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
31 core words in Zapotec
Water
nisa
/nisa/
Fire
gi
/ɡi/
Sun
gubidxa
/ɡubidʒa/
Moon
beeu
/beːu/
Star
béleguí
/beleɡiʔ/
Mother
jñaa
/xɲaː/
Father
bixhoze
/biʃoze/
I
naa
/naːʔ/
You
liiʼ
/liːʔ/
Name
lá
/la/
Eye
lú
/lú/
Hand
na
/naʔ/
Heart
ladxi
/ladʒi/
Love
ranaxhii
/ɾanaʃiː/
Tree
yaga
/jaɡa/
House
lidxi
/lidʒi/
Dog
bi'cu'
/biʔkuʔ/
Cat
mistuu
/mistuː/
Eat
ro
/ɾo/
Drink
ge
/ɡe/
One
tobi
/tobi/
Two
chupa
/tʃupa/
Hello
padixhe
/padiʃe/
Thank you
xtiozenu
/ʃtjozenu/
Good
nazaaca
/nazaːka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Oto-Manguean (Zapotecan) languages
| Meaning | Zapotec | Tlacolula Zapotec | Cayuga | Wixarika | Tulu | Tamil | Maithili |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nisa /nisa/ | nisi /nisi/ | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | ha /ha/ | ನೀರ್ /niːɾ/ | நீர் /niːɾ/ | पानी /paːniː/ |
| Fire | gi /ɡi/ | gui /ɡi/ | ojistaʼ /odʒistaʔ/ | tai /tai/ | ತೂ /tuː/ | தீ /tiː/ | आगि /aːɡi/ |
| Sun | gubidxa /ɡubidʒa/ | gubi /ɡubi/ | gaehkwa /ɡaehkwa/ | tau /tau/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾja/ | சூரியன் /suːɾijan/ | सूरज /suːrədʒ/ |
| Moon | beeu /beːu/ | beuu /beːu/ | sǫi:ya /sõːja/ | metsa /metsa/ | ತಿಂಗೊಳು /tiŋɡoɭu/ | நிலா /nilaː/ | चान /tʃaːn/ |
| Star | béleguí /beleɡiʔ/ | béeld /beˀld/ | otsihsdaʔ /otsihsdaʔ/ | xurawe /ʃuˈrawe/ | ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ | நட்சத்திரம் /naʈɕat̪t̪iɾam/ | तारा /taːraː/ |
| Mother | jñaa /xɲaː/ | xnan /ʃnan/ | agniha /aɡniha/ | nana /nana/ | ಅಪ್ಪೆ /appe/ | அம்மா /ammaː/ | माय /maːj/ |
| Father | bixhoze /biʃoze/ | xtad /ʃtad/ | ha'nih /haʔnih/ | yawe /jawe/ | ಅಮ್ಮೆ /amːe/ | அப்பா /appaː/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ |
| I | naa /naːʔ/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | iːʔ /iːʔ/ | nee /neː/ | ಯಾನ್ /jaːnɯ/ | நான் /naːn/ | हम /ɦəm/ |
| You | liiʼ /liːʔ/ | liʼ /liʔ/ | iːs /iːs/ | eekɨ /ˈeːkɨ/ | ಈ /iː/ | நீ /niː/ | तों /tõː/ |
| Name | lá /la/ | laʼ /laʔ/ | ohsęːnaʔ /ohsẽːnaʔ/ | tewa /ˈtewa/ | ಪುದರ್ /pudarɯ/ | பெயர் /pejaɾ/ | नाम /naːm/ |
| Eye | lú /lú/ | slu /slu/ | oga:t /oɡaːt/ | tukite /tukite/ | ಕಣ್ /kaɳ/ | கண் /kaɳ/ | आँखि /ãːkʰi/ |
| Hand | na /naʔ/ | na' /naʔ/ | onénǫhsa /onenõhsa/ | mama /mama/ | ಕೈ /kai/ | கை /kaj/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ |
| Heart | ladxi /ladʒi/ | ladxdoo /ladʒdoː/ | awéri /aweri/ | iyari /ijari/ | ಕಂಜೆಲ್ /kaɲdʒel/ | இதயம் /idajam/ | हृदय /hridəj/ |
| Love | ranaxhii /ɾanaʃiː/ | nadxiiebia /nadʒiːebia/ | gaihwiyu /ɡaihwiju/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːti/ | காதல் /kaːdal/ | प्रेम /preːm/ |
| Tree | yaga /jaɡa/ | yag /jaɡ/ | gaentaʼ /ɡaentaʔ/ | kiyé /kije/ | ಮರ /maɾa/ | மரம் /maɾam/ | गाछ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ |
| House | lidxi /lidʒi/ | yu /ju/ | ganǫhsoot /ɡanõhsoːt/ | ki /ki/ | ಇಲ್ಲ್ /ill/ | வீடு /ʋiːɖu/ | घर /ɡʱər/ |
| Dog | bi'cu' /biʔkuʔ/ | bicu' /bikuʔ/ | shǫkáos /ʃõkaos/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːji/ | நாய் /naːj/ | कुकुर /kukur/ |
| Cat | mistuu /mistuː/ | mishu /miʃu/ | ditshokwáʔ /ditʃokwaʔ/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | ಪುಚ್ಚೆ /puttʃeː/ | பூனை /puːnaj/ | बिलाइ /bilaːi/ |
| Eat | ro /ɾo/ | rau /ɾau/ | gekho /ɡekʰo/ | kuye /kuje/ | ತಿನ್ಪಿನಿ /tinpini/ | சாப்பிடு /saːppiɖu/ | खाएब /kʰaːeb/ |
| Drink | ge /ɡe/ | re /ɾe/ | gehnegira /ɡehneɡira/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | ಪರ್ಪಿನಿ /paɾpini/ | குடி /kuɖi/ | पीयब /piːjəb/ |
| One | tobi /tobi/ | tubyabi /tubjabi/ | skat /skat/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | ಒಂಜಿ /oɲdʒi/ | ஒன்று /ondru/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Two | chupa /tʃupa/ | tyop /tjop/ | téknih /ˈteknih/ | huta /huˈta/ | ರಡ್ಡ್ /raɖːɯ/ | இரண்டு /iɾaɳɖu/ | दू /duː/ |
| Hello | padixhe /padiʃe/ | padiux /padiuʃ/ | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /namaskaːɾa/ | வணக்கம் /ʋaɳakkam/ | प्रणाम /prəɳaːm/ |
| Thank you | xtiozenu /ʃtjozenu/ | xclen lo' /ʃklen loʔ/ | niáwę /niawɛ̃/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | ಸೊಲ್ಮೆಲು /solmelu/ | நன்றி /nandri/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ |
| Good | nazaaca /nazaːka/ | nazac /nazak/ | oyanre /ojanre/ | waxa /waʃa/ | ಪೊರ್ಲು /poɾlu/ | நல்ல /nalla/ | नीक /niːk/ |
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