Orizaba Nahuatl Explained

Orizaba Nahuatl
Nativename:Āwilisāpan Nāwatl
States:Mexico
Region:Veracruz
Speakers:120,000
Date:1991
Ref:e18
Script:Latin
Familycolor:Uto-Aztecan
Fam1:Uto-Aztecan
Fam2:Aztecan (Nahuan)
Fam3:Nahuatl
Fam4:Central Nahuatl
Fam5:Tehuacan–Zongolica Nahuatl
Iso3:nlv
Glotto:oriz1235
Glottorefname:Orizaba Nahuatl

Orizaba Nahuatl is a native American language spoken in the southeastern Mexican state of Veracruz mostly in the area to the south of the city of Orizaba.[1] It is also known as Orizaba Aztec and Náhuatl de la Sierra de Zongolica. It has 79 percent intelligibility with Morelos Nahuatl. There is a dialect called Ixhuatlancillo Nahuatl which is spoken in a town to the north of Orizaba. There is one secondary school which uses this language.

Phonology

Vowels

Short!! Front! Back
Highpronounced as /link/
Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Lowpronounced as /link/
Long!! Front! Back
Highpronounced as /link/
Midpronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Lowpronounced as /link/

Consonants

!rowspan="2"
LabialApicalPost-
alveolar
VelarGlottal
CentralLateralUnroundedRounded
Nasalpronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ ~ pronounced as /link/
Plosivepronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Affricatepronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Fricativepronounced as /link/ ~ pronounced as /link/ ~ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Semivowelpronounced as /link/

Writing

The orthography of Orizaba Nahuatl (nlv) is similar to that of Classical Nahuatl (nah), though it features the consonants of this modern variety internationally rather than on the basis of Castilian (Spanish) orthography:

"Nicalaquīz īcal." [nah]

"Nikalakīs īkal." [nlv]This corresponds to a more phonetic translation while still making use of macrons to mark long vowels.In this orthography the name of the language is Nawatl (as capitalized for English speakers), rather than Nahuatl.Most grammar and vocabulary changes are minor, most of them corresponding to neologisms and loan words from Spanish.Example:

"Āxcān." [nah]

"Axan." [nlv](In this case both long vowels and intermediate consonant are lost.)

Some loanwords from Spanish:

"Kahwen" (from, coffee; also used in Classical Nahuatl as).

"Kawayoh" (from, horse; also used in Classical Nahuatl as).

"Kochih" (from, car).

"Refreskoh" (from, soft drink or soda).

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sil.org/mexico/nahuatl/orizaba/00e-Orizaba-nlv.htm