Mazatec, Huautla

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A language of Mexico

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

74,600 (2000 INALI). Total Mazatec speakers: 237,000 (2020 INEGI). 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.