Otomanguean stock

The following language families belong to the Otomanguean stock:

Amuzgoan family [Amuzgo]
Chinantecan family [Chinantec]
Mixtecan family [Cuicatec, Mixtec and Triqui]
Otopamean family[Chichimeca Jonaz, Matlatzinca, Mazahua, Ocuilteco, Otomí and Pame]
Popolocan family [Chocholtec (Ngigua), Ixcatec, Mazatec and Popoloca]
Tlapanecan family [Me'phaa (Tlapanec)]
Zapotecan family [Chatino and Zapotec]

The genetic relationship of many of the languages which are today known as Otomanguean languages has been long recognized, beginning perhaps most explicitly with the proposals of Orozco y Berra in 1864. The inclusion of the families that are now considered to comprise this stock has come slowly and with considerable research, proposals, and refinements over the years. Tlapanec is the most recent addition, having been tentatively linked with Hokan languages earlier. The proposal to link Huave with this stock has not been widely recognized. For a complete list of the languages commonly classified as Otomanguean, see the Ethnologue.
Regardless of the details of family subgroupings, the Otomanguean stock, which includes languages from as far north as the states of Hidalgo and Querétaro (Otomi) and as far south as Nicaragua (Mangue, now extinct), is a group of languages whose potential for the study of language change over the centuries rivals that of Indo-European languages

Popolocan family

Chocholteco (ngigua), Mazatec, Popoloca, Ixcatec

SIL has not done extensive investigations in Chocholteco of Oaxaca (also known as Ngigua).

Mazateco includes four or five important variants (in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla). The Summer Institute of Linguistics has done investigations in four of these.

Popoloca has six important variants in the state of Puebla.

The name Ixcatec is used for another language of this family, believed by many to be extinct, and also for a variant of Mazatec.

© 2004 Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C.
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http://www.sil.org/mexico/mixteca/00i-mixteca.htm 1/19/2005