| Supanec | |
| Also Known As: | Tlapanecan |
| Region: | Mexico, Nicaragua |
| Fam1: | Oto-Manguean |
| Fam3: | Tlapanec–Mangue |
| Familycolor: | American |
| Fam2: | Western Oto-Mangue |
| Child1: | Tlapanec |
| Child2: | Subtiaba † |
| Child3: | ? Maribo † |
| Glotto: | subt1249 |
| Glottorefname: | Subtiaba–Tlapanec |
The Supanecan or Tlapanecan languages are Tlapanec (Me'phaa) of Guerrero and the extinct Subtiaba of Nicaragua. The family was recognized in 1925 by Edward Sapir, who linked them to his Hokan proposal. However, they are the most recently recognized members of the Oto-Manguean language family, the relationship having been demonstrated in 1977 by Jorge Suárez.[1] The Oto-Manguean affiliation of Tlapaneco-Subtiaba is supported by Kaufman (2016).[2]
According to Costenla (1994), these two languages diverged sometime after 1200 AD.
Sapir proposed that a third language, the extinct Maribo of the village of Maribichicoa, on the Guatajiguala River in Lencan country in El Salvador, may have been the closest relative of Subtiaba, or that it in fact was Subtiaba. However, Campbell (1975) questions this.[3]