maya

¹

[mah-yah, -yuh]

noun

Hinduism.

1. the power, as of a god, to produce illusions.

2. the production of an illusion.

3. (in Vedantic philosophy) the illusion of the reality of sensory experience and of the experienced qualities and attributes of oneself.

4. Also called Mahamaya. (initial capital letter),  a goddess personifying the power that creates phenomena.

Maya

²

[mah-yuh]

noun

plural

Mayas ,

plural

Maya .

1. a member of a major pre-Columbian civilization of the Yucatán Peninsula that reached its peak in the 9th century a.d. and produced magnificent ceremonial cities with pyramids, a sophisticated mathematical and calendar system, hieroglyphic writing, and fine sculpture, painting, and ceramics.

2. a member of a modern Indigenous people of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras who are the descendants of this ancient civilization.

3. any of the Mayan languages; the historical and modern languages of the Maya.

adjective

1. Mayan.

Maya

¹

/ ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. Also called: Mayan. a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan, Belize, and N Guatemala, having an ancient culture once characterized by outstanding achievements in architecture, astronomy, chronology, painting, and pottery

2. the language of this people See also Mayan

Maya

²

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmɑːjɑː, ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. the Hindu goddess of illusion, the personification of the idea that the material world is illusory

maya

³

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmaɪə, ˈmɑːjɑː /

noun

1. Hinduism illusion, esp the material world of the senses regarded as illusory

Other Word Forms

• mayan adjective
• Mayan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of maya¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1815–25

Origin of maya²

First recorded in 1810–20; from Spanish, from Yucatec Maya mayab “flat,” a self-designation

Word History and Origins

Origin of maya¹

C19: from Sanskrit

Example Sentences

Manchester United captain Maya le Tissier has impressed at centre-back this season so is likely to be handed a start in that position.

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The amount of sodium in many canned soups is “shockingly high,” says Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, especially since most people probably aren’t going to limit themselves to a single serving.

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UC Santa Barbara archaeologist Douglas Kennett, who has spent years examining the development of Classic Maya cities, notes that researchers have debated this question for decades.

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Their work applies population ecology theory to quantify the forces that shaped urbanization across the Classic Maya Lowlands.

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The researchers originally focused on the role of climate change, particularly drought, in the decline of Classic Maya cities.

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