Tu'un Sávi
Metlatónoc Mixtec
Otomanguean
Metlatónoc Mixtec (autonymously Tu'un Sávi, "Rain People's Speech") is a Mixtec variety of the La Montaña region of eastern Guerrero, Mexico, with about 25,000 speakers. It belongs to the Mixtec language complex of the Otomanguean family, sharing ancestry with the dozens of mutually unintelligible Mixtec varieties spoken across Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Puebla. Like all Mixtec, it is tonal (3 contrastive tones) and features the characteristic Mixtec couplet verse style used in ritual oratory. Metlatónoc speakers face severe migration pressure — many are seasonal agricultural laborers in northern Mexico and California, USA, where they form an important diaspora indigenous community organizing under the Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Metlatónoc Mixtec
Water
ndute
/ndute/
Fire
ñu'un
/ɲuʔun/
Sun
nikandii
/nikandiː/
Moon
yoo
/joː/
Star
kimi
/kimi/
Mother
na'án
/naʔán/
Father
tatá
/tatá/
I
yuʼu
/juʔu/
You
yoʼo
/joʔo/
Name
sivi
/siβi/
Eye
nduchi
/ndutʃi/
Hand
nda'a
/ndaʔa/
Heart
ini
/ini/
Love
kunduu ini
/kundúː iniʔ/
Tree
itun
/itun/
House
ve'e
/βeʔe/
Dog
tina
/tina/
Cat
vilu
/βilu/
Eat
kasi
/kasi/
Drink
kohó
/koʔó/
One
i'in
/iʔin/
Two
uu
/uː/
Hello
sa'a
/saʔa/
Thank you
tatu'un
/tatuʔun/
Good
va'a
/βaʔa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Otomanguean languages
| Meaning | Metlatónoc Mixtec | Mixtec | Mixtepec Mixtec | Pintupi-Luritja | Uspanteko | Pitjantjatjara | Cora |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ndute /ndute/ | ndute /ndute/ | ndute /ndute/ | kapi /kapi/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | kapi /kapi/ | hapɨn /hapɨn/ |
| Fire | ñu'un /ɲuʔun/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | waru /waɻu/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | waru /waɻu/ | ta'ai /taʔai/ |
| Sun | nikandii /nikandiː/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | nikan /nikan/ | tjintu /cintu/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | tjintu /cintu/ | tahaapuá /tahaːpwa/ |
| Moon | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | pira /piɻa/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | pira /piɻa/ | mɨhka /mɨhka/ |
| Star | kimi /kimi/ | kimi /kimi/ | kimi /kimi/ | kililpi /kiˈlilpi/ | ch'umil /tʃʼumil/ | kililpil /kiˈlilpil/ | sɨɨrabe /sɨːˈrabe/ |
| Mother | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | nan /nan/ | ngunytju /ŋuɲcu/ | naana /naːna/ |
| Father | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | mama /mama/ | tat /tat/ | mama /mama/ | hahuá /hahwa/ |
| I | yuʼu /juʔu/ | ruʼu /ɾuʔu/ | ruʼu /ɾuʔu/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | in /in/ | ngayulu /ŋajulu/ | neʼu /ˈneʔu/ |
| You | yoʼo /joʔo/ | yoʼo /joʔo/ | yóʼó /joʔo/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | at /at/ | nyuntu /ɲuntu/ | aʼu /ˈaʔu/ |
| Name | sivi /siβi/ | sɨvɨ /sɨβɨ/ | sivi /siβi/ | yini /jini/ | b'ii /ɓiː/ | ini /ini/ | yeuwa /ˈjeuwa/ |
| Eye | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | wach /watʃ/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | húi /hwi/ |
| Hand | nda'a /ndaʔa/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | mara /maɻa/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | mara /maɻa/ | mam /mam/ |
| Heart | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | ini /ini/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | kurunpa /kuɻunpa/ | hɨurí /hɨuri/ |
| Love | kunduu ini /kundúː iniʔ/ | kúu ini /kúu ini/ | kúu ini /kúu ini/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | mukulya /mukuʎa/ | ka'na /kaʔna/ |
| Tree | itun /itun/ | yutu /jutu/ | yutu /jutu/ | punu /punu/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | punu /punu/ | kɨré /kɨre/ |
| House | ve'e /βeʔe/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | veʔe /veʔe/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | jaa /haː/ | ngura /ŋuɻa/ | kíh /kih/ |
| Dog | tina /tina/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ina/ | papa /papa/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | papa /papa/ | tsɨ'ɨ /tsɨʔɨ/ |
| Cat | vilu /βilu/ | vilú /βilú/ | vilú /vilú/ | pusi /pusi/ | mis /mis/ | pusi /pusi/ | mistú /mistu/ |
| Eat | kasi /kasi/ | kasi /kasi/ | kashi /kaʃi/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | ngalkuni /ŋalkuni/ | kuá /kwa/ |
| Drink | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | tjikini /cikini/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | tjikini /cikini/ | hi'i /hiʔi/ |
| One | i'in /iʔin/ | in /ĩ/ | in /iʔn/ | kutju /kucu/ | jun /hun/ | kutju /kucu/ | cei /tsei/ |
| Two | uu /uː/ | uvi /uʔβi/ | uvi /uβi/ | kutjarra /kucaɾa/ | quiib' /kiːɓ/ | kutjara /kucaɻa/ | huapoa /waˈpoa/ |
| Hello | sa'a /saʔa/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | palya /paʎa/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | palya /paʎa/ | ke'kuanenki /keʔkwanenki/ |
| Thank you | tatu'un /tatuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | palya /paʎa/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | palya /paʎa/ | atsipiraá /atsipiraː/ |
| Good | va'a /βaʔa/ | vate /βate/ | vaha /vaʔa/ | palya /paʎa/ | utz /uts/ | palya /paʎa/ | huá'i /hwaʔi/ |
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