[2] Chʼortiʼ is the modern version of the ancient Mayan language Chʼolan (which was actively used and most popular between the years of A.D 250 and 850).

Chʼortiʼ is an important tool for interpreting the contents of Maya glyphic writings, some of which are not yet fully understood.

For several years, many linguists and anthropologists expected to grasp the Chʼortiʼ culture and language by studying its words and expressions.

[3] Chʼortiʼ is spoken mainly in and around Jocotán and Camotán, Chiquimula department, Guatemala, as well as in adjacent areas of parts of western Honduras near the Copán Ruins.

The language of the Mayan Glyphs is described as 'Classic Chʼoltiʼan' by John Robertson, David Stuart, and Stephen Houston.

The Kʼicheʼ Maya however, dominated the Chʼortiʼ dating back to the early fifteenth century.

More recently, 25 percent of the Guatemalan Chʼortiʼ went to the United States during the 1980s to escape political persecution.

[9][10] The consonants of Chʼortiʼ include glottal stop [ʼ], b, bʼ, ch, chʼ, d, g, j, k, kʼ, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, tʼ, tz, tzʼ, w, x, y.

According to historians, long vowels occur in Classical Mayan, but have been lost in modern Chʼortiʼ.

[12] Chʼortiʼ tripartite pronominal system (data from Hull 2005) edefsitzʼboyu-buyi-ØA-3-chop-B-3edefsiʼwoode sitzʼ u-buyi-Ø e siʼdef boy A-3-chop-B-3 def wood'The boy chops the wood (into tiny pieces)'intzajsweetlokʼoy-Øgo.out-B-3edefpeʼychtomatointzaj lokʼoy-Ø e peʼychsweet go.out-B-3 def tomato'The tomato turned out delicious'edefkʼinsuna-lokʼoyC-1-go.outtaprepixnergoingkʼinsune kʼin a-lokʼoy ta ixner kʼindef sun C-1-go.out prep going sun'The sun sets in the west'In the Chʼortiʼ language and other Mayan sentences it always starts with verbs but also there are agents or patients added and in which they are commonly represented by the acronym VOS, meaning verb-object-subject.

[13] EThechijhorsenumuypassedtu'tin.front.ofethemax-takchild-PLE chij numuy tu't e max-takThe horse passed in.front.of the child-PL"The horse passed in front of the children"Examples of inflected verbs from Isidro González's stories (John Fought, 1972): ixinixin"to go"ixinobʼgo-A3-PLixinobʼgo-A3-PL"they went" Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);iraira“to see”uwiraE3-see-A3uwiraE3-see-A3“he sees it” Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);kojkokojko“to guard”ukojkobʼE3-guard-A3-PLukojkobʼE3-guard-A3-PL“they guard over it” Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);ixinixin“to go”aʼxinS3-goaʼxinS3-go“he goes” Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);[9] Tak is plural for women and childrenʼ These are the only instances encountered.

It is worthy of notice that ixkaʼr "wife", chʼurkabʼ "baby" and ar "offspring" take -ob'.

Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);Yar-obʼsmall-3.PLbʼikʼitsmall variety ofruchgourd containerYar-obʼ bʼikʼit ruchsmall-3.PL {small variety of} {gourd container}And then come two little gourds,... (f330040)[16] The following list contains examples of common words in the Chʼortiʼ language: According to "A Dictionary of Chʼortiʼ Maya, Guatemala" by Kerry Hull, some words may be used as nouns (as shown above) or can double as a verb as well.