Mochoʼ (known as Motozintleco in older sources) is a Mayan language spoken by the Mochoʼ people of Chiapas, Mexico. A source stated that it was known as Qatokʼ[2] (from Qa-our and Tookʼ-language: our language), although this name has not received wide acceptance among the native speakers and the language, which is known as Mochoʼ by both the Mochoʼ people and the Mexican government.[3] Mochoʼ has a dialect called Tuzantec (Muchuʼ) spoken in Tuzantan, Chiapas. Alongside Jakaltek, Qʼanjobʼal, Chuj and Tojol-Abʼal, the Mochoʼ language is part of the Qʼanjobalan group from the western branch of Mayan languages.
| Mochoʼ | |
|---|---|
| Motozintleco | |
| Qatoʼk | |
| Native to | Mexico |
| Region | Eastern Chiapas (villages of Tuzatlán and Motozintla), Southern Mexico |
Native speakers | 124 (2022)[1] |
Mayan
| |
| Latin | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  Mexico |
| Regulated by | Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mhc |
| Glottolog | moch1257 |
| ELP | Mocho' |
With about 124 speakers as of 2020,[4] Mochoʼ is considered an endangered language. Educational programs in Mochoʼ are helping to preserve the language among youth and the process of teaching and learning the language in indigenous schools.[5]
Distribution
editThe two dialects of Mochoʼ are spoken in two different villages: the Tuzantec dialect in Tuzantán (a town near Huixtla, Chiapas), and the Mochoʼ dialect in Motozintla. Historically, the two groups descend from a single population living in the region of Belisario Dominguez about 500 years ago. According to local legend, the split and migration was caused by a plague of bats. Speakers have also been reported in the nearby towns of Tolimán, Buenos Aires, and Campana. Palosaari (2011) describes the Motozintlec dialect.[2]
Written norm of the Mochoʼ language
editThe 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.[6]
Alphabet
editAccording 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.[7]
| 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 |
Phonology
editUnlike 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.
It is worth noting that pronunciation rules change compared to modern Spanish, as ñ becomes an "ng" sound like in sing, and glottalization becomes important for many consonants.
References
edit- ^ 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".
- ^ "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
edit- Kaufman, T. (1969). Preliminary Mochoʼ vocabulary (Working Paper 5). Berkeley, CA: University of California.
- Campbell, L. (1988). The linguistics of southeast Chiapas, Mexico (Vol. 50). Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press.
- Martin, L. (1998). Irrealis constructions in Mochoʼ (Mayan). Anthropological Linguistics (2), 198-213.
- Martin, L. (1987). The interdependence of language and culture in the bear story in Spanish and Mocho. Anthropological Linguistics (4), 533-548.
- England, N. C., & Maldonado, R. Z. (2013). Mayan languages. Oxford University Press.
- Schuman, Otto. 1969. "El tuzanteco y su posición dentro de la familia mayense" en Anales del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. México. pp. 139–148.
External links
edit- 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.