Indigenous languages of the Americas languages are among those used today. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight more. The Mayan language family is one of the best documented and most studied in the Americas. Modern Mayan languages descend from Proto-Mayan, a language thought to have been spoken at least 4,000 years ago; it has been partially reconstructed using the comparative method. Although both North and Central America are very diverse areas, South America has a linguistic diversity rivalled by
Proto-Mayan language Wastek to modern Wastek it can be seen that they were originally clusters of and a rounded vowel followed by a glide. For example the word for "vulture" which in modern Wastek is pronounced was written <nowiki><cuyx></nowiki> in colonial Wastek and pronounced . The Yucatecan languages have all shifted Proto-Mayan into in wordfinal position. Several languages particularly Cholan and Yucatecan have changed short into . All Cholan languages have changed long proto-Mayan vowels and into and respectively. Vowel length distinction has been lost in Q'anjob'alan-Chujean (except for Mocho' and Akateko), Kaqchikel and Cholan. Some languages have reduced the vowel length