<OM> Urgent! Endangered o-m lgs.

Tue Mar 9 21:01:49 UTC 2004

Regretfully, this one slipped through the cracks :(  If you have any info for Rosemary, I know she would appreciate it.

Scott  Berthiaume

Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 18:28:29 -0800
To: otomanguean-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
From: Rosemary G Beam de Azcona <nikte_ha @uclink4.berkeley.edu>
Subject: endangered o-m lgs.

Dear colleagues,

In the last two years I started working on San Agustin Mixtepec Zapotec (SAMZ), a language with only two speakers. I went looking for this language because it is in the Southern Zapotec area I work in and the Ethnologue described it as "nearly extinct" with 59 speakers (the number has dwindled to 2 since the 1994 statistic quoted there). I recently did a search in the Ethnologue to see how many other Otomanguean languages were described there as "nearly extinct". Including SAMZ there are 11 such languages. I would like to know how many of us are already working on any of these. I suspect that most but not all of these are undocumented with no work in progress. I'm pasting in all eleven entries from the Ethnologue here. Could anyone who is working on any of these, or has worked on them, or who has any other information about them or other severely endangered Otomanguean languages please respond? I would like to identify which languages are in the most desperate need of documentation, both for a paper I'm giving at the upcoming COOL conference and also just to spark more interest in and discussion about these languages among us Otomangueanists. The list of eleven follows:

Rosemary Beam de Azcona

ZAPOTECO, SAN AGUSTÍN MIXTEPEC: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZTM
ISO 639-2: zap

Population59 speakers (1994 SIL). 
RegionOaxaca, Miahuatlán, town of San Agustín Mixtepec. 
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
CommentsA separate language from San Juan Mixtepec Zapoteco [ZPM]. Nearly extinct.
MATLATZINCA, ATZINGO: a language of Mexico
SIL code: OCU
ISO 639-2: cai

Population50 to 100 fluent speakers (1993 SIL), 642 in the ethnic group, no monolinguals (1990 census). 
RegionState of México, Ocuilan municipio, San Juan Atzingo, Santa Lucía del Progreso. 
Alternate names OCUILTECO, OCUILTEC, ATZINTECO, TLAHURA, TLAHUICA
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Otopamean, Matlatzincan.
CommentsClosely related to Matlatzinca of Francisco de los Ranchos, but not inherently intelligible. Bilingualism in Spanish. Mountain slope. Nearly extinct.
Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:
Bartholomew, Doris A. 1989. "The Proto Otopamean vowel system and the development of Matlatzinca."
ZAPOTECO, ASUNCIÓN MIXTEPEC: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZOO
ISO 639-2: zap

Population100 or fewer speakers out of a population of 2,476 (1990 census). 
RegionSouthwest of Oaxaca City in central Oaxaca, Asunción Mixtepec and another town. 
Alternate names NORTH CENTRAL ZIMATLÁN ZAPOTECO, ASUNCIÓN MIXTEPEC ZAPOTEC
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
Comments22% intelligibility of Ayoquesco (closest), and 3% of San Pedro el Alto. Bilingualism in Spanish. Nearly extinct.

ZAPOTECO, TEJALAPAN: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZTT
ISO 639-2: zap

Population124 (1990 census). The town has 4,656 people. 
RegionOaxaca, Etla District, town of San Felipe Tejalapan. 
Alternate names SAN FELIPE TEJALAPAN ZAPOTEC, TEJALAPAN ZAPOTEC, TEJALÁPAM ZAPOTECO, SAN FELIPE ZAPOTECO
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
CommentsA separate language from Santo Tomás Mazaltepec Zapoteco. Bilingualism in Spanish. 92 speakers are over 50 years old, including the 2 monolinguals. They came from Ixtepeji area 300 years ago. Nearly extinct.
ZAPOTECO, TLACOLULITA: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZPK
ISO 639-2: zap

Population135 speakers out of a population of 904 (1990 census). 
RegionEastern Oaxaca, Asunción Tlacolulita and San Juan Alotepec. 
Alternate names SOUTHEASTERN YAUTEPEC ZAPOTECO, ASUNCIÓN TLACOLULITA ZAPOTECO, TLACOLULITA ZAPOTEC
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
Comments15% intelligibility with Lachixila (closest), 10% on Mitla and Guelavía, 0% on Lachiguiri, Juchitán, Guevea de Humboldt, Petapa, San Juan Mixtepec, and Quiegolani. Bilingualism in Spanish. 111 speakers are 50 years old or older (1990). Nearly extinct.

MIXTECO, SINDIHUI: a language of Mexico
SIL code: QMH
ISO 639-2: cai

Population138 speakers (1990 census). 
RegionWest central Oaxaca. 
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Mixtecan, Mixtec-Cuicatec, Mixtec.
CommentsDistinct from Yutanduchi. All over 50 years old (1990). Nearly extinct.

CHIAPANECO: a language of Mexico
SIL code: CIP
ISO 639-2: cai

Population150 including 17 speakers out of 32 ethnic population in Chiapas (1990 census). 
RegionState of Chiapas, El Bosque (2), Las Margaritas (2), Ocosingo (4), Palenque (2), Sabanilla (7). 
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Chiapanec-Mangue.
CommentsReported to be quite similar to Chorotega of Costa Rica and El Salvador. Nearly extinct.

ZAPOTECO, ELOTEPEC: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZTE
ISO 639-2: zap

Population200 speakers (1990 census). 
RegionWestern Oaxaca, west of Zimatlán, 1 village. 
Alternate names SAN JUAN ELOTEPEC ZAPOTEC, PAPABUCO
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
Comments68% intelligibility of Santa María Zaniza (closest), 10% of Texmelucan. Bilingualism in Spanish. All are 50 years old and older (1990). Mountain slope. Nearly extinct.
ZAPOTECO, TOTOMACHAPAN: a language of Mexico
SIL code: ZPH
ISO 639-2: zap

Population259 speakers out of a population of 1,009 (1990 census). 
RegionWestern Oaxaca, 2 towns. 
Alternate names WESTERN ZIMATLÁN ZAPOTECO, SAN PEDRO TOTOMACHAPAN ZAPOTECO, TOTOMACHAPAN ZAPOTEC
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Zapotecan, Zapotec.
CommentsNo intelligibility with other Zapoteco. Bilingualism in Spanish. Most speakers are over 50 years old (1990). Nearly extinct.
OTOMÍ, TILAPA: a language of Mexico
SIL code: OTL
ISO 639-2: oto

Population400 speakers (1990 census). 
RegionSantiago Tilapa town between Mexico, D. F. and Toluca, State of Mexico. 
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi.
CommentsBilingualism in Spanish. Speakers mainly over 50 years old (1990). Linguistic island. Nearly extinct.

MATLATZINCA, SAN FRANCISCO DE LOS RANCHOS: a language of Mexico
SIL code: MAT
ISO 639-2: cai

PopulationNo estimate available.
RegionState of México, 1 village: San Francisco de los Ranchos. 
Alternate names MATLATZINCA
ClassificationOto-Manguean, Otopamean, Matlatzincan.
CommentsBilingualism in Spanish. Those 30 and over still use the language; those under 30 use Spanish as first language. About half the people are working in Mexico City or elsewhere most of the time. Nearly extinct.

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