Mochoʼ language
| Mochoʼ | |
|---|---|
| Motozintleco | |
| Qatoʼk, Mochoʼ | |
| Native to | Mexico |
| Region | Eastern Chiapas (villages of Tuzatlán and Motozintla), Southern Mexico |
Native speakers | 124 (2022)[1] |
Mayan
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  Mexico |
| Regulated by | Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mhc |
mhc Mocho | |
06z Tuzanteco | |
| Glottolog | moch1257 |
| ELP | Mocho' |
Mochoʼ (known as Motozintleco in older sources) is a
With about 124 speakers as of 2020,[4] Mochoʼ is considered an endangered language. The Tuzantec dialect is moribund, with less than 5 speakers as of 2011.[5] Educational programs in Mochoʼ are helping to preserve the language among youth and the process of teaching and learning the language in indigenous schools.[6]
Distribution
The two dialects of Mochoʼ are spoken in two different villages: the Tuzantec dialect in
Phonology
![[icon]](/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2025) |
Unlike most Mayan languages, Mochoʼ is tonal. Stress is regular and at the last syllable.
- Short vowels have level or rising pitch.
In Mochoʼ, Proto-Mayan *j [x] and *h [h] have merged to /j/ in Motozintleco, while Tuzanteco preserves this distinction.
Pronunciation rules change compared to modern Spanish, as ñ becomes an "ng" sound like in sing, and glottalization becomes important for many consonants.[citation needed]
Written norm
The official Writing Norm of the Mochoʼ Language (In Mochoʼ: Naʼobal chu tsʼiba we tookʼ Mochoʼ, Spanish: Norma de escritura de la lengua mochoʼ) was published in 2011 by the Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas, it is mainly used for indigenous education. It established official alphabet, grammar rules and other linguistic aspects.[7]
Alphabet
According to the established in the written norm, the Mochoʼ alphabet consists of 30 letters, 25 consonants and 5 vowels that represent all the phonemes of the language. The official name of the Mochoʼ alphabet is Tsʼibtookʼ Mochoʼ.[8]
| Mantitsʼib
(Majuscule) |
Lustitsʼib
(Minuscule) |
Bij
(Name) |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | A |
| E | e | E |
| I | i | I |
| O | o | O |
| U | u | U |
| Mantitsʼib
(Majuscule) |
Lustitsʼib
(Minuscule) |
Bij
(Name) |
|---|---|---|
| B | b | Ba |
| CH | ch | CHa |
| CHʼ | chʼ | CHʼa |
| G | g | Ga |
| J | j | Ja |
| K | k | Ka |
| Kʼ | kʼ | Kʼa |
| L | l | La |
| M | m | Ma |
| N | n | Na |
| Ñ | ñ | Ña |
| Nʼ | nʼ | Nʼa |
| P | p | Pa |
| Q | q | Qa |
| Qʼ | qʼ | Qʼa |
| R | r | Ra |
| S | s | Sa |
| T | t | Ta |
| Tʼ | tʼ | Tʼa |
| TS | ts | TSa |
| TSʼ | tsʼ | TSʼa |
| W | w | Wa |
| X | x | Xa |
| Y | y | Ya |
| ʼ | ʼ | Xlokʼ-aq |
References
- ^ Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020 INEGI. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020.
- ^ a b Palosaari, N. E. (2011). Topics in mochoʼ phonology and morphology (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
- ^ "Naʼobal chu tsʼiba we tookʼ Mochoʼ (Norma de Escritura de la Lengua Mochoʼ). NOMBRE DE LA LENGUA" (PDF).
- ^ "Población de 3 años y más hablante de lengua indígena 2020".
- ^ Palosaari, Naomi Elizabeth (2011). Topics in Mocho' Phonology and Morphology (Thesis). ProQuest LLC.
- ^ "Entrega de Gramáticas Didácticas elaboradas en ocho lenguas indígenas nacionales de Chiapas".
- ^ "NAʼOBAL CHU TSʼIBA WE TOOKʼ MOCHOʼ. NORMA DE ESCRITURA DE LA LENGUA MOCHOʼ".
- ^ "Naʼobal chu tsʼiba we tookʼ Mochoʼ (Norma de escritura de la lengua mochoʼ). TSʼIBTOOK" (PDF).
Further reading
- OCLC 19026614. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ISBN 978-0-19-938465-5.
- Kaufman, Terrence (November 1969). Preliminary Mochó Vocabulary. Laboratory for Language-Behavior Research. Working Paper. Vol. 5. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- Martin, Laura (Winter 1987). "The Interdependence of Language and Culture in the Bear Story in Spanish and in Mochó". .
- — (Summer 1998). "Irrealis Constructions in Mocho (Mayan)". Anthropological Linguistics. 40 (2). University of Nebraska Press: 198–213. Retrieved 2025-06-24 – via JSTOR.
- Schummann, Otto (1969). "El tuzanteco y su posición dentro de la familia mayense" [Tuzanteco and its place within the Mayan family.] (PDF). Anales del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (in Spanish). 7 (1). from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
External links
- Mayan Languages Collection of Laura Martin. Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America. [Audio recordings, transcriptions, translations, and field notes on Mochoʼ and other Mayan languages. Free registration required.]
- MesoAmerican Languages Collection of Lyle Campbell. Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America. [Audio recordings, transcriptions, and translations of several languages including Mochoʼ. Free registration required.]
- "Mocho Pronunciation Guide, Alphabet and Phonology". www.native-languages.org. Native Languages of the Americas. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- "Mochoʼ Language". Endangered Languages Project. Alliance for Linguistic Diversity. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
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