Achi

Achi is a term that can refer to several distinct things, most commonly a Mayan language and a place in Colombia.

Achi (the language) is a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala by the Achi’ people. It belongs to the Quichean branch of the Maya language family and shares linguistic features with other Mayan languages such as K'iche' and Q'anjob'al. Achi is typically written with a Latin-based alphabet, and various orthographies have been developed for education and literacy. Like many indigenous languages, Achi faces endangerment due to language shift toward Spanish, but revitalization efforts exist, including bilingual education programs, community initiatives, and linguistic documentation projects aimed at promoting intergenerational transmission.

Achí, with an accented i, is the name of a municipality in the Bolívar Department in northern Colombia. It is part of Colombia’s Caribbean region and has an economy rooted in agriculture and local trade, reflecting common patterns in the area.

In broader usage, Achi can also appear as a personal name or surname in different cultures, though such uses are independent of the language or the Colombian locality.