Spanish Words of Mayan Origin

Quick Answer

In this article, we’ll discuss Spanish words of Mayan origin, such as cigarro(cigar) and olingo(olingo).

Questions This Article Answers

What are Mayan languages?

Where are Mayan languages spoken?

Are there Spanish words that come from Mayan languages?

Mayan Pyramid

Mayan Influence on Spanish

Las lenguas mayas(Mayan languages), or lenguas mayenses, are a family of languages historically spoken in Mesoamérica(Mesoamerica). In pre-Columbian times, this region included Guatemala(Guatemala), México(Mexico), Belice(Belize), Honduras(Honduras) and El Salvador(El Salvador).

Some examples of Mayan languages are:

acateca(Akatek)
achí(Achi)
aguacateca(Aguacatec)
cachiquel(Cakchiquel)
chortí(Chorti)
chuj(Chuj)
huasteco(Huastec)
itzaj(Itza)
ixil(Ixil)
jacalteca(Jacaltec)
kanjobal(Kanhobal)
mam(Mam)
mopán(Mopan)
pocomam(Pokomam)
pocomchí(Pokonchi)
quekchí(Kekchi)
sacapulteca(Sakapultek)
sipacapense(Sipakapense)
tectiteca(Tektitek)
zutujil(Tzutuhil)
uspanteca(Uspantec)
xinca(Xinca)
yucateco(Yucatec)

Mayan languages have been in contact with Spanish since the arrival of the españoles(Spaniards). Currently, Mayan speakers can primarily be found in southern México and Guatemala, along with smaller populations of speakers in Honduras, El Salvador, and Belice.

The Mayan civilization is known for its calendario(calendar), glifos(glyph), art, architecture, astronomy, mathematics, and mythology.

Adaptations, Calques, and Loanwords

A linguistic adaptación(adaptation) is a word or phrase taken from another language but adapted to the target language for phonologic, lexical, or syntactic reasons. For example, breeze is an adaptation of the Spanish word brisa.

A calco(calque) is a word or phrase translated literally into another language. For example, roadrunner is a calque of the Spanish word correcaminos (correr: to run + caminos: roads).

A préstamo lingüístico(loanword) is a word or phrase taken from another language and used in its original form. For example, patio is a loanword taken from Spanish.

Spanish Words of Mayan Origin

The following words are mayismos(words of Mayan origin adapted to Spanish).

Mayan	Spanish	English
Ah Cuzamil Peten	Cozumel	Cozumel
chel	chelo	blue-eyed blonde, cerveza
chibola	enchibolar	to stun
Chichʼen Itzaʼ	Chichén Itzá	Chichen Itza
chum	cuchumbo	vessel
cum	cumbo	gourd
kàan kun	Cancún	Cancun
kantiil	cantil	cantil
kodz	kodzito	stuffed corn tortilla
macech	maquech	jewelled bug
maya’	maya	Mayan
nol	anolar	to gnaw on
pib	pibil	pibil
siyar	cigarro	cigar
t'up	tup	youngest child
tz'onot	cenote	natural well
xeca	xecudo	smart
zaalbut	salbute	stuffed corn tortilla
zonmpopo	zompopo	zompopo

examples
¿Nadaste en el cenote? Did you swim in the natural well?
Dejé de fumar cigarros. I quit smoking cigars.
Estuvimos en Cancún y Cozumel. We visited Cancun and Cozumel.

Cenote

Mayan Loanwords in Spanish

The following list shows Mayan préstamos lingüísticos(loanwords) used in Spanish.

balché	balché tree
cu	Mesoamerican place of worship
henequén	henequen
macal	malanga
olingo	olingo
piche, picha, picho	grackle
poch	eager
put	papaya
yaxché	ceiba tree

examples
¿Ves aquel olingo en el árbol? Can you see that olingo up in the tree?
Usan la corteza del balché para hacer una bebida alcohólica. They use the bark of the balché tree to make an alcoholic beverage.
Esa planta es un helequén. That plant is a helequen.