Tektitek, Teko | |
---|---|
Bʼaʼaj | |
Native to | Guatemala, Mexico |
Region | Chiapas Western Highlands |
Ethnicity | Tektitek |
Native speakers | 3,100 (2019 census)[1] |
Mayan
| |
Latin | |
Official status | |
Official language in | Mexico |
Recognised minority language in | |
Regulated by | Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | ttc |
Glottolog | tekt1235 |
ELP | Teco |
Tektitek (name in Guatemala) or Teko (name in Mexico), called b'a'aj by native speakers, (also known as Tectiteco, Teco, Kʼontiʼl, Qyool, among others)[2] is a Mayan language classified under the Mamean branch, spoken by the Teko people of Chiapas, Mexico and southern Huehuetenango Department, Guatemala. It is very closely related to the Mam language. A number of Tektitek speakers from Huehuetenango have settled in Mexico. Due to the close proximity of Huehuetenango to the Mexican border[3] the speakers of the language have appropriated aspects of Mexican Spanish into the language.[4] While 4,900 speakers were recorded in 2010 by Ethnologue,[2] Juventino de Jesus Perez Alonzo estimated that there were just 2,000 speakers of the language left at that time.[4] He noted however, that measures are being taken to teach the children in Huehuetenango the Tekitek language.[4] According to the Endangered Languages Project, the language is currently threatened.[5] Little is known about the culture, but there are resources that provide vocabulary as well as other educational tools.