Poqomchiʼ (Pokomchi: Poqomchiiʼ) is a Mayan language spoken by the Poqomchiʼ Maya of Guatemala, and is very closely related to Poqomam. Its two main dialects, eastern and western, were spoken by 90,000 or so people in the year 2000, in Purulhá, Baja Verapaz, and in the following municipalities of Alta Verapaz: Santa Cruz Verapaz, San Cristóbal Verapaz, Tactic, Tamahú and Tucurú. It is also the predominant language in Aldea Belejú, in the municipality of Chicamán (El Quiché), which borders Alta Verapaz.
Geographic distribution Poq'omchí is spoken in the following municipalities of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, and El Quiché departments (Variación Dialectal en Poqom, 2000). Alta Verapaz Panzós (in the community of San Vicente II) La Tinta Tucurú Tamahú Tactic Santa Cruz Verapaz San Cristóbal Verapaz El Quiché Chicamán (in the aldea of Belejú) Baja Verapaz Purulhá (in the community of Ribalcó)
Phonology
Consonants BilabialDentalAlveolarPost-alveolarPalatalVelarUvularGlottalPlosive/AffricatevoicelessejectiveimplosiveFricativeNasalTrillApproximantcentralglottalized()
In Western Poqomchi', is non-existent and a glottalized occurs in alteration. Sometimes an allophone of can be heard as . mainly exists among the western dialects. can be heard as a flap when occurring word-medially. is devoiced to a voiceless fricative following a glottal consonant.
Vowels Front Back Close Mid Open Short allophones of vowels , can be heard as , .
Notes
References
External links Diccionario Pocomchi-Castellano y Castellano-Pocomchi de S. Cristobal Cahcoh Vocabulario de la lengua Pocomam de Mita, includes Pokonchi of San Cristobal Cajcaj Doctrina christiana en Pocomchí (Escrita por Fr. Hippolito de Aguilera, Predicador, Cura de este Partido de el pocomchí) (other texts available at this site) OLAC resources in and about the Poqomchiʼ language Documental "Cultura Poqomchiʼ"