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Mayan Language Revitalization, Hip Hop, And Ethnic Identity In Guatemala, Rusty Barrett
Mayan Language Revitalization, Hip Hop, And Ethnic Identity In Guatemala, Rusty Barrett
Linguistics Faculty Publications
This paper analyzes the language ideologies and linguistic practices of Mayan-language hip hop in Guatemala, focusing on the work of the group B'alam Ajpu. The members of B'alam Ajpu use a mix of Spanish and Mayan languages in their music and run a school that combines lessons in hip hop (rapping, break-dancing, etc.) with efforts to promote the use of Mayan languages among children. The language ideologies associated with B'alam Ajpu intersect and challenge the ideologies associated with both language revitalization and with hip hop. The linguistic practices of B'alam Ajpu also challenge hegemonic assumptions regarding ethnic identity in Guatemala.
The Huehuetenango Sprachbund And Mayan Language Standardization In Guatemala, Rusty Barrett
The Huehuetenango Sprachbund And Mayan Language Standardization In Guatemala, Rusty Barrett
Linguistics Faculty Publications
This paper outlines the characteristics of a Sprachbund area in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, centered around the town of Huehuetenango. Mesoamerica as a whole forms a unique linguistic area (cf. Campbell 1977, Campbell, Kaufman, and Smith-Stark 1986). The languages of the Huehuetenango Sprachbund contain many of the features typical of the Mesoamerican area, including vigesimal number systems, possessive constructions of the form "her car the woman," the use of relational nouns, non-verb-final word orders, and devoicing of non-nasal sonorant coda consonants. The Huehuetenango area is unique, however, in that the languages of the region share several additional features found …