Language: Acateco is a Mayan language
spoken by 40,000 people in Guatemala and Mexico. It is closely related to
Kanjobal and used to be considered
a Kanjobal dialect, but the two languages are actually distinct enough that Kanjobal and Acateco speakers
cannot easily understand each other. Acateco is an agglutinative language that uses primarily VOS word order.
Names: The official name of the language is Akateko. (Other common spelling variants include Acateco, Acatec,
Acateca, Akatek, Aquatec, and Acatan Maya.) This name was coined by linguists in the 1970's and is not often used by the speakers
themselves, who call their language Kanjobal and themselves Mayas or Miguelenos. Both "Akateko" and "Migueleño" derive
from the name of their central village, San Miguel Acatán. In older literature, the Akateko language was sometimes referred
to as Western Kanjobal (Western Q'anjob'al) or Conob, which is another name referring to Kanjobal.
Acatec Vocabulary
Our list of vocabulary words in the Acatec language, with comparison to words in other Mayan languages.
Acatec Maya Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Acatec words.
Acatec Animal Words:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Acatec language.
Acatec Colors:
Worksheet showing color words in Acatec.
Diccionario akateko-espanol
Acateco-Spanish dictionary for sale online.
We Were Taught to Plant Corn Not to Kill
Essays and artwork by Guatemalan Mayas about the 20th-century violence that rocked their communities.
The Ancient Maya:
Excellent historical overview of ancient Mayan civilization in general.
Indian Books:
Evolving list of books about Mayas and Native Americans in general.
Indigenous American cultures
Our Acatec Language Materials
Acatec Vocabulary
Language Museum: Western Kanjobal: 
