Mayan

American  

[mah-yuhn] / ˈmɑ jən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Maya, their culture, or their languages.

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noun

• Mayans
  plural

1. a member of the Mayan tribe.

2. a group of languages spoken by the Mayas in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, including Yucatec, Quiché, and Huastec.

Mayan British  

/ ˈmaɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Maya or any of their languages

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noun

1. a family of Central American Indian languages, including Maya, possibly a member of the Penutian phylum

2. another name for a Maya 2

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pseudo-Mayan
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Mayans
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of Mayan

First recorded in 1885–90; May(a) + -an

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mayan Mayans

"Hurricanes carry moisture and move ocean currents and plankton," he said, noting the consequences for seafood dishes at his restaurant Huniik, where he reimagines Mayan specialties.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Malxux Gaspar, who teaches a Mayan culture class at Esperanza, also watched the construction from her classroom window.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Once-common literary references to Shakespeare or Dickens have now become as obscure in the common culture as so many Mayan inscriptions.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026

Absent any contextual identity, the names and dates Mayan inscriptions reveal are simply that: names and dates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

Eventually dissension and uprisings led to the collapse of the Mayan state.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Chocolate itself first began as Xocolatl, or “bitter water,” a spiced drink made from ground cacao beans, chiles and spices that originated with the Aztecs and Mayans.

From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2025

Her research spanned “thousands of years of history” as she drew inspiration from cultures including the Roman and Byzantine Empires and the Mayans.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2024

Red has been used to adorn the body in many cultures, including the ancient Egyptians, Mayans, Roman generals and during the Renaissance.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024

A whole network of Konstanz researchers dedicated themselves to unravelling the mystery, including Bernhard Schink, Nicolai Müller, David Schleheck, Jennifer Fleming and Olga Mayans.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2023

The Mayans would never have argued about whether 2000 or 2001 was the first year in the twenty-first century.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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