Mayan
UK[ˈmaɪən]US[ˈmaɪən]
adj
Relating to the Maya, their culture, or their languages.
n
A member of a group of peoples of Mesoamerica, including the Yucatec, Quiché, and others, noted for their advanced civilization before the arrival of the Spanish.
n
Any of the family of languages spoken by the Maya.
Etymology
The term 'Mayan' originates from the name of the ancient city of Mayapán in the Yucatán Peninsula, a major political and cultural center in the Postclassic period of Maya civilization. Spanish colonists adopted 'Maya' as a general term for the indigenous people of the region, which then entered English. The suffix '-an' is a common English adjectival suffix of Latin origin (via French '-ain'), used to form relational adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to," as in 'American' or 'Roman.' Thus, 'Mayan' literally means "of or pertaining to the Maya," a term that now broadly encompasses their civilization, peoples, and languages.
Analysis
The word is a simplex proper noun derived from a place name. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful English morphemes.
Examples
The Mayan calendar system was remarkably sophisticated.
She is an anthropologist specializing in Mayan languages.
Archaeologists continue to uncover new Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan rainforest.