Are you ready to challenge your knowledge about the rich and diverse native languages of Central America? Take this 20-question quiz to see how much you know about these fascinating languages, their history, and their cultural significance. Answers are provided at the end for you to check your score!
Quiz: Native Central American Languages
What is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Guatemala?
- A) Nahuatl
- B) Maya K'iche'
- C) Garifuna
- D) Kuna
Which Central American country recognizes Spanish and Garifuna as official languages?
- A) Costa Rica
- B) Panama
- C) Honduras
- D) Belize
The Miskito language is primarily spoken in which two countries?
- A) Guatemala and Belize
- B) Honduras and Nicaragua
- C) El Salvador and Costa Rica
- D) Panama and Colombia
In which country is the Kuna language predominantly spoken?
- A) El Salvador
- B) Costa Rica
- C) Panama
- D) Nicaragua
What is the primary language of the Garifuna people?
- A) Arawak
- B) Chibchan
- C) Garifuna (too easy?)
- D) Nahuatl
The Pipil language belongs to which language family?
- A) Mayan
- B) Nahuan
- C) Chibchan
- D) Oto-Manguean
Which indigenous language in Belize is also known as Yucatec?
- A) Mopan
- B) Q'eqchi'
- C) Kriol
- D) Yucatec Maya
The Chorotega people, who speak the Chorotega language, primarily inhabit which country?
- A) Nicaragua
- B) Guatemala
- C) El Salvador
- D) Costa Rica
Which language is spoken by the indigenous people on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua?
- A) Garifuna
- B) Sumo
- C) Nahuatl
- D) K'iche'
What is the status of the Lenca language in Honduras and El Salvador?
- A) Widely spoken
- B) Critically endangered
- C) Extinct
- D) Official language
The Bribri language is primarily spoken in which Central American country?
- A) El Salvador
- B) Panama
- C) Nicaragua
- D) Costa Rica
How many indigenous languages are recognized in Guatemala?
- A) 8
- B) 12
- C) 21
- D) 25
Which language is traditionally spoken by the Ngäbe people?
- A) Kuna
- B) Ngäbere
- C) Garifuna
- D) Miskito
What is the indigenous language spoken by the Kaqchikel people in Guatemala?
- A) K'iche'
- B) Kaqchikel
- C) Mam
- D) Tz'utujil
Which language family does the Sumo language belong to?
- A) Chibchan
- B) Misumalpan
- C) Mayan
- D) Oto-Manguean
What is the significance of the Nahuatl language in Central America?
- A) It is the most widely spoken indigenous language in El Salvador
- B) It has no speakers left
- C) It was the language of the Aztecs and is still spoken today
- D) It is only used in religious ceremonies
Which indigenous language of Costa Rica is also spoken in Panama?
- A) Bribri
- B) Cabécar
- C) Kuna
- D) Ngäbere
The Mayan language family includes how many distinct languages?
- A) 10
- B) 15
- C) 21
- D) 30
Which country has the highest number of indigenous languages spoken?
- A) El Salvador
- B) Honduras
- C) Guatemala
- D) Nicaragua
Which Central American indigenous language is known for its whistled speech form?
- A) Pipil
- B) Kuna
- C) Mazatec
- D) Bribri
Test your knowledge and share your results in the comments below! How many did you get right? Let us know if you learned something new about the indigenous languages of Central America!
Answers:
- B) Maya K'iche'
- C) Honduras
- B) Honduras and Nicaragua
- C) Panama
- C) Garifuna
- B) Nahuan
- D) Yucatec Maya
- D) Costa Rica
- B) Sumo
- C) Extinct
- D) Costa Rica
- C) 21
- B) Ngäbere
- B) Kaqchikel
- B) Misumalpan
- C) It was the language of the Aztecs and is still spoken today
- D) Ngäbere
- D) 30
- C) Guatemala
- C) Mazatec