Sa'an Sàvǐ Sa San Juan Mixtepec
Mixtepec Mixtec
Oto-Manguean (Mixtecan)
Mixtepec Mixtec (Sa'an Sàvǐ Sa San Juan Mixtepec, "Rain People's Speech of San Juan Mixtepec") is one of the many Mixtec varieties of the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mixtec macro-language (mix) covers ~50 mutually unintelligible varieties spread across the Mixteca region, with each "language" really a cluster of related dialects. Mixtepec specifically is the variety of San Juan Mixtepec municipio, distinct from the prestige Tlaxiaco Mixtec, Yucunany Mixtec, and others. Mixtec varieties share Otomanguean tonal features (3-4 tones, syllable-level), classifier-noun constructions, and a rich vocabulary for Mixtec textile (huipil, ikat) and pre-Columbian iconography (codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus 1).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Mixtepec Mixtec
Water
ndute
/nduteʔ/
Fire
ñu'u
/ɲuʔu/
Sun
nikan
/nikan/
Moon
yoo
/joː/
Mother
na'án
/naʔán/
Father
tatá
/tatá/
Eat
kashi
/kaʃi/
Drink
kohó
/koʔó/
Love
kúu ini
/kúu iniʔ/
Heart
ini
/iniʔ/
Tree
yutu
/jutu/
House
veʔe
/veʔe/
Dog
ina
/ina/
Cat
vilú
/vilú/
Hand
ndo'ó
/ndoʔó/
Eye
nduchi
/ndutʃi/
Hello
nasáa
/nasáː/
Thank you
tachu'un
/tatʃuʔun/
One
in
/iʔn/
Good
vaha
/vahaʔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Oto-Manguean (Mixtecan) languages
| Meaning | Mixtepec Mixtec | Mixtec | Metlatónoc Mixtec | Uspanteko | Central Mam | Tabasco Chontal | Itzá Maya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | ndute /nduteʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ |
| Fire | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | ñu'u /ɲuʔu/ | ñu'un /ɲuʔun/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ |
| Sun | nikan /nikan/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | nikandii /nikandiː/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | qʼiij /qʼiːh/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼin /kʼin/ |
| Moon | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | yoo /joː/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | xjaaw /ʃhaːw/ | ä /æ/ | uj /uh/ |
| Mother | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | na'án /naʔán/ | nan /nan/ | nan /nan/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ |
| Father | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tatá /tatá/ | tat /tat/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | kashi /kaʃi/ | kasi /kasi/ | kasi /kasi/ | waʼ /waʔ/ | waaʼn /waːʔn/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | jant /hant/ |
| Drink | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | kohó /koʔó/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | kʼaaʼn /kʼaːʔn/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ |
| Love | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | kúu ini /kúu iniʔ/ | kunduu ini /kundúː iniʔ/ | lóqʼ /lóqʼ/ | oqʼxen /oqʼʃen/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | yakunti /jakunti/ |
| Heart | ini /iniʔ/ | ini /iniʔ/ | ini /iniʔ/ | kʼuʼx /kʼuʔʃ/ | anmiʼn /anmiʔn/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pukʼsikʼal /pukʼsikʼal/ |
| Tree | yutu /jutu/ | yutu /jutu/ | itun /itun/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ |
| House | veʔe /veʔe/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | ve'e /βeʔe/ | jaa /haː/ | jaaʼ /haːʔ/ | otot /otot/ | nah /nah/ |
| Dog | ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | tina /tina/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼyaan /tʃʼjaːn/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ |
| Cat | vilú /vilú/ | vilú /βilú/ | vilu /βilu/ | mis /mis/ | wiix /wiːʃ/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Hand | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | ndo'ó /ndoʔó/ | nda'a /ndaʔa/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | qʼobʼ /qʼoɓ/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Eye | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | nduchi /ndutʃi/ | wach /watʃ/ | witz /wits/ | wich /witʃ/ | ich /itʃ/ |
| Hello | nasáa /nasáː/ | nasáa /nasáː/ | sa'a /saʔa/ | saʼbʼal /saʔbal/ | chjonte tey /tʃhonte tej/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | bʼix a tʼan /biʃ a tʼan/ |
| Thank you | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | tachu'un /tatʃuʔun/ | tatu'un /tatuʔun/ | maltyox /maltjoʃ/ | chjonte /tʃhonte/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | dios bʼotik /dios botik/ |
| One | in /iʔn/ | in /iʔn/ | i'in /iʔin/ | jun /hun/ | juun /huːn/ | un /un/ | jun /hun/ |
| Good | vaha /vahaʔ/ | vate /βate/ | vaha /vahaʔ/ | utz /uts/ | baʼnxh /baʔnʃ/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | malobʼ /malob/ |
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