MIXTEC LANGUAGE: ORIGIN, HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, DIALECTS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Mixtec language is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages ​​in Mexico, mainly in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla, in the southern part of the country. According to the National Institute of Indigenous Languages ​​(INALI), it is currently used by about 500,000 people and has about 80 dialects that vary from one town to another.

Mixtec is a tonal language, which means that the same word can have different meanings depending on the force used when pronouncing it. On the other hand, from the phonological point of view it is characterized by a strong nasal tendency.

The Mixtec language is the third most widely used indigenous language in Mexico, behind Nahuatl and Mayan. Source: pixabay.com

As a consequence of migratory processes, in addition to the southern part of Mexico, this language can also be found in the Federal District and other states of the country and even in the United States, mainly in the state of California.

Mixtec belongs to the “Ottomangue” linguistic family, which comprises a large group of Amerindian languages ​​spoken in Mexico and northern Costa Rica.

Among them are the Zapotec, the Otomí, the Amuzgo, the Cuicateco, the Triqui and the Mazahua. All these languages ​​share common characteristics, related to morphology, syntax and phonology.

Origin and history of the Mixtec language

The Mixtec language has a large number of variations that can be found in various states of Mexico. Source: Kilitlalco Buluk Ben

The Mixtec civilization was a culture that had its origin in the 15th century BC and began its decline in the year 1523 of the new era with the arrival of the Spanish.

This town developed in an area of ​​more than 40 thousand square kilometers known as La Mixteca, formed by the current states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla in Mexico.

Its economy was based on agriculture, where plantations of corn, beans, chili and squash were abundant. They were also great artisans, standing out in wood carving, ceramics, goldsmithing and pottery.

The Mixtecos lived in villages and had a hierarchical organization led by a cacique that also included warriors, merchants, artisans, slaves, and peasants.

When the arrival of the Spaniards took place, several dialects of Mixtec already existed. It is estimated that it arose from the Protomixtecano, a language from which the Triquis and Cuicatec languages ​​also derived.

The Dominican friars were in charge of the evangelization of the Mixteca region and who created the first phonetic writing of this language.

The rain people

The word "Mixtec" is a Castilianization of the Nahuatl term "mixtécatl", which means "inhabitant of the nation of clouds."

It is a rough translation of the name that this town gave itself, using the expression "ñuu dzahui", which can be understood as "the people of the rain" or "the country of the rain god".

Today it is estimated that Mixtec is spoken by about 500 thousand people. This makes it the third most widely used indigenous language in Mexico, behind Nahuatl, used by a million and a half, and Mayan, by about 800 thousand.

Unlike what happened with other languages ​​in the region, Mixtec did not contribute too many neologisms to Spanish.

Characteristics of the Mixtec language

The Mixtec language belongs to the “Ottomangue” linguistic family and, within it, it is found within the “Mixtecan” group along with the Cuicateco and Triqui languages.

It is characterized by being tonal and by the phonetic role of nasalization. In it, three tones are distinguished - high, medium and low -, which means that the same word can have different meanings depending on the force used when pronouncing it.

Tonality is so important that in many terms it is even included in your writing.

From the phonological point of view, the vowels that are before the consonants m, n and ñ usually present a strong nasal tendency. Ditto for double-articulated sounds like ng, jn, ts and nd.

When assembling sentences, the verb is generally used first, then the subject, and lastly the object. As for the verb tenses, there are three roots: perfect, imperfect and continuous.

The Mixtec language distinguishes five genders -male, female, sacred, animal and inanimate-, which do not have inflection although they accept possessive and clitic prefixes to mark the plural.

On the other hand, there are three types of pronominal systems and, to indicate a negation, the term "ñá" is used.

Dialects of the Mixtec language

The Mixtec language is the third most widely used indigenous language in Mexico, behind Nahuatl and Mayan. Source: pixabay.com

It is estimated that the Mixtec language has about 80 dialects, which change from one town to another. For some specialists they are independent languages, while others consider them variants of the same language.

According to UNESCO, ten of them are in danger of disappearing since they are only spoken by a few hundred people today.

Others, on the other hand, are being protected through different political and cultural movements that seek to safeguard them.

The work to standardize their writing and vocabulary did not achieve visible results, since each language is part of the cultural identity of each of the peoples and is difficult to change.

Although there are different pronunciations and words, in general, people who speak different dialects manage to understand each other.

Protection of the Mixtec language

In Mexico, Mixtec is considered one of the national languages ​​and its use has an official character. For example, the country's constitution and other textbooks were translated into this language and are used for basic education.

On the other hand, in 1997 the Academia de Lengua Mixteca was founded, a civil association that seeks to promote its use and create mechanisms that allow its conservation.

As part of this protectionist trend, a movement also arose in which several Mexican authors participate, with the idea of ​​recovering the use of this language for literary purposes.

Finally, in 2018 the use of the Mixtec language acquired greater worldwide visibility when it was used by the main characters of the film Roma, written and directed by the Mexican Alfonso Cuarón, which won several Oscars.

Where were the Mixtec languages ​​spoken?

Mixtec languages ​​were spoken in the Mixteca region, which encompasses the states of Puebla, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. This was a political, cultural and economic zone of great importance for the original inhabitants of the Mexican territory.

It is estimated that this civilization was born during the Middle Preclassic and was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century, which is why it disappeared. It is one of the oldest cultures that emerged in Mesoamerica, and also one of those that presented the greatest continuity.

According to Ronald Spores - an American ethnohistorian, anthropologist and archaeologist - during the Preclassic, the whole region spoke Protomixtec. Subsequently, new variations were generated as the inhabitants were experiencing different realities.

This was so because of the vast expanse of the region, covering some 35,000 square kilometers. In such a wide space it was easy for variations to be generated from the same language.

Mixteca Alta and Baja

For example, the Mixteca Alta, which covers the area of ​​the Sierra Mixteca, is located in the southeast of Mexico and extends towards Puebla and Oaxaca. A specific variation was spoken in that area, which was written phonetically for the first time by the Dominican monks who settled in Oaxaca after the Spanish conquest.

On the other hand, the Mixteca Baja - which corresponds to the areas surrounding the Sierra Madre del Sur - is located to the northeast of Oaxaca and also includes populations that are found in the south of Puebla.

From the Lower Mixteca came the basis for the spelling of the Mixtec language, specifically the variant that was spoken in the current municipality of Tespocolula, in the state of Oaxaca.

Where is the Mixtec language spoken today?

Most of those who speak the Mixtec language today live in Oaxaca. In this state there is also the largest number of language variants.

Both in Oaxaca and in Guerrero and Puebla, individuals who speak Mixtec languages ​​coexist with others who speak Nahuatl and Amuzgo, among other pre-Hispanic languages. There is a presence of Spanish, although most people use it as a second language.

This language is recognized in Mexico as a national language and is spoken in a wide variety of areas. Furthermore, as it is the official Mexican language, the Constitution has been translated into the Mixtec language, which implies an important measure of inclusion.

Books that teach this language are also distributed free of charge and the Academia de la Lengua Mixteca has been created, whose main purpose is to promote the use of this native language.

There are speaking communities of Mixtec languages ​​in different states of the country. Below we mention the most prominent geographical areas in this regard:

- Puebla.

- Warrior.

- Oaxaca.

- Mexico City.

- Tehuacan.

- Baja California.

- Sinaloa.

- Veracruz

- California.

- Morelos.

- New York.

Examples of words and phrases

Too ni ndii

It means "good morning."

Saa

It means "sir."

Nau jniñu saha ni?

In Spanish it translates as “what do you work on”.

Cuu

This word indicates a statement.

You

It is the negative word "no".

Nanu nchaa ni?

It is used to know the place of residence. It translates as "where do you live".

Jaha chucu neither sign nor

It means "sign you here"

Nasa cuiya iyo ni?

It means "how old are you?"

Ni cutahu na nuu ni

Express appreciation. It is the equivalent of saying "thank you very much."

Yiti

It refers to the candles.

Ha vixi

It means "sweets".

Nama

It translates as "soap."

Ticachi

It refers to a blanket or blanket to keep you warm when sleeping.

Cuñu

Refers to meat (food). If you want to talk specifically about beef, the correct phrase is cuñu xndiqui.

Quini

It is the word used to name the pig or pig.

Ticua iya

It means "lemon."

Nduxi wildebeest

Refers to honey.

Cahan me

It is a farewell, it translates as "see you later."

Cuhu na

It implies a physical discomfort, this phrase is used to indicate that it is necessary to be attended by a doctor. It can be translated as "I am sick."

Xini me

Refers to the head.

Sucunyo

Refers to the neck or throat.

Nakumichum

It is an affectionate greeting to say good morning.

Tichi xahan

Refers to avocado, also known as avocado.

Ndica

It means "banana".

Nasa nchaa?

It translates to "how much does it cost?"

Añu

It means "heart".

Ndaha

It refers to both the arm and the hand.

Ixi yuhu

It can refer to the beard or just the mustache.

Yiqui jata

It is used to talk about the spine.

Yiqui yuhu

It is used to refer to the jaw or jaw.

Ni jnajan na iin cuehe xijni xaan

It is literally translated as "I got a very bad cold."

Uhu xini na

It is used to describe physical discomfort, specifically a headache. It is literally translated as "my head hurts." The vocable mani can also be added at the beginning of the sentence.

Cuita xaan na

It means "I feel very tired."

Ñahan jaha naa ra

It is used to call a group of people. It translates as "come here."

Mixtec words that are written the same as their translation into Spanish

- Coriander.

- Pineapple.

- Cantaloupe.

- Shrimp.

- Chocolate.

- Cinnamon.

- Sugar.

- Cookie.

- Pen.

- Ink.

- Battery (referred to as "battery").

References

1. Arana, Evangelina and Mauricio Swadesh (1965). The elements of the old Mixtec. Mexico, National Indigenous Institute and National Institute of Anthropology and History.
2. Encyclopedia of literature in Mexico. Academy of the Mixtec Language. Available at: elem.mx
3. Vera, Adriana (2019). "Roma" and the rebirth of the Mixtec language. Babbel Magazine. Available at: es.babbel.com
4. Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Martínez Sánchez, Joaquín José (2012). The Mixtec language: from orality to writing. Ibero-American Congress of Languages ​​in Education and Culture / IV Congress Leer.es
6. Mixtec languages, Wikipedia. Available at: Wikipedia.org
7. Talavera, Cynthia. Mixtec, the indigenous language that Yalitza Aparicio spoke in «Roma». Infobae newspaper. Available at: infobae.com