The languages ​​of the ZAPOTECAS

Language is one of the most interesting elements of any culture, since it defines a group of people who are capable of understanding each other. Therefore, to talk about the Zapotec culture It is vitally important to comment on the Zapotec languages, being an element that helps us define which people we are referring to with this language. Therefore in this lesson from a Teacher we must talk about the Zapotec languages.

Index

1. What is Zapotec culture?
2. How many languages ​​did the Zapotecs speak?
3. What is the origin of the Zapotec language?
4. Characteristics of the Zapotec languages
5. How do you say hello in the Zapotec language?

Before knowing what the languages ​​of the Zapotecs are, we are going to get to know this civilization better. The Zapotec are one of the main pre-Columbian cultures from the Mesoamerican region, that is, one of the peoples that inhabited the American continent before the arrival of the Europeans. The area of ​​Mesoamerica is known as one of the most important in the American world, being where people as important as the Mayans or the Aztecs appeared.

The Zapotecs changed their geographical position over the years, but their area of ​​greatest influence was in the so-called Oaxaca Valley, a small region where it is considered that all the towns that inhabited it were influenced by the Zapotecs.

Regarding chronology we must say that the origin of the Zapotecs can be located about 2500 years ago, although it is somewhat complicated to locate because some ancient people can be considered part of the Zapotecs. Although we can say that They could have come from the Olmecs, since they have various elements in common.

The Zapotec languages ​​are a set of about 62 linguistic variants which today is spoken by almost a million people in the areas of Oaxaca and surrounding areas. The current Zapotec languages ​​are considered to be variations of those spoken by the ancient Zapotecs, which have survived to the present day.

The Zapotec languages They are considered very old, anticipating the origins of the Zapotecs, although over the centuries they have evolved, new branches emerging which have caused some versions of the Zapotec languages ​​to not be able to communicate with each other due to their enormous differences.

At unProfesor we bring you closer to knowing the religion of the Zapotecs and their social organization.

Today, it is considered that The origin of the Zapotec language is found in the Chatino language, being a people very similar to the Zapotecs although with less historical relevance, from the linguistic group known as the Otomangue trunk. This linguistic group is also to which other languages ​​of ancient peoples belong, such as that of the Mixtecs or the Mazatecs,

Today, the Zapotec languages ​​are characteristic of the valley of Oaxaca, being the language of the descendants direct from the Zapotecs, who even today maintain many of their main characteristics cultural.

To understand what the languages ​​of the Zapotecs were based on, we must talk about some of their main characteristics, this being essential to understand their great differences against languages ​​of the same period or even current.

The main characteristics of the Zapotec languages They were the following:

• The Zapotec languages ​​form a very diverse linguistic family, covering numerous varieties, dialects and languages ​​spoken in very diverse regions of the Valley of Oaxaca. We must understand that Zapotec languages ​​can be very varied and different, even if they are part of the same linguistic group.
• These languages ​​are inheritance of a very ancient tradition with roots in the early stages of the Mesoamerican peoples. For centuries, the traditions of the Zapotecs have been transmitted between generations, and therefore the languages ​​have been able to continue being spoken from family to family for centuries.
• The Zapotec languages ​​are characterized by having tonal systems, Therefore, the meaning of a word can vary depending on the tone or intonation with which it is pronounced, there being about three different tones. There are not many languages ​​in the world that use this system, but some examples are Mandarin Chinese or Swedish.
• The Zapotec languages ​​use a procedure called noun-incorporation, according to which the nouns merge with the verb to make more complex words with a deeper meaning.
• At first, the Zapotec languages ​​did not have a writing system or alphabet, but with the passage of Over the years, a system has been created to ensure that it would not disappear, making it easier to save a language through he written text. That is why we can currently read writers who use the Zapotec language as their only language.
• The Zapotec languages They are considered a cultural heritage, being the best way to maintain the traditions and customs of the Zapotecs. Thanks to the maintenance of these languages, the history and books of the Zapotecs can be maintained, serving for advances such as the study of traditional Zapotec medicine.
• In recent years, Zapotec languages ​​have received pressure to disappear, especially from the governments that want the only language to be Spanish, and from the exodus of Zapotec descendants to large urban regions.
• Over the years, the Zapotec languages They have been differentiating from each other, causing the existence of Zapotec languages ​​that have no similarity. Even so, the Zapotec languages ​​also have characteristics similar to other Mesoamerican languages ​​of other linguistic groups.

To say "hello" in Zapotec is to pronounce the word "PADIUXH". However, the etymology of this word has been a source of debate and speculation over time.

Some people suggest that "PADIUXH" is a corruption of the Spanish expression "FATHER GOD." However, upon exploring the Zapotec language further, we discovered that God is called "Bdoo'o" and Father is translated as "Dada" or "Xuza'." In fact, it is common to hear the expression "Xusro' Dios", which means "God the Father". This suggests that there is no direct relationship between "PADIUXH" and the expression "God the Father" in Zapotec.

Although the hypothesis that "PADIUXH" is derived from "God the Father" is not entirely far-fetched, it would have to be similar in many indigenous American languages ​​due to the influence of Nahuatl and Spanish during the colonization.

Interestingly, someone mentioned hearing the word "PADIUXH" in the Nahuatl (Pipil) of El Salvador as a way of saying thank you. This could support the idea of ​​a connection between "PADIUXH" and the religious greeting.

As for "PADIUXH", its origin remains a mystery. It could be related to "Yela rugapa Dios", the ceremonial greeting in Zapotec, where the person being greeted is entrusted to God. In this context, someone might say "ugapu kieru Dios xuzo" to say "commend your dad to God on my behalf" or "Ugapu kieru Dios xhno'o" to say "commend your mom to God on my behalf." These greetings reflect a Christian influence on the Zapotec language.

If you want to read more articles similar to Zapotec languages, we recommend that you enter our category of History.

• Schrader-Kniffki, M. (2004). Introduction to the Zapotec language and culture (Vol. 7). University of Valencia.
• Peñafiel, A. (Ed.). (1887). Grammar of the Zapotec language. Typical office of the Development Secretariat.
• Henestrosa, A. (1933). Studies on the Zapotec language. Linguistic research, 1, 27.