The reconstruction of the phonological acquisition of proto-maya

Abstract

This study shows the reconstruction of the proto-Mayan language acquisition by using the comparative method. Linguists have used the comparative method for over a hundred years to reconstruct the history of languages and linguistic families around the world. The analysis of the infant speech of six Mayan languages compares the children’s phonological inventories in each language and produces a composite phonology that identifies the productions common to each language. The composite phonologies yield the core sounds of the children’s phonology across the six languages and reconstruct what the children who acquired proto-Mayamight have produced.