Chontal, Lowland Oaxaca
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A language of Mexico
Alternate Names
Chontal de Oaxaca de la costa, Chontal de la Costa de Oaxaca, Huamelula Chontal, Huamelulteco
Autonym
Lajltyaygi
User Population
1,280 (2000 INALI). Chontal de Oaxaca bajo: 220; Chontal de Oaxaca de la costa: 1,060 (2000 INALI). No monolinguals.
Location
Oaxaca state: Tehuantepec district, San Pedro Huamelula and Santiago Astata.
Language Maps
Language Status
8b (Nearly extinct).
Typology
VSO; medium long words, affixes, clitics; nontonal.
Language Use
Endangered. Simple greetings, ritual speech. Elderly only. Shifted to Spanish [spa].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: Most children and young adults in Spanish [spa]. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 1955.