Theoretical Implications of Kekchi Phonology

0. This paper has a two-fold purpose and an ulterior motive. Its purposes are to present a description of the more salient aspects of Kekchi phonology and to consider their theoretical implications. The motive is to reassert the value, inherent worth, and need for descriptions of languages as a worthy linguistic enterprise. I will present the more important phonological rules of Coban (the prestige dialect) of Kekchi, a Mayan language of the Quichean subgroup in Guatemala. The presentation of the rules will be followed by discussion of their implications for generative theory. Several recent issues will be considered, with special attention on empirical verification of the description.' I believe that theory and data are in a trading relation. The theory "explains" the data, and the data may reveal inadequacies in the theory which lead to theoretical revisions which, in turn, more accurately account for the data. Linguistics has two important tasks: the framing of an ade-