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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Americas > Mexico > Tarahumara, Central

Tarahumara, Central

A language of Mexico

ISO 639-3: tar

Population	55,000 (2000 SIL). 10,000 monolingual.
Region	Southwest Chihuahua, from Cuautemoc, southwest to Creel, down Urique River, east up Sinforosa Canyon, southeast to Chinantu, north to Balleza.
Language map	Mexico, reference number 16
Alternate names	Samachique Tarahumara, Tarahumara del Centro, Alta Tarahumara, Ralámuli de la Tarahumara Alta
Classification	Uto-Aztecan, Southern Uto-Aztecan, Sonoran, Tarahumaran, Tarahumara
Language use	Parents pass it on to children in rural areas. Some older Spanish speakers who live there speak Tarahumara for work or trade. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude. 45,000 also use some Spanish.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 20%. 5,000 readers, 1,000 can write. Taught in primary schools. Radio programs. NT: 1972.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	Many migrated to Chihuahua City for jobs. Agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

HILTON, Kenneth S., author. 1947. "Palabras y frases de las lenguas tarahumara y guarijío."

HILTON, Kenneth S., author. 1969. "Relatos tarahumaras."

MERRIFIELD, William R., author. 1968. "Number names in four languages of Mexico."

NIDA, Eugene A., author. 1937. "The Tarahumara language."

SIMÓN HILTON, K., compiler. 1993. Diccionario tarahumara de Samachique, Chihuahua, México.  

SIMON HILTON, K., compiler; CARRASCO T., Emiliano; LÓPEZ B., Ramón, consultants. 1959. Tarahumara y español.