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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Americas > Mexico > Mayo

Mayo

A language of Mexico

ISO 639-3mfy

Population  40,000 (1995 census). 113 monolinguals (1995 census). Ethnic population: 100,000 (1983).
Region  Coastal south Sonora around Navojoa (Huatabampo); north Sinaloa (Los Mochis, Guasave, San José Ríos, north of Guamuchil). 100 villages or more.
Language map  Mexico, reference number 8
Dialects  90% intelligibility with Yaqui [yaq].
Classification  Uto-Aztecan, Southern Uto-Aztecan, Sonoran, Cahita
Language use  Government scholarships offered to young people who demonstrate Mayo proficiency. Mainly older adults. Mayo people are reticent to identify as Mayo. The more monolingual avoid contact with outsiders. Prefer Mayo.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 2%. Literacy rate in L2: 20%. Radio programs. Dictionary. Bible portions: 1962–2000.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  SOV; medium word length, clitics, affixes; nontonal. Peasant agriculturalists; pastoralists; fishermen. Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

COLLARD, Elizabeth; COLLARD, Howard, compilers. 1962. Castellano-mayo, mayo-castellano.

HAGBERG, Lawrence R., author. 1988. "Stress and length in Mayo."

HAGBERG, Lawrence R., author. 1989. "Floating accent in Mayo."

HAGBERG, Lawrence R., author. 2000. "Glottal stop in Mayo: Consonant or vowel feature?."

HAGBERG, Lawrence R., author. 2001. "Mayo practical orthography."

HAGBERG, Lawrence R., author. 2006. An autosegmental theory of stress.  Available online

HAGBERG, Lawrence R.; MOCTEZUMA ZAMARRÓN, José Luis, authors. 2001. "Investigaciones sobre la lengua mayo."

Vernacular Publications

Juʼ missi entoc juʼ mocho oʼra. 1985.  Available online