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Xinca

Xinca

9.9
A member of a native people in southeast Guatemala or their language
  • proper noun
: Xinca
  • The Xinca are known for their rich cultural traditions and unique language, which is still spoken by some community members today.

Examples

  • The two peoples had probably lived and traded peacefully for centuries, and the Xinca were one of the few groups in Central America to use poisoned weapons; neither the Mexicans nor the Maya did (Lehman 1920, 278).

    Academic text (1996)
  • The dominance of the Pipiles in the Spanish province of San Salvador—that is, the area west of the Lempa River in present-day El Salvador—may have been a result of friendly trade with Xinca.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Many Xinca descendants work to preserve their indigenous traditions in modern Guatemalan society.

  • During my visit to Guatemala, I learned that the Xinca people have a fascinating history tied to the region's ancient civilizations.

Surface Forms

Xinca main

Etymology

The name Xinca is used for an indigenous group in southeastern Guatemala and for the language they speak. So a Xinca is 'a person of that group' or 'their language'.