Tzʼutujil language
Tzʼutujil /ˈtsuːtəhiːl/ is a Mayan language spoken by the Tzʼutujil people in the region to the south of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. Tzʼutujil is closely related to its larger neighbors, Kaqchikel and Kʼicheʼ. The 2002 census found 60,000 people speak Tzʼutujil as their mother tongue. The two Tzʼutujil dialects are Eastern and Western.
| Tzutujil | |
|---|---|
| Tzʼutujiil | |
| Native to | Guatemala |
| Region | Western Highlands |
| Ethnicity | 106,000 Tzʼutujil (2019 census) |
Native speakers | 72,000 (2019 census) |
Mayan
| |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | Guatemala |
| Regulated by | Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala (ALMG) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | tzj |
| Glottolog | tzut1248 |
| ELP | Tz'utujil |
The majority of the Tzʼutujil people have Spanish as their second language, although many of the older people, or those in more remote locations do not. Many children also do not learn Spanish until they go to school around the age of five although more importance is now being placed upon it due to the influx of tourism into the region. As of 2012, the Community Library Rijaʼtzuul Naʼooj in San Juan La Laguna features story telling for children in Tzʼutujil; bilingual children's books are also available. Spanish is used in written communication.