Mazatec, Huautla

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A language of Mexico

ISO 639-3
mau
Alternate Names
Highland Mazatec, Mazateco de Huautla de Jimenez, Mazateco de la Sierra, Mazateco del Centro
Autonym
Enna
Population

74,600 (2000 INALI). Over 100,000 Mazatec speakers live outside the Mazatec homeland, mostly in major cities (2005 census). Probably at least half speak L1. 22,400 monolinguals.

Location

Oaxaca state: Huautla northeast to Presa Miguel Aleman, and Puebla.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Otomanguean, Eastern Otomanguean, Popolocan-Zapotecan, Popolocan, Mazatec
Dialects

San Mateo, San Miguel, Mazateco de presa alto, Mazateco del Norte. 90% intelligibility of San Jerónimo Tecóatl [maa] (most similar, but less in outlying areas), 60% of Mazatlán, 35% of Jalapa [maj]. Lexical similarity: 94% with San Miguel, 93% with San Mateo, 80% with Soyaltepec, 78% with San Pedro Ixcatlán, 74% with Jalapa de Díaz.

Typology

Short words; tonal; whistle speech, distinguishing tones of the spoken language (Cowan 1948, Cowan 1952).

Language Use

Vigorous. Mazatec is needed and used locally, but use Spanish [spa] for prestige. All domains. Used by all. Also use Spanish [spa], increasingly in Huautla de Jiménez city.

Language Development
Literature. Grammar. NT: 1961–2009.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mazatec, Huautla
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian.

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