Maya for Travelers and Students: A Guide to Language and Culture in Yucatan

By Gary Bevington

Book Overview

The Yucatan Peninsula draws many North American and European travelers each year to view the ruins of the pre-Columbian Classical Maya civilization and the abundant native flora and fauna. For these travelers, as well as armchair travelers and students, Gary Bevington has prepared the first general English-language introduction to Yucatec Maya, the native language of the people indigenous to the region.

Written in nontechnical terms for learners who have a basic knowledge of simple Mexican Spanish, the book presents easily understood, practical information for anyone who would like to communicate with the Maya in their native language. In addition to covering the pronunciation and grammar of Maya, Bevington includes invaluable tips on learning indigenous languages "in the field." Most helpful are his discussions of the cultural and material worlds of the Maya, accompanied by essential words and expressions for common objects and experiences. A Maya-English-Spanish glossary with extensive usage examples and an English-Maya glossary conclude the book.

Note: The supplemental audiocasette, Spoken Maya for Travelers and Students, is now available as a free download through the book's page on the University of Texas Press's website.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292708122
• ISBN13: 9780292708129
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 251 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Good Book

I'm Glad i bought it. As the person before me said, it's a bit of work. At least i should be able to speak "broken maya" on my next trip. Between this book and some help from the movie Apocalypto, i should have quite a bit more fun next time. All i got down now is "oolaak" from the movie and "box in toon" from the book. It's worth buying if your into the Mayan people, pick one up, you wont be sorry. I thought it was cool to know what the Ha ment in Xel Ha from the book.... Ha is water. More place names in the book would have made it even better.

An immersion in the Maya culture and language

I strongly suggest this book to the travelers going to the Yucatan peninsula. If you plan not just baking under the Cancun sun and get drunk every night, you will enjoy this book as I did. It really gives you an insight into the modern Mayan culture and will help you understand the people that built the bautiful monuments we enjoy today. It is a great guide if you plan in leaving the beaten track and loose yourself in an ancient and interesting society. It is a little bit hard, at the beginning, to get into the spoken Maya. The pronunciation is not easy and the grammar somewhat confusing. They are not used to hearing gringos speaking their native language (and Spanish is understood everywhere, if you need it), but even if you just start with few words, they will open their hearts to you and you will enjoy a great experience. I did. I just learned a few words and grammatical constructions every day, and by the end of the second week I was able to have a basic simple conversation. If you go to any archeological site, like Uxmal or Chichen Itza, you know you will be assaulted by people tying to sell you something. But try to speak to them in Maya, and they will forget you are a tourist. I have seen people jumping for the surprise and forgetting they were trying to sell me useless overpriced stuff. In a small village where we stopped for lunch, one day, in about 30 minutes the entire population was at the door of the family reastaurant to listen to the gringo speaking Maya (with a funny accent). I have really to thank professor Bevington for this book. It takes a little work and effort but it is really worth it.

Mayan Overview

This is a good book to introduce general-interest readers to the widely-used Maya language. The book is light on linguistic and historical information but contains lots of interesting cultural insights and photographs as well as a good grammatical overview and brief dictionary. There are also accompanying audio cassette lessons at you can even buy accompanying audiotapes at ISBN#029276040X. If you're looking for something more in-depth, there is a truly comprehensive linguistic dictionary of Yucatec Maya at ISBN#0874805694, but it is Maya-->English only. Finally, readers interested in the ancient Mayan writing system (hieroglyphs) should try ISBN# 0781808626. <br /> <br />Enjoy!

A Mayan Find!

Finally! After searching high and low and spending too much money on what proved to be books of limited assistance, this book gives a good introduction to the ways of Mayan life on the Yucatan, basic language instruction and valuable explanations of Mayan culture! For a great intro to the Maya of the Yucatan at a great price, look here!

Finally! A practical, (albeit complicated) guide to Maya

Thank you, Gary Bevington, for providing a practical guide to help "gringos" understand the basic workings of the Maya language and how it is used in their daily life! Although this book uses complicated linguistic terms and explanations which are most likely beyond the average 'traveler and student', it also clarifies many of the basics of the Maya language. This guide and its English/Spanish/Maya glossary is indispensable for those of us who are intrigued by the Maya and wish to be able to communicate more fully and learn more about their culture by means of their own language. The author also helps the reader to better understand the culture (and therefore the language) with interesting observations based on the time he and his wife have spent amongst the Maya people of Quintana Roo.(Bonus! There's a separate tape set to help with pronunciation!)