Mesoamerican languages

Encyclopedia : M : ME : MES : Mesoamerican languages

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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 linguistic area.

Language Families Indigenous to Mesoamerica

(Other branches are outside Mesoamerica.)

• Corachol  •  Nayarit
• *Huichol  • 20,000 native speakers
• *Cora  • 15,000
• Aztecan
• *Nahuan 1,380,000
• **Nawatl (C & N Nahuan) • México (state), Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo
• **Nawal (W Nahuan) • Michoacán, Durango, W Guerrero
• **Nawat (E Nahuan) • S Veracruz, N Oaxaca, Tabasco
• **Pipil (S Nahuan) • Pacific coast of Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador •  EXTINCT?
• *Pochutec • Coast of Oaxaca •  EXTINCT

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

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

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

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

• Mixean
• *E & W Mixe • E Oaxaca  • 75,000
• *Oluta & Sayula • S Veracruz  •  EXTINCT?
• *S Mixe •  SE Chiapas  • EXTINCT
• Zoquean
• *Zoque • Tabasco, Chiapas, E Oaxaca  • 35,000
• *Sierra Popoluca & Texistepec • S Veracruz  • 25,000
• * Chimalapa

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

• Huastecan
• *Huastec (Wāštēka) • N Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, NE Hidalgo  • 120,000
• *Chicomulcetec • S Chiapas  • EXTINCT

• Yucatecan
• *Yucatec (Yo’katēka or Maya) • Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Belize, N Guatemala  • 750,000
• *Mopán • N Guatemala, Belize  • 11,000
• *Itzá • N Guatemala  •  EXTINCT?
• *Lacandon • Chiapas  •  1000

• Western
• *Greater Tzeltalan
• **Cholan
• ***Chol (Č’ol)  •  Tabasco, Chiapas  • 135,000
• ***Chontal (Yocotán)  •  Tabasco  • 55,000
• ***Chorti (Č’orti’)  •  Honduras, E Guatemala  • 30,000
• **Tzeltalan • Chiapas
• ***Tzeltal (Ts’eltal)  • 215,000
• ***Tzotzil (Sots’il)  • 265,000
• *Greater Kanjolabalan • NW Guatemala, Chiapas
• **Chujean
• ***Chuj (Čūx) • 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 (Mām) • 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 (K’īčē’)  • 2,420,000
• ***Cakchiquel (Kaqčikel)  • 450,000
• ***Tz'utujil  • 85,000
• ***Sacapultec  • 35,000
• ***Sipacapan  • 8000
• **Kekchi (Q’eqči’) • C & E Guatemala  • 420,000
• **Pocom • C & E Guatemala
• ***Pocomchi (Poqomči’)  • 90,000
• ***Pocomam (Poqomam)  • 50,000
• **Uspantec • NW Guatemala  • 3000

Tolatecan

• Tequistlatec (Chontal) • SE Oaxaca  • 4500
• Tol (Jicaque, Xicaque) • NW Honduras  •  350

(other branches are outside Mesoamerica)

• Paya (Pech) • N Honduras  •  1000

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

Isolates

• Purépecha (Tarascan) • SW Michoacán  • 120,000

• Cuitlatec (Kwītlatēka) • Guerrero  • EXTINCT

• Huave (Wabe) • SE Oaxaca  • 14,000

• Xinca • SE Guatemala  •  EXTINCT

• Lenca • SW Honduras, El Salvador  •  EXTINCT?

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

 

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