Hñöñho
Querétaro Otomi
Otomanguean
Querétaro Otomi (autonymously Hñöñho) is an Otomi language of the Otomanguean family, spoken by around 30,000 people in the Querétaro state of central Mexico. Linguistically, it is part of the Otomi macrolanguage cluster alongside Mezquital Otomi (ote) and several other Otomi varieties; ISO 639-3 distinguishes it under code "otq". Querétaro Otomi is one of the most-vibrant Otomi varieties, with strong intergenerational transmission in the Amealco de Bonfil and Tolimán municipalities. The Querétaro Otomi community has maintained their indigenous identity and language through centuries of post-Aztec and Spanish colonial pressure, with significant 20th-century revitalization through bilingual education programs run by INALI and the Querétaro state government.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Querétaro Otomi
Water
dehe
/tehe/
Fire
tsibi
/tsibi/
Sun
hyadi
/hjadi/
Moon
zänä
/zãnã/
Star
tsʼe
/tsʼe/
Mother
mu
/mu/
Father
dada
/dada/
I
nugä
/nuɡæ/
You
nuʼi
/nuʔi/
Name
thuuhu
/tʰũːhũ/
Eye
da
/da/
Hand
'ye
/ʔje/
Heart
mui
/mui/
Love
mädi
/mãdi/
Tree
za
/za/
House
ngu
/ŋɡu/
Dog
yo
/jo/
Cat
mishi
/miʃi/
Eat
shi
/ʃi/
Drink
tsi
/tsi/
One
'na
/ʔna/
Two
yoho
/joho/
Hello
hä
/hã/
Thank you
jamädi
/hamãdi/
Good
hño
/hɲo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Otomanguean languages
| Meaning | Querétaro Otomi | Otomi | Mazahua | Misak | Shipibo-Conibo | Warao | Standard Moroccan Tamazight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | dehe /tehe/ | dehe /tehe/ | ndeje /ndehe/ | unø /unø/ | jene /hene/ | hoidu /hojdu/ | ⴰⵎⴰⵏ /aman/ |
| Fire | tsibi /tsibi/ | tsibi /tsibi/ | sibi /sibi/ | nipi /nipi/ | chii /tʃiː/ | hekunu /hekunu/ | ⵜⵉⵎⵙⵙⵉ /timsːi/ |
| Sun | hyadi /hjadi/ | hyadi /hjadi/ | jiarú /hjaˈɾu/ | shi /ʃi/ | bari /bari/ | ya /ja/ | ⵜⴰⴼⵓⴽⵜ /tafukt/ |
| Moon | zänä /zãnã/ | zänä /zãnã/ | zana /zana/ | atru /atɾu/ | oxe /oʃe/ | waniku /waniku/ | ⴰⵢⵢⵓⵔ /ajːur/ |
| Star | tsʼe /tsʼe/ | tsʼe /tsʼe/ | seje /seʔe/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | wishati /wiʃati/ | kura /kura/ | ⵉⵜⵔⵉ /itri/ |
| Mother | mu /mu/ | nänä /nãnã/ | nana /nana/ | mama /mama/ | tita /tita/ | dani /dani/ | ⵉⵎⵎⴰ /imːa/ |
| Father | dada /dada/ | tada /tada/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | daka /daka/ | ⴱⴰⴱⴰ /baba/ |
| I | nugä /nuɡæ/ | nugä /nuɡæ/ | nuts'ko /nutsʔko/ | na /na/ | ea /ea/ | ine /ine/ | ⵏⴽⴽ /nəkː/ |
| You | nuʼi /nuʔi/ | nuʼi /nuʔi/ | nutsk'e /nutskʔe/ | ñui /ɲui/ | mia /mia/ | ihi /ihi/ | ⴽⵢⵢⵉ /kəjːi/ |
| Name | thuuhu /tʰũːhũ/ | thuhu /tʰũhũ/ | chju'u /tʃũʔũ/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | jane /ˈhane/ | wai /wai/ | ⵉⵙⵎ /isəm/ |
| Eye | da /da/ | da /da/ | da /da/ | kab /kab/ | bero /bero/ | mu /mu/ | ⵜⵉⵟⵟ /titˤː/ |
| Hand | 'ye /ʔje/ | 'ye /ʔje/ | ye /je/ | mar /maɾ/ | mëken /mɯken/ | mojo /moho/ | ⴰⴼⵓⵙ /afus/ |
| Heart | mui /mui/ | mui /mui/ | mŭiñ /mwiɲ/ | mun /mun/ | joínti /hoˈinti/ | obonona /obonona/ | ⵓⵍ /ul/ |
| Love | mädi /mãdi/ | mädi /mãdi/ | hñu /ɲ̥u/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | noi /noi/ | anaubu /anaubu/ | ⵜⴰⵢⵔⵉ /tajri/ |
| Tree | za /za/ | za /za/ | za /za/ | yu /ju/ | jiwi /xiwi/ | dau /daw/ | ⴰⵙⴽⵍⵓ /asəklu/ |
| House | ngu /ŋɡu/ | ngu /ŋɡu/ | ngumi /ŋɡumi/ | ya /ja/ | xobo /ʃobo/ | hanoko /hanoko/ | ⵜⵉⴳⵎⵎⵉ /tiɡəmːi/ |
| Dog | yo /jo/ | yo /jo/ | nyo /ɲo/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | ochiti /otʃiti/ | aurahu /auɾahu/ | ⴰⵢⴷⵉ /ajdi/ |
| Cat | mishi /miʃi/ | mixi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | ⴰⵎⵓⵛⵛ /amutʃː/ |
| Eat | shi /ʃi/ | ñuni /ɲuni/ | ñe /ɲe/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | piti /piti/ | nahoro /nahoɾo/ | ⵛⵛ /ətʃː/ |
| Drink | tsi /tsi/ | tsi /tsi/ | theni /tʰeni/ | ushi /uʃi/ | xeati /ʃeati/ | osi /osi/ | ⵙⵓ /su/ |
| One | 'na /ʔna/ | 'ra /ʔɾa/ | nahi /nahi/ | kan /kan/ | westíora /westioɾa/ | hisaka /hisaka/ | ⵢⴰⵏ /jan/ |
| Two | yoho /joho/ | yoho /joho/ | yeje /jeʔe/ | pa /pa/ | rabé /ɾaˈbe/ | manamo /manamo/ | ⵙⵉⵏ /sin/ |
| Hello | hä /hã/ | hatsi /hatsi/ | kjamadhi /kjamaði/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | jakon raoma /xakon raoma/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | ⴰⵣⵓⵍ /azul/ |
| Thank you | jamädi /hamãdi/ | jamädi /hamãdi/ | ndios /ndios/ | payn /pajn/ | irake /iɾake/ | kase /kase/ | ⵜⴰⵏⵎⵎⵉⵔⵜ /tanəmːirt/ |
| Good | hño /hɲo/ | hño /hɲo/ | nzhomu /nʒomu/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | jakon /xakon/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ | ⵉⴼⵓⵍⴽⵉ /ifulki/ |
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