Colonization's Impacts in Languages: the Case of the Mayan Tongue

Colonization has always been a viewed as a two-sided historical reality. While socially speaking colonization is a major key towards the globalized society we enjoy today, other aspects of humanity wither under the shadows of it. Personally, I have been very engaged in the study of the Mayan tongue in southern Mexico, and above that since last year I have dedicated much time and effort elaborating my mini thesis Linguistic Changes under Cross-cultural Encounters in the Mayan Territory. Here I seize the chance briefly share a few of my views on the issue of language change under and after colonization.

  Having spent two months in Chiapas, Mexico, I discovered that the once extremely intricate web of Mayan tongues (which reached it peak in the 10th century) has been reduced to only 7 roots. Experts claim that the Spanish colonization was the major reason behind the sudden decline of these Central and South American indigineous tongues, including also the Aztec and Incan languages. Much of the culture seen in languages has been lost, and enigmas continue to trouble linguists and historians. In addition, it goes to say that the introduction of the Spanish language (a major Romance language with Latin structures) has caused significant changes in syntax in the Mayan language. Many terms in the Southern Mayan area are directly acquired from Spanish, and some conjecture that this phenomenom has led to a parcial decease of the Mayan pride. Furthermore, the extension of Spanish has led to an unthinkable change in the Mayan language's grammar structure. Bilingualism in the entire society in the 18th century evidently left its roots in the Mayan tongues, for all Mayan tongues now conform to the Spanish language's rule of "subject, verb, object" instead of maintaining its original "object, subject, verb"rule. 

  Of course, the above mentioned are merely objective, linguistics approaches towards viewing how deeply colonization influenced the Latin American society; further influences, such as the lost of cultural identity, are more complex and sensitive issues that rise behind these changes. Nonetheless, in our day the entire Latin American society speaks Spanish as an official or secondary tongue, and the relationship between Spanish and South America has evolved in a healthy manner. Things have changed, and people oblige themselves to view language change resulted from colonization with a positive mindset.