujean–Qʼanjobʼalan and Cholan), Huastecan and Yukatek but as in Mamean and in Kʼichean and Poqom. Proto-Mayan velar nasal is reflected as in the eastern branches (Kʼichean–Mamean), as in Qʼanjobʼalan, Cholan and Yukatekan, and only conserved as in Chuj and Poptí. In Huastecan is reflected as . The changes of Proto-Mayan glottal fricative are many and it has different reflexes according to position. In some positions it has added length to the preceding vowel in languages that preserve a length distinction. In other languages it has the reflexes , , , or a zero-reflex. Only Kʼichean–Mamean and some Qʼanjobʼalan languages have retained Proto-Mayan uvular stops and whereas all other branches have changed these into and respectively. In Mamean a chain shift took place changing into , into , into and into . These retroflex affricates and fricatives later diffused into Qʼanjobʼalan. In polysyllabic words Kaqchikel and Tzʼutujil have changed a final Proto-Mayan and into and respectively. Huastecan is the only branch to have changed Proto-Mayan into . Wastek also is the only Mayan language to have a phonemic labialized velar phoneme , but this is known to be a postcolonial development. Comparing colonial documents in Wastek to modern Wastek it can be seen that they were originally clusters of and a rounded vowel followed by a glide. For example, the word for "vulture" which in modern Wastek is pronounced was writtenReferences
Sources
* England, Nora C., 1994, ''Autonomia de los Idiomas Mayas: Historia e identidad''. (Ukutaʼmil Ramaqʼiil Utzijobʼaal ri Mayaʼ Amaaqʼ.) Cholsamaj. Guatemala. * ''Handbook of Middle American Indians'', 1967, 1969, R. Wauchope (series ed.). Vol 7 (ethnographic sketches of Mayan groups), Volume 5 (linguistic sketches and other useful materials). F 1434, H 3, LAC (ref). * Lyle Campbell and Terrence Kaufman, ''Annual Review of Anthropology''. 1985. "Mayan Linguistics: Where are We Now?"External links