Achi language


Achi is a Mayan language very closely related to Kʼicheʼ. It is spoken by the Achi people, primarily in the department of Baja Verapaz in Guatemala.
There are two Achi dialects. Rabinal Achi is spoken in the Rabinal area, and Cubulco Achi is spoken in the Cubulco area west of Rabinal.
One of the masterpieces of precolumbian literature is the Rabinal Achí, a theatrical play written in the Achi language.

Orthography

Achi uses a Latin-based alphabet:
;Vowels
Often usedAlso usedIPAEnglish equivalent
a/a/Like the a in father.
e/e/Like the Spanish e, similar to the a in English gate.
i/i/Like the i in police.
o/o/Like the o in note.
uv/u/Like the u in flute.

;Diphthongs
Often usedAlso usedIPAEnglish equivalent
ayaiajLike English eye.
eyeiejLike ey in English they.
oyoiojLike oy in English boy.
uyuiujlike the uoy in English buoy.

;Consonants
Often usedAlso usedIPAEnglish equivalent
bʼb/ɓ/Like b in boy, only implosive. To English speakers, it sounds as if Maya speakers are 'swallowing' the b sound, similar to the way b is pronounced in Vietnamese.
chč/tʃ/Like ch in chair.
chʼčʼ, chh, ʼch/tʃʼ/Like ch, only glottalized
hj/h/Like the h in hay.
jh, x/x/Like the raspy j in Spanish jalapeño.
kc, qu/k/Like k in key.
kʼcʼ, qʼu, quʼ, ʼc/kʼ/Like k, only glottalized
l/l/ ~ /ɺ/Like l in light. In some dialects this sound is flapped, like the ll in English bellow only pronounced more quickly
m/m/Like m in moon.
n/n/Like n in night.
p/p/Like the p in pie.
qk/q/Like k only pronounced further back in the throat. This is the same sound as the q in Arabic.
qʼkʼ, ʼk/qʼ/Like /q/, only glottalized
r/ɾ/Like Spanish r, somewhat like the tt in English butter.
s/s/Like the s in sun.
t/t/Like the t in tell.
tʼtt/tʼ/Like t, only glottalized
tzts, ¢/t͡s/Like ts in cats.
tzʼtsʼ, ¢ʼ, ʼtz/tsʼ/Like tz, only glottalized
w/w/Like w in way.
xš, sh/ʃ/Like sh in shell.
y/j/Like y in yes.
ʼ7/ʔ/A pause sound, like the one in the middle of the word "uh-oh."