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
20 core words in Metlatónoc Mixtec
Water
ndute
/nduteʔ/
Fire
ñu'un
/ɲuʔun/
Sun
nikandii
/nikandiː/
Moon
yoo
/joː/
Mother
na'án
/naʔán/
Father
tatá
/tatá/
Eat
kasi
/kasi/
Drink
kohó
/koʔó/
Love
kunduu ini
/kundúː iniʔ/
Heart
ini
/iniʔ/
Tree
itun
/itun/
House
ve'e
/βeʔe/
Dog
tina
/tina/
Cat
vilu
/βilu/
Hand
nda'a
/ndaʔa/
Eye
nduchi
/ndutʃi/
Hello
sa'a
/saʔa/
Thank you
tatu'un
/tatuʔun/
One
i'in
/iʔin/
Good
vaha
/vahaʔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Otomanguean languages
| Meaning | Metlatónoc Mixtec | Mixtec | Mixtepec Mixtec | Uspanteko | Ixil | Itzá Maya | Kimbundu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | menha /meɲa/ |
| Fire | ñu'un /ɲuʔun/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | tzaʼ /tsaʔ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | tubia /tubja/ |
| Sun | nikandii /nikandiː/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | nikan /nikan/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼii /qʼiː/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | muanya /mwaɲa/ |
| Moon | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | ich /itʃ/ | uj /uh/ | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ |
| Mother | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tat /tat/ | baʼ /baʔ/ | tat /tat/ | tata /tata/ |
| Eat | kasi /kasi/ | kasi /kasi/ | kashi /kaʃi/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | tzaʼbʼi /tsaʔɓi/ | jant /hant/ | kudya /kudja/ |
| Drink | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | ucha /utʃa/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| Love | kunduu ini /kundúː iniʔ/ | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | kuxhewchʼa /kuʃewtʃʼa/ | yakunti /jakunti/ | henda /henda/ |
| Heart | ini /iniʔ/ | ini /iniʔ/ | ini /iniʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | vatzʼ /vatsʼ/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ | muxima /muʃima/ |
| Tree | itun /itun/ | yutu /jutu/ | yutu /jutu/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tze /tse/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | mukune /mukune/ |
| House | ve'e /βeʔe/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | veʔe /veʔe/ | jaa /haː/ | kabʼal /kaɓal/ | nah /nah/ | inzo /inzo/ |
| Dog | tina /tina/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ina/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | vilu /βilu/ | vilú /βilú/ | vilú /vilú/ | mis /mis/ | mees /meːs/ | mis /mis/ | kasalu /kasalu/ |
| Hand | nda'a /ndaʔa/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼabʼ /qʼaɓ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ | lukwaku /lukwaku/ |
| Eye | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | wach /watʃ/ | vusal /vusal/ | ich /itʃ/ | dixi /diʃi/ |
| Hello | sa'a /saʔa/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | nimaʼla kuxhewchʼa /nimaʔla kuʃewtʃʼa/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ | kiebi /kiebi/ |
| Thank you | tatu'un /tatuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | tantixh /tantiʃ/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ |
| One | i'in /iʔin/ | in /iʔn/ | in /iʔn/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | -moxi /moʃi/ |
| Good | vaha /vahaʔ/ | vate /βate/ | vaha /vahaʔ/ | utz /uts/ | utzʼ /utsʼ/ | malobʼ /malob/ | kiá /kja/ |
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