Diidxazá
Zapotec
Oto-Manguean (Zapotecan)
Zapotec (Diidxazá in the Isthmus variety) is an Oto-Manguean language complex of southern Mexico's Oaxaca region with ~440K speakers across 50+ varieties. The Zapotec civilization at Monte Albán (500 BCE-800 CE) was Mesoamerica's first city-state with hieroglyphic writing. Modern varieties are tonal and frequently have ejective consonants and complex aspect-mood verbal systems. The Isthmus Zapotec literary tradition flourished in the early 20th century with poet Andrés Henestrosa. Latin script with various community-specific orthographies.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Zapotec
Water
nisa
/nisa/
Fire
gi
/ɡi/
Sun
gubidxa
/ɡubidʒa/
Moon
beeu
/beːu/
Mother
jñaa
/xɲaː/
Father
bixhoze
/biʃoze/
Eat
ro
/ɾo/
Drink
ge
/ɡe/
Love
ranaxhii
/ɾanaʃiː/
Heart
ladxi
/ladʒi/
Tree
yaga
/jaɡa/
House
lidxi
/lidʒi/
Dog
bi'cu'
/biʔkuʔ/
Cat
mistuu
/mistuː/
Hand
na
/naʔ/
Eye
lú
/lú/
Hello
padixhe
/padiʃe/
Thank you
xtiozenu
/ʃtjozenu/
One
tobi
/tobi/
Good
nazaaca
/nazaːka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Oto-Manguean (Zapotecan) languages
| Meaning | Zapotec | Tlacolula Zapotec | Bhojpuri | Maithili | Tulu | Ngunnawal | Pedagogical Pali (Theravada monastic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nisa /nisa/ | nisi /nisi/ | पानी /paːniː/ | पानी /paːniː/ | ನೀರ್ /niːɾ/ | kungal /kuŋal/ | udaka /udaka/ |
| Fire | gi /ɡi/ | gui /ɡi/ | आगि /aːɡɪ/ | आगि /aːɡi/ | ತೂ /tuː/ | warba /waɻba/ | aggi /aɡːi/ |
| Sun | gubidxa /ɡubidʒa/ | gubi /ɡubi/ | सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ | सूरज /suːrəd͡ʒ/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾja/ | guma /ɡuma/ | suriya /suɾija/ |
| Moon | beeu /beːu/ | beuu /beːu/ | चाँद /tʃãːd/ | चान /tʃaːn/ | ತಿಂಗೊಳು /tiŋɡoɭu/ | birrang /biɻaŋ/ | canda /tɕanda/ |
| Mother | jñaa /xɲaː/ | xnan /ʃnan/ | माई /maːiː/ | माय /maːj/ | ಅಮ್ಮೆ /ammeː/ | guni /ɡuni/ | mātā /maːtaː/ |
| Father | bixhoze /biʃoze/ | xtad /ʃtad/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ | ಅಪ್ಪೆ /appeː/ | pumba /pumba/ | pitā /pitaː/ |
| Eat | ro /ɾo/ | rau /ɾau/ | खाए /kʰaːe/ | खाएब /kʰaːeb/ | ತಿನ್ಪಿನಿ /tinpini/ | daring /daɻiŋ/ | bhuñjati /bʱuɲd͡ʒati/ |
| Drink | ge /ɡe/ | re /ɾe/ | पिए /pɪe/ | पीयब /piːjəb/ | ಪರ್ಪಿನಿ /paɾpini/ | nyu /ɲu/ | pivati /pivati/ |
| Love | ranaxhii /ɾanaʃiː/ | nadxiiebia /nadʒiːebia/ | प्यार /pjaːɾ/ | प्रेम /preːm/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːti/ | marmit /maɻmit/ | mettā /metːaː/ |
| Heart | ladxi /ladʒi/ | ladxdoo /ladʒdoː/ | दिल /dɪl/ | हृदय /hridəj/ | ಕಂಜೆಲ್ /kaɲdʒel/ | mara /maɻa/ | hadaya /hadaja/ |
| Tree | yaga /jaɡa/ | yag /jaɡ/ | पेड़ /peɽ/ | गाछ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ | ಮರ /maɾa/ | warabi /waɻabi/ | rukkha /rukːʰa/ |
| House | lidxi /lidʒi/ | yu /ju/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | घर /ɡʱər/ | ಇಲ್ಲ್ /ill/ | kuni /kuni/ | gehā /ɡehaː/ |
| Dog | bi'cu' /biʔkuʔ/ | bicu' /bikuʔ/ | कुकुर /kukuɾ/ | कुकुर /kukur/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːji/ | mirri /miɻi/ | sunakha /sunakʰa/ |
| Cat | mistuu /mistuː/ | mishu /miʃu/ | बिलाड़ी /bɪlaːɽiː/ | बिलाइ /bilaːi/ | ಪುಚ್ಚೆ /puttʃeː/ | poosi /puːsi/ | biḷāra /biɭaːɾa/ |
| Hand | na /naʔ/ | na' /naʔ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | ಕೈ /kai/ | mara /maɻa/ | hattha /hatːʰa/ |
| Eye | lú /lú/ | slu /slu/ | आँख /ãːkʰ/ | आँखि /ãːkʰi/ | ಕಣ್ /kaɳ/ | mil /mil/ | cakkhu /tɕakːʰu/ |
| Hello | padixhe /padiʃe/ | padiux /padiuʃ/ | प्रणाम /pɾəɳaːm/ | प्रणाम /prəɳaːm/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /namaskaːɾa/ | yumalundi /jumalundi/ | namo /namo/ |
| Thank you | xtiozenu /ʃtjozenu/ | xclen lo' /ʃklen loʔ/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəʋaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | ಸೊಲ್ಮೆಲು /solmelu/ | miyamala /mijamala/ | anumodanā /anumodanaː/ |
| One | tobi /tobi/ | tubyabi /tubjabi/ | एक /ek/ | एक /eːk/ | ಒಂಜಿ /oɲdʒi/ | guma /ɡuma/ | eka /eka/ |
| Good | nazaaca /nazaːka/ | nazac /nazak/ | नीक /niːk/ | नीक /niːk/ | ಪೊರ್ಲು /poɾlu/ | walunga /waluŋa/ | kusala /kusala/ |
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