Mam Language Article Index for
Mam
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Mam
 

Information About

Mam Language




  nativename Qyol Mam
  states Guatemala
  region Western Highlands
  speakers approx 500,000
  familycolor American
  fam1 Mayan
  fam2 Quichean-Mamean
  fam3 Greater Mamean
  fam4 Mamean
  iso2 myn
  lc1 mamld1=Northernll1=none
  lc2 mmsld2=Southernll2=none
  lc3 mvcld3=Centralll3=none
  lc4 mvjld4=Todos Santos Cuchumatánll4=none
  lc5 mpfld5=Tajumulcoll5=none
  lc6 mtzld6=Northernll6=none
  lc7 ckild7=Tacanecll7=none


The Mam language is a member of the Mamean branch of the Mayan Language family. It is spoken by the Mam People people of the highlands of western Guatemala .

There are at least three major divisions in the language: Northern Mam spoken in the province of Huehuetenango, Southern Mam spoken in and around Quetzaltenango and Central Mam spoken in and around San Marcos. Because of a lack of literacy skills and interaction, the language can vary widely from village to village, even though the villages may be separated by just a few miles. Nonetheless, all native speakers of the Mam language are typically able to understand one another, though perhaps with some difficulty.


BIBLIOGRAPHY


  • England, Nora C. (1983). ''A grammar of Mam, a Mayan language''. Austin: University of Texas Press.


  • Perez, Eduardo B'aayil y Jiménez O. Ajb'ee (1997) Ttxoolil Qyool Mam: Gramática de Referencia Mam. Guatemala: Editorial CHOLSAMAJ.