Popoloca languages

This article is about the language cluster. For the language subfamily that this cluster is in, see Popolocan languages.

Popoloca is an indigenous Mexican cluster of languages of the Popolocan branch of the Oto-Manguean language family, closely related to Mazatec. They are spoken by 17,000 people in Puebla state, Mexico, near Tehuacán.

Popoloca
Geographic distribution	Puebla, Mexico
Native speakers	17,000 (2020 census)
Linguistic classification	Oto-Manguean Popolocan Chocho–Popoloca Popoloca
Subdivisions	Eastern Central/Western
Language codes
Glottolog	popo1294
ELP	Popoloca
The Popoloca languages, number 6 (purple), center.

Languages

The Ethnologue distinguishes seven varieties of Popoloca as separate languages. However, these fall into four groups with 75% mutual intelligibility or greater.

• Eastern Popoloca
  • Southern (Atzingo–Metzontla: San Juan, Los Reyes)
  • Northern (Temalacayuca–Tlacoyalco: San Luis, San Marcos)
• Central Popoloca
  • Coyotepec (San Mateo dialect may be distinct, or a dialect of San Felipe)
  • Western (Ahuatempan–Otlaltepec: Santa Inés, San Felipe)