Mesoamerican languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When referring to Mesoamerican languages one can mean 1. the indigenous languages of Mesoamerica or 2. one can refer to the languages that can be classified as belonging to the Mesoamerican sprachbund or linguistic area. Not all languages indigenous to the geographical area Mesoamerica show the traits that define Mesoamerica as a linguistic area.

Contents 1 Language Families Indigenous to Mesoamerica 1.1 Uto-Aztecan 1.2 Oto-Manguean 1.3 Mixe-Zoquean 1.4 Totonacan 1.5 Mayan 1.6 Chibchan 1.7 Misumalpan 2 Isolates 3 Proposed stocks

[edit] Language Families Indigenous to Mesoamerica

[edit] Uto-Aztecan

(Other branches are outside Mesoamerica.)

• Corachol  •  Nayarit
  • Huichol  • 20,000 native speakers
  • Cora  • 15,000
• Aztecan
  • Nahuan 1,380,000
    • Pochutec — Coast of Oaxaca
    • General Aztec (Nahuatl)
      • Western periphery • Michoacán, Durango,Guerrero
      • Eastern periphery • S Veracruz, N Oaxaca, Tabasco
      • Huasteca •  N Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo
      • Center •  México (state),Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo
    • Pipil •  Pacific coast of Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador

[edit] Oto-Manguean

• Otopamean
  • Otomian
    • Otomi •  Hidalgo, Guanajuato, N México (state), Querétaro  • 350,000
    • Mazahua • Michoacán, W México (state)  • 150,000
  • Pamean
    • Chichimec • Guanajuato  •  EXTINCT?
    • Pame • San Luis Potosí, NW Hidalgo  • 4200
    • Chichimeca Jonaz
  • Matlatzinca-Ocuilteco
    • Matlatzinca • SW México (state)  • 3,000
    • Ocuilteco
• Chinantecan (perhaps closest to Otopamean)
  • Chinantec • N Oaxaca  • 100,000

• Supanecan
  • Tlapanec (Yopi) • Guerrero  • 44,000
  • Subtiaba • Nicaragua, El Salvador  • EXTINCT
• Manguean (perhaps closest to Supanecan)
  • Chiapanec • Chiapas  • EXTINCT
  • Chorotegan • Honduras  • EXTINCT
  • Mangue • Nicaragua  • EXTINCT
  • Nicoyan • Costa Rica  • EXTINCT

• Popolocan
  • Mazatec )  •  SE Puebla, N Oaxaca  • 145,000
  • Ixcatec
  • Popoloc  •  SE Puebla, NW Oaxaca  • 37,000
  • Chocho
• Zapotecan languages (perhaps closest to Popolocan)
  • Zapotec • Oaxaca  • 500,000
  • Chatino• SW Oaxaca  • 28,000
  • Soltec-Papabuco  •  Elotepec Oaxaca  • EXTINCT

• Mixtecan
  • Mixteco-Cuicateco
    • Mixtec  •  E Guerrero, S Puebla, W Oaxaca  • 500,000
    • Cuicatec • NE Oaxaca  • 20,000
  • Trique• W Oaxaca  • 19,000
• Amuzgo (perhaps closest to Mixtecan)
  • Amuzgo  •  E Guerrero, W Oaxaca  • 20,000

[edit] Mixe-Zoquean

• Mixean
  • E & W Mixe• E Oaxaca  • 75,000
  • Olutec& Sayultec • S Veracruz  •  EXTINCT?
  • Tapachultec •  SE Chiapas  • EXTINCT
• Zoquean
  • Zoque languages • Tabasco, Chiapas, E Oaxaca  • 35,000
  • Sierra Popoluca & Texistepec popoluca • S Veracruz  • 25,000
  • Chimalapa

[edit] Totonacan

• Totonac • Puebla, Veracruz  • 250,000
• Tepehua • Hidalgo, Veracruz  • 10,000

[edit] Mayan

• Huastecan
  • Huastec • N Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, NE Hidalgo  • 120,000
  • Chicomuceltec • S Chiapas  • EXTINCT

• Yucatecan
  • Yucatec (• Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Belize, N Guatemala  • 750,000
  • Mopán • N Guatemala, Belize  • 11,000
  • Itzá • N Guatemala  •  EXTINCT?
  • Lacandón • Chiapas  •  1000

• Western
  • Greater Tzeltalan
    • Cholan
      • Chol  •  Tabasco, Chiapas  • 135,000
      • Chontal  •  Tabasco  • 55,000
      • Chorti  •  Honduras, E Guatemala  • 30,000
    • Tzeltalan • Chiapas
      • Tzeltal  • 215,000
      • Tzotzil  • 265,000
  • Greater Kanjolabalan • NW Guatemala, Chiapas
    • Chujean
      • Chuj • NW Guatemala  • 50,000
      • Tojolabal • Chiapas  • 35,000
  • Kanjolabal (Q’anhob’al) • NW Guatemala
    • Solomec  • 80,000
    • Acatec  • 60,000
    • Jacaltec  • 100,000
  • Mochó (Cotoque) • SE Chiapas
    • • Motozintlec  •  EXTINCT?
      • Tuzantec  •  EXTINCT?

• Eastern
  • Greater Mamean
    • Mamean
      • Mam • W Guatemala  • 535,000
      • Tektiteco •  Chiapas-Guatemala border  • 2300
    • Ixilan  •  NW Guatemala
      • Ixil  • 70,000
      • Aguacatec (Awakateko)  • 18,000
  • Greater Quichean
    • Quichean  •  C Guatemala
      • Quiché  • 2,420,000
      • Cakchiquel  • 450,000
      • Tz'utujil  • 85,000
      • Sacapultec  • 35,000
      • Sipacapan  • 8000
    • Kekchi • C & E Guatemala  • 420,000
    • Pocom • C & E Guatemala
      • Pocomchi  • 90,000
      • Pocomam  • 50,000
    • Uspantec • NW Guatemala  • 3000

[edit] Chibchan

(other branches are outside Mesoamerica)

• Paya (Pech) • N Honduras  •  1000

[edit] Misumalpan

• Miskito • Nicaragua  • 185,000
• Sumo  • 7000
• Matagalpa  •  EXTINCT

[edit] Isolates

• Tequistlatecan (Chontal) • SE Oaxaca  • 4500

• P'urhépecha (Tarascan) • SW Michoacán  • 120,000

• Cuitlatec • Guerrero  • EXTINCT

• Huave (Wabe) • SE Oaxaca  • 14,000

• Xinca • SE Guatemala  •  EXTINCT

• Lenca • SW Honduras, El Salvador  •  EXTINCT?

[edit] Proposed stocks

• Hokan (other branches in North America)
  • Tolatecan

• Macro-Mayan (Penutian affiliation now considered doubtful.)
  • Totonacan
  • Huave
  • Mixe-Zoque
  • Mayan

• Macro-Chibchan
  • Chibchan
  • Misumalpan
  • Xinca
  • Lenca