Ocuiltec language

Ocuiltec
Tlahuica, pjyɇkakjó[1][2]
Native toMexico
RegionState of Mexico
EthnicityMatlatzinca (Tlahuica)
Native speakers
100 (2011)[3]
2,238 (2020)[4]
Language codes
ISO 639-3ocu
Glottologatzi1235
ELP
Map of Matlatzinca languages
Matlatzinca-Atzinca-Pirinda languages. Extension at the beginning of 20th century and earlier extension in 16th century

Ocuiltec, also known as Tlahuica and Atzingo Matlatzinca, is a moribund language of Central Mexico closely related to Matlatzinca and Pirinda.[5]

Ocuiltec is spoken primarily in the municipality of Ocuilan in the villages Cinco Caminos, Colonia Doctor Gustavo Baz, El Capulín, El Totoc (San José Totoc), Lomas de Teocaltzingo (Loma de Tecalzingo), Ocuilán de Artéaga, San Juan Atzingo, Santa Lucía, Santa Martha, and Santa María Nativitas.[1][4][6] It may have been spoken in the adjacent area of Morelos, though Matlatzinca could have also existed in it.[7]

Due to the extremely small speaking population and the unfavourable age structure, Ocuiltec is highly endangered. In the 2000 census, only 26 persons under the age of 20 were registered as speakers of Ocuiltec.

  1. ^ a b "Tlahuica", Catálogo de las lenguas indígenas nacionales: Variantes lingüísticas de México con sus autodenominaciones y referencias geoestadísticas (PDF), Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indigenas, 14 January 2008, p. 105 – via Diario Oficial de la Federación
  2. ^ Sabino Nava, Rocío, "¿Somos Ocuiltecos, Atzincas, Tlahuicas o Pjiekakjo?", Estudios de Cultura Otopame, vol. 7, no. 1
  3. ^ Ocuiltec at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  4. ^ a b Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020 INEGI. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020.
  5. ^ Muntzel, M. C (2003). The structure of Ocuilteco (PhD). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
  6. ^ Palancar, Enrique L (2016), Oto-Pamean
  7. ^ Maldonado, Druzo (1990), Cuauhnáhuac y Huaxtepec (tlahuicas y xochimilcas en el Morelos Prehispánico), p. 25, En relación a la lengua que probablemente se hablaba en Morelos antes de la llegada del náhuatl, Smith sugiere en base a inferencias arqueológicas y documentales que, matlatzinca [y/o ocuilteca] se hablaba en el oeste, y mixteco y/o popoloca al este (1983:21)