Home to 5 dialects represented on Dialect Atlas, spanning 5 language families.
The Spanish of Central America, centred on Guatemala City. Linguistically transitional between Mexican and Caribbean varieties, with widespread voseo verb forms.
An Arawakan language with major African and Carib influence, spoken along the Caribbean coast of Central America. Descended from communities deported from St. Vincent in 1797; a UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage.
also: Quiché
The largest Mayan language of Guatemala, spoken across the western highlands. The language of the Popol Vuh, the foundational K'ichean creation epic.
also: Kekchi
A K'ichean Mayan language spoken in central Guatemala and southern Belize. The fastest-growing Mayan language, expanding across former Q'eqchi'-monolingual territory.
A Mamean Mayan language spoken across the western highlands of Guatemala and adjacent parts of Chiapas, Mexico. Around 600,000 speakers.