Editing Mayan languages (section)

===Eastern branch===
The Quichean–Mamean languages and dialects, with two sub-branches and three subfamilies, are spoken in the [[Guatemalan Highlands|Guatemalan highlands]].

[[Qʼeqchiʼ language|Qʼeqchiʼ]] (sometimes spelled Kekchi), which constitutes its own sub-branch within Quichean–Mamean, is spoken by about 800,000 people in the southern [[Petén (department)|Petén]], [[Izabal Department|Izabal]] and [[Alta Verapaz]] departments of Guatemala, and also in Belize by 9,000 speakers. In El Salvador it is spoken by 12,000 as a result of recent migrations.<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005). [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=kek Ethnologue report on Qʼeqchi], accessed March 07, 2007.</ref>

The [[Uspantek language]], which also springs directly from the Quichean–Mamean node, is native only to the [[Uspantán]] ''[[Municipalities of Guatemala|municipio]]'' in the department of [[Quiché (department)|El Quiché]], and has 3,000 speakers.<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005) [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=usp Ethnologue report for Uspantec], accessed March 26, 2007.</ref>

Within the Quichean sub-branch [[Kʼicheʼ language|Kʼicheʼ (Quiché)]], the Mayan language with the largest number of speakers, is spoken by around 1,000,000 [[Kʼicheʼ people|Kʼicheʼ Maya]] in the [[Guatemala]]n highlands, around the towns of [[Chichicastenango]] and [[Quetzaltenango]] and in the [[Sierra de los Cuchumatanes|Cuchumatán mountains]], as well as by urban emigrants in [[Guatemala City]].<ref name="Gordon, Raymond G. 2005"/> The famous Maya mythological document, ''[[Popol Vuh]]'', is written in an antiquated Kʼicheʼ often called [[Classical Kʼicheʼ language|Classical Kʼicheʼ (or Quiché)]]. The [[Kʼicheʼ Kingdom of Qʼumarkaj|Kʼicheʼ culture]] was at its pinnacle at the time of the Spanish conquest. [[Qʼumarkaj]], near the present-day city of [[Santa Cruz del Quiché]], was its economic and ceremonial center.{{sfn|Edmonson|1968|pages=250–251}} [[Achi language|Achi]] is spoken by 85,000 people in [[Cubulco]] and [[Rabinal]], two ''municipios'' of [[Baja Verapaz]]. In some classifications, e.g. the one by [[Lyle Campbell|Campbell]], Achi is counted as a form of Kʼicheʼ. However, owing to a historical division between the two ethnic groups, the Achi Maya do not regard themselves as Kʼicheʼ.<ref group=notes>The Ethnologue considers the dialects spoken in Cubulco and Rabinal to be distinct languages, two of the eight languages of a Quiché-Achi family. Raymond G., Gordon Jr. (ed.). Ethnologue, (2005). [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=91829 Language Family Tree for Mayan], accessed March 26, 2007.</ref> The [[Kaqchikel language]] is spoken by about 400,000 people in an area stretching from Guatemala City westward to the northern shore of [[Lago de Atitlán|Lake Atitlán]].<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005). [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=92230 Family Tree for Kaqchikel], accessed March 26, 2007.</ref> [[Tzʼutujil language|Tzʼutujil]] has about 90,000 speakers in the vicinity of Lake Atitlán.<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005). [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tzj Ethnologue report on Eastern Tzʼutujil], [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tzt Ethnologue report on Western Tzʼutujil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410081706/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tzt |date=2007-04-10 }}, both accessed March 26, 2007.</ref> Other members of the Kʼichean branch are [[Sakapultek language|Sakapultek]], spoken by about 15,000 people mostly in [[El Quiché]] department,<ref>Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). "[http://www.ethnologue.com/language/quv/18 Sakapulteko]" ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition'', (2015). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.</ref> and [[Sipakapense language|Sipakapense]], which is spoken by 8,000 people in [[Sipacapa]], [[San Marcos (department)|San Marcos]].<ref>Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). "[http://www.ethnologue.com/language/qum/18 Sipakapense]" ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition'', (2015). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.</ref>

The largest language in the Mamean sub-branch is [[Mam language|Mam]], spoken by 478,000 people in the departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango. [[Awakatek language|Awakatek]] is the language of 20,000 inhabitants of central [[Aguacatán]], another municipality of Huehuetenango. [[Ixil language|Ixil]] (possibly three different languages) is spoken by 70,000 in the "[[Ixil Triangle]]" region of the [[Quiché (department)|department of El Quiché]].<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005) [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ixi Ethnologue report on Nebaj Ixil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504025151/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ixi |date=2008-05-04 }}, [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ixj Chajul Ixil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208132311/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ixj |date=2006-12-08 }} & [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ixl San Juan Cotzal Ixil], accessed March 07, 2008.</ref> [[Tektitek language|Tektitek]] (or Teko) is spoken by over 6,000 people in the municipality of Tectitán, and 1,000 refugees in Mexico. According to the Ethnologue the number of speakers of Tektitek is growing.<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005) [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ttc Ethnologue report for Tektitek], accessed March 07, 2007.</ref>

The Poqom languages are closely related to Core Quichean, with which they constitute a Poqom-Kʼichean sub-branch on the Quichean–Mamean node.{{sfn|Campbell|1997|p=163}} [[Poqomchiʼ language|Poqomchiʼ]] is spoken by 90,000 people<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), (2005). [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=poh Ethnologue report on Eastern Poqomam], [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=pob Ethnologue report on Western Poqomchiʼ], both accessed March 07, 2007.</ref> in [[Purulhá]], [[Baja Verapaz]], and in the following municipalities of [[Alta Verapaz]]: [[Santa Cruz Verapaz]], [[San Cristóbal Verapaz]], [[Tactic (municipality)|Tactic]], [[Tamahú]] and [[Tucurú]]. [[Poqomam language|Poqomam]] is spoken by around 49,000 people in several small pockets in [[Guatemala]].<ref>Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). "[http://www.ethnologue.com/language/poc/18 Poqomam]" ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition'', (2015). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.</ref>