Tepehua languages explained

Tepehua languages should not be confused with Tepehuán language.

Tepehua
Nativename:Hamasipini
Region:Mexico

Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo

Ethnicity:Tepehua
Date:2020 census
Ref:[1]
Familycolor:American
Fam1:Totonacan
Agency:INALI
Lc1:tee
Ld1:Tepehua of Huehuetla
Lc2:tpp
Ld2:Tepehua of Pisaflores
Lc3:tpt
Ld3:Tepehua of Tlachichilco
Glotto:tepe1243
Glottorefname:Tepehua

Tepehua is a language cluster of Mexico, spoken across a number of central Mexican states by the Tepehua people. Tepehua is a Mesoamerican language and shows many of the traits which define the Mesoamerican Linguistic Area. Along with some 67 other indigenous languages, it is recognized by a statutory law of Mexico[2] (General Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Peoples) as an official language in the Mexican Federal District and the other administrative divisions in which it is spoken and it is on an equal footing with Spanish.

+Approximate number of speakers of varieties of TepehuaLanguageISO 639 codeWhere spokenNumber of speakers
Tepehua of HuehuetlateeNortheastern Hidalgo, Huehuetla, and half the town of Mecapalapa in Puebla.3,000 (1982 SIL)
Tepehua of PisaflorestppAround the town of Pisaflores, Veracruz4,000 (1990 census)
Tepehua of TlachichilcotptTlachichilco, Veracruz3,000 (1990 SIL)

Huehuetla and Pisaflores are at best marginally intelligible, at 60–70% intelligibility (depending on direction). Tlachichilco has much lower intelligibility with the others, at 40% intelligibility or less.

Morphology

Tepehua is an agglutinative language, where words use suffix complexes for a variety of purposes with several morphemes strung together.

References

  1. http://cuentame.inegi.org.mx/hipertexto/todas_lenguas.htm Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020
  2. Web site: Ley General de Derechos Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas .   ("General Law of the Linguistic Rights of Indigenous peoples"), decree published 13 March 2003