Kʼicheʼ language
Kʼicheʼ ([kʼiˈtʃʰeʔ], also known as Qatzijobʼal lit. 'our language' among its speakers), or Quiché (/kiːˈtʃeɪ/ kee-CHAY), is a Mayan language spoken by the Kʼicheʼ people of the central highlands in Guatemala and Mexico. With over a million speakers (some 7% of Guatemala's population), Kʼicheʼ is the second most widely-spoken language in the country, after Spanish. It is one of the most widely-spoken indigenous American languages in Mesoamerica.
| Kʼicheʼ | |
|---|---|
| Quiché | |
| Qatzijobʼal | |
| Pronunciation | [kʼiˈtʃeʔ] |
| Native to | Guatemala, Mexico |
| Region | Quetzaltenango, Quiché, Retalhuleu, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Chiapas |
| Ethnicity | Kʼicheʼ |
Native speakers | 1.1 million (2019 census) |
Mayan
| |
Early form | |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Mexico |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Regulated by | Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | quc |
| Glottolog | kich1262 |
| ELP | K'iche' |
The Central dialect is the most commonly used in media and education. Despite a low literacy rate, Kʼicheʼ is increasingly taught in schools and used on the radio. The most famous work in the Classical Kʼicheʼ language is the Popol Vuh (Popol Wuʼuj in modern spelling). The second most important work is The Title of Totonicapán.