Mayan is not a single language but a family of around 30 languages spoken by an estimated six million people in Guatemala, southern Mexico, Belize and parts of Honduras. All descend from Proto-Mayan, spoken several thousand years ago; the ancient Maya hieroglyphic script, now largely deciphered, records early forms of the family. The languages with the most speakers today include K'iche', Q'eqchi', Mam and Kaqchikel in Guatemala, and Yucatec Maya in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Guatemala formally recognises its Mayan languages, and Mexico grants them status as national languages alongside Spanish. Modern Mayan languages are written in the Latin alphabet with standardised orthographies. Vitality varies considerably: some, like Q'eqchi', are still learned by children as a first language, while others have only elderly speakers left.
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