Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🏺 An indigenous people 🗣️ Indigenous languages
Maya

Maya

5.1
A native people of Mexico and Central America, especially in Yucatán, Guatemala, and Belize
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪə/
translation icon : maya
  • Ancient temples built by the Maya can still be seen in modern-day Guatemala.

So first, did the Maya or the Almight come first?

Examples

  • Unlike the Aztecs or Inca, the Maya never formed a united polity.

  • Well, they found this portion of a Maya skull where in the jaw.

  • Taking down the Maya would not be a short affair.

  • So first, did the Maya or the Almight come first?

    Lex Fridman

  • The Maya were known for their remarkable achievements in astronomy and mathematics.

  • The sculptures and carvings created by the Maya depict their rich cultural heritage.

Synonyms

Native American
vsMaya
161 3.4

A person whose family lived in North or South America before Europeans arrived

denotes a single ethnic group in a smaller Central American area
Mayan
vsMaya
1 6.0

A person from a native group in Yucatán, Belize, and Guatemala who built ancient stone cities

is the same group but described more generally across regions
Mesoamerican
vsMaya
8.7

A person from the native peoples of central Mexico and northern Central America before the Spanish arrived

refers to one specific people within that broader regional group

Surface Forms

Maya singular
Mayas plural

Etymology

Maya comes from the name the people used for themselves and for their land in parts of Mexico and Central America. So Maya is used for the people who built the ancient cities and for their descendants today.