Spanish vs. Mayan

So I've read a bit of history and a bit of geology, and one thing sticks out. They don't speak only Spanish in Yucatan. Or at least, it's not the native language. Did you know there are TWENTY-NINE Mayan languages?? No? That's ok. Me neither.

Funny story. After doing a ton of research on the Yucatan, we watched The Fountain yesterday. I never realized that movie is bathed in Maya history and legend. It was wonderful to actually have the backstory to fill in the questions while watching the movie. Serendipity.

But I digress.

The Mayan Languages are spoken mainly in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Yucatecan is a subdivision. But they all come from the Proto-Mayan that was spoken 5,000 years ago. All the Mayan languages use relational nouns instead of prepositions, but unlike Spanish, Mayan languages don't use gendered words. I love this.

Spanish Mexican is actually the official language spoken by the majority of the population. However, in Yucatán there are still alive over 20 varieties of Mayan. In all tourist destinations, both Spanish and English are spoken practically everywhere, and yet a mixture of Spanish and Mayan is apparently the norm.

Guess I better brush up on my awful Spanish, and hope it's enough to get us through four days in Yucatan!