The language of the Olmecs, also known as "protomayahuasteca", is a dialect of the protofamiliamixe-zoque. This civilization did not leave any type of testimony in which it can be deduced how they really spoke.
However, historians and archaeologists have done an important research work and thanks to this we have more information about the language of this ancient tribe.
Olmec head. Source: National museum of Anthropologie, Mexiko-Stadt Photograph: Luidger.
In order to understand the history of this language a little more, it is necessary to know two of the most important dialectical branches from which it arose, both known as “the zoque-mixte family”.
Each of these dialects had strong influences on the Olmecs.
Roots of the Olmec language
The Olmec dialect is grouped within the “mixe-zoque” family, also known as mije-soquenas. Both at the same time include two divisions of great importance as the Mixe subfamily and the Zoque subfamily.
The language of the "Mixe-Zoquena" family had a wide range of diffusion that reached the entire Guatemalan Pacific coast, which greatly influenced the neighboring civilizations, such as the Olmecs who apparently copied the language and then adapted it.
Some researchers suggest that the Olmec civilization came to speak the Mixe-Zoque language due to its strong influence. Despite this, there are expert positions that refute this study and suggest something different.
Exhibition of Olmec objects related to the construction of power in the Mesoamerican Museum of Jade. Source: AlejandroLinaresGarcia / Public domain
Historians against the above position claim that it is possible that the Olmec civilization did use many zoque words but never mixe.
One of the reasons they give is that during the period 1500-100 BC, the Mixe-Zoque languages formed a unit.
All these theories are formulated because there really is no record of this ancient language that yields an "absolute truth." What is known is that they came to develop some concepts through the use of symbols.
The graphic elements were an important part within this civilization to facilitate and spread its culture to others, both in political, religious and even aesthetic aspects.
Aesthetics as a form of communication
Being the first known civilization in Mesoamerica, the Olmecs, apparently, did not have a written dialect, but instead made use of signs (called glyphs) to represent aspects of daily life and their culture.
Thanks to these representations with signs, some of their beliefs have been known, often through metaphors about the origin of life and the creation of the world.
The metaphorical references of the Olmecs in the glyphs found during the investigations could be one of the most common forms of communication, very similar to the Egyptians, who also adopted a written language based on symbology.
What has puzzled everyone regarding the language of the Olmecs has been a finding called the "Cascajal Block", in which 28 different symbols are observed with representations of fish, bees, corn, beetles, etc.
This is probably the definitive sample of the writing of this curious and enigmatic civilization!
References
- Mixe-Zoque family. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from mexico.sil.org
- Mixezoquean language. Retrieved on September 17, 2017, from Wikipedia.org
- Origins of the Olmec civilization. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from raicesdemexico.wikispeaces.com
- Olmec. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from Wikipedia.org
- The olmecas. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from laslenguasdeamerica.webnode.es.