Word
mayan
Phoneticsmayan
/ˈmaɪən/
Definition
adj. relating to the Maya people, their culture, or their language. You use this to describe things from this ancient civilization in Central America.
adj. relating to the Maya people of southern Mexico and Central America, or their civilization and languages. Often used to describe archaeological sites, historical periods, or cultural artifacts.
Examples
“We visited several Mayan ruins during our trip to Mexico.”
“Archaeologists recently discovered a hidden Mayan temple deep within the Guatemalan jungle.”
“The Mayan calendar is renowned for its mathematical precision and its sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles, reflecting the advanced astronomical knowledge of the civilization.”
Examples
simple
“We visited several Mayan ruins during our trip to Mexico.”
contextual
“Archaeologists recently discovered a hidden Mayan temple deep within the Guatemalan jungle.”
complex
“The Mayan calendar is renowned for its mathematical precision and its sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles, reflecting the advanced astronomical knowledge of the civilization.”
Usage
Typically used as an adjective to modify nouns like 'culture', 'ruins', or 'languages'.
Real-World Examples
“Direct from Belize (the series is co-signed by the country’s tourist board), Snow looks at Mayan society and its darker recesses.” Etymology
From Maya + -an.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.