Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs - Wayeb

Kettunen & Helmke 2011
Glossary of Linguistic Terminology
semantics
The study of meaning in language.
semivowels
The sounds [w], [j], [r], and [l], but more commonly only [w] and [j] are referred to as semivowels since they are
not easily classified into the categories of CONSONANTS or of VOWELS. See also APPROXIMANTS.
sentence
A grammatical unit composed of one or more CLAUSES.
singular
A class of grammatical forms indicating only one NOUN or PRONOUN. See NUMBER.
stative verb
A VERB that expresses a state of affairs rather than action. For example, the verbs be, have, and know are stative
verbs in English.
stem
Basic part of a word to which INFLECTIONAL AFFIXES can be attached. For example the stem of the Maya word
chanal (“celestial”) is chan (“sky”). Similarly the stem of k’ahk’al (“fiery”) is k’ahk’ (“fire”). A stem can be either
monomorphemic (a.k.a. root) or polymorphemic (having more than one morphemes).
stop
A type of CONSONANT involving a complete obstruction (closure) of the passage of air at some point through the
oral tract followed by a sudden release of the air. In Classic Maya there are eight stops: /p/, /t/, /k/, / ’/, /p’/, /t’/,
/k’/, and /b/.
stress
The relative prominence of a unit of spoken language that is typically attributed to one syllable in a word.
Normally a stressed syllable is pronounced by an increase in articulatory force and at a higher pitch. The stress in
Maya words is typically in the last syllable.
subject
A NOMINAL element that refers to the “doer” i.e. the AGENT in the action of the VERB. Subjects can either be NOUNS,
PRONOUNS or complex NOMINAL clauses. In Maya languages subjects follow verbs (and possible OBJECTS) in a verbobject-subject
(VOS) order.
substantive
A broad classification of words that includes NOUNS and NOMINALS.
suffix
A bound MORPHEME (or AFFIX) which attaches at the end of a ROOT or STEM. See also PREFIX.
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