The department is pleased to congratulate Pedro Mateo Pedro (faculty) on the publication of the Itza' Pedagogical Grammar, in collaboration with the Comindad Lingüística Itza' of the Academia de las Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala.
Itza’ is an endangered language spoken in Guatemala that belongs to the Yucatecan branch of Mayan languages. 80% of the pedagogical grammar appears only in Itza’, since the aim is to strengthen the understanding and oral expression of the language. The development of the grammar is part of a larger project on the revitalization of Itza’.
This project was a joint effort with individuals in the language community and at UofT: Jorge Francisco Mex Tesucún (Comunidad Lingüística Itza'), Ana López Sipac (Kaqchikel speaker), Aki Zhang, Sooyoun Im, David Ramsay, Jevan Konyar, and Daniela Lopez Loncar (UofT).
This is a great step towards revitalization and documentation. Congratulations everyone!
The book is available here:
Itza' Pedagogical Grammar