Alternate Names: Cancuc, Chanal, Highland Tzeltal, Oxchuc Tzeltal, Tenango, Tenejapa, Tseltal
Dialects: Amatenango del Valle, Bachajon Tzeltal (Lowland Tzeltal, Tzeltal de Ocosingo), Chanal Cancuc, Tenango, Tzeltal del norte, Tzeltal del occidente, Tzeltal del oriente, Tzeltal del sur.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 372,000 (2000 INALI). 50,000 monolinguals.
Language Use: Vigorous. Some Tzotzil also speak Tzeltal. Some families now use Spanish [spa]. Some Ch’ol [ctu] in north border area and lowland learned Tzeltal. All domains. Oral use in administration, commerce, some oral and written use in education, religion. Minimal use in government schools. All ages. Positive attitudes. 100 also use Tojolabal [toj]. Also use Chol [ctu], Spanish [spa].
Language Development: 50,000 readers, 40,000 can write. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Bible: 2002.
Typology: VOS.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Mexico
Other Comments: Christian.