Native American language * Native American culture * What's new on our site today!

Xinca Indian Language (Xincan, Xinka)

Language: The Xinca Indians are native people of Central America. Though there are more than 200,000 people of Xinca descent in Guatemala today and probably others in neighboring El Salvador, the Xinca language has not been spoken in their communities for 50 years. However, many recordings were made in the 20th century and some younger Xinca people are working to revive their ancestral language again.

Sponsored Links


Names: The name "Xinca" was probably borrowed from the Nahuatl word Tzinaka, meaning "bat." Bats were culturally and mythologically important to the people of Guatemala, and the neighboring Tzotzil tribe's name also means "bat" in Mayan. One complication for Xinca language revival is that the different Xincan dialects were very distinct from each other--so much so that many linguists believe they were actually independent languages (like the different Maya languages of Guatemala are,) Since there are no fluent speakers alive today, it remains to be seen whether Xinca language activists will try to revive a single dialect, multiple dialects, or combine them into an intermediate form for easier language learning. The four main Xincan languages are known as Jumaytepeque (or Jumay Xinka), Chiquimilla (or Chiguimuliya), Guazacapán, and Yupiltepeque, each of which is named after the region where it was spoken. "Xinca" is also spelled several different ways in some literature, including Xinka, Shinka, Shinkan, Xincan, Xinkan, Szinca, Zinca, Jinka, Sinka, and Sinacamecayo.



Xinca Language
Xinca language samples and resources.

Xinca Culture and History
Information and links about the Xinca tribe past and present.



Xinca Language Resources

Our Xinca Language Materials

Xinca Words:
    Our list of vocabulary words in the Xinca language, with translation into English.

Books for sale on the Xincas
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

The Use and Development of the Xinkan Languages:
    Sociolinguistics book about the history of Xinkan.
La cosmovisión Xinka:
    Book about Xinka spirituality and worldview in Spanish.

Xinca Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Xinca Dialects of Guatemala * Indigenous Map of El Salvador:
    Maps showing the locations in Guatemala and El Salvador where Xinca was spoken.
Xinca Language Tree:
    Theories about Xinca language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Wikipedia: Xincan languages:
    Encyclopedia article about Xinca.
Idioma de los Xinkas: * Lengua Shinkan * Palabras, musica, y leyendas Xinka:
    Information about the Xinca language in Spanish.
Reconstructive Description of Eighteenth-century Xinka Grammar:
    Linguistics thesis on the syntax and phonology of the Xinka language.
Xinca Papers:
    Archive of linguistics papers on Xinca, in English and Spanish.
Indigenous Guatemalan Placenames:
    Chart of place names in Xinca and Mayan languages.
Rodrigo Ranero Helps Revive Dying Guatemalan Language * Chris Rogers on Reconstituting Xinkan:
    Articles about Xinka language revival in Guatemala.

Links, References, and Additional Information

  Endangered Languages Project: Jumay Xinka * Xinca de Guazacapan * Chiguimuliya:
  Bibliography of Xinca language resources.
  OLAC: Xinca:
  Reference list of Xinca language materials.
  Guatemala Native Tribes:
  Information about the indigenous culture of Guatemala.
  Cultura Xinca * Somos Xinkas * Pueblo Xinca: * Etnia Xinca * Historica ciudad Xinca en Santa Rosa:
  Additional Xinca information in Spanish.



Back to the Native American tribe list
Back to the indigenous cultures of Central America
Back to Native Americans for kids

Native Languages

Tribal art design * Indian flute song * Cherokee religion * Moccasin shoes

Would you like to sponsor work on the Xinca language page?

Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2021 * Contacts and FAQ page