Dizhsa
Tlacolula Zapotec
Otomanguean
Tlacolula Zapotec (autonymously Dizhsa, sometimes called Valley Zapotec or San Lucas Quiaviní Zapotec for the most-documented variety) is an Otomanguean language of the Tlacolula Valley east of Oaxaca City. With only about 6,000 speakers and rapid Spanish-language displacement, Tlacolula Zapotec is severely endangered, but it has gained academic prominence through Pamela Munro's UCLA Zapotec Documentation Project. Like all Zapotec varieties, it is tonal (3-4 contrastive tones plus phonation distinctions including breathy and creaky vowels). The Tlacolula Sunday market — one of Mexico's oldest indigenous markets — remains a key venue where the language is still actively used.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Tlacolula Zapotec
Water
nisi
/nisi/
Fire
gui
/ɡi/
Sun
gubi
/ɡubi/
Moon
beuu
/beːu/
Star
béeld
/beˀld/
Mother
xnan
/ʃnan/
Father
xtad
/ʃtad/
I
naʼ
/naʔ/
You
liʼ
/liʔ/
Name
laʼ
/laʔ/
Eye
slu
/slu/
Hand
na'
/naʔ/
Heart
ladxdoo
/ladʒdoː/
Love
nadxiiebia
/nadʒiːebia/
Tree
yag
/jaɡ/
House
yu
/ju/
Dog
bicu'
/bikuʔ/
Cat
mishu
/miʃu/
Eat
rau
/ɾau/
Drink
re
/ɾe/
One
tubyabi
/tubjabi/
Two
tyop
/tjop/
Hello
padiux
/padiuʃ/
Thank you
xclen lo'
/ʃklen loʔ/
Good
nazac
/nazak/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Otomanguean languages
| Meaning | Tlacolula Zapotec | Zapotec | Mazahua | Misak | Iban | Tojolabal | Lampung |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nisi /nisi/ | nisa /nisa/ | ndeje /ndehe/ | unø /unø/ | ai /ai/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | way /waj/ |
| Fire | gui /ɡi/ | gi /ɡi/ | sibi /sibi/ | nipi /nipi/ | api /api/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | apui /apui/ |
| Sun | gubi /ɡubi/ | gubidxa /ɡubidʒa/ | jiarú /hjaˈɾu/ | shi /ʃi/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | matarani /matarani/ |
| Moon | beuu /beːu/ | beeu /beːu/ | zana /zana/ | atru /atɾu/ | bulan /bulan/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | béeld /beˀld/ | béleguí /beleɡiʔ/ | seje /seʔe/ | kualøm /kwalʌm/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | xnan /ʃnan/ | jñaa /xɲaː/ | nana /nana/ | mama /mama/ | indai /indai/ | nan /nan/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | xtad /ʃtad/ | bixhoze /biʃoze/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | apai /apai/ | tat /tat/ | bak /baʔ/ |
| I | naʼ /naʔ/ | naa /naːʔ/ | nuts'ko /nutsʔko/ | na /na/ | aku /aku/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | nyak /ɲaʔ/ |
| You | liʼ /liʔ/ | liiʼ /liːʔ/ | nutsk'e /nutskʔe/ | ñui /ɲui/ | nuan /nuan/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | niku /niku/ |
| Name | laʼ /laʔ/ | lá /la/ | chju'u /tʃũʔũ/ | wetø /wetʌ/ | nama /nama/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | gelagh /ɡəlaʁ/ |
| Eye | slu /slu/ | lú /lú/ | da /da/ | kab /kab/ | mata /mata/ | satej /sateh/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | na' /naʔ/ | na /naʔ/ | ye /je/ | mar /maɾ/ | jari /dʒari/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | pungow /puŋow/ |
| Heart | ladxdoo /ladʒdoː/ | ladxi /ladʒi/ | mŭiñ /mwiɲ/ | mun /mun/ | ati /ati/ | altzil /altsil/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | nadxiiebia /nadʒiːebia/ | ranaxhii /ɾanaʃiː/ | hñu /ɲ̥u/ | kausrap /kawsɾap/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | cinta /tʃinta/ |
| Tree | yag /jaɡ/ | yaga /jaɡa/ | za /za/ | yu /ju/ | kayu /kaju/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | batang kayu /bataŋ kaju/ |
| House | yu /ju/ | lidxi /lidʒi/ | ngumi /ŋɡumi/ | ya /ja/ | rumah /rumah/ | naj /nah/ | lamban /lamban/ |
| Dog | bicu' /bikuʔ/ | bi'cu' /biʔkuʔ/ | nyo /ɲo/ | kuchi /kutʃi/ | ukui /ukui/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | mishu /miʃu/ | mistuu /mistuː/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mishi /miʃi/ | mayau /majau/ | mis /mis/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | rau /ɾau/ | ro /ɾo/ | ñe /ɲe/ | mɵ /mɵ/ | makai /makai/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | nganik /ŋanik/ |
| Drink | re /ɾe/ | ge /ɡe/ | theni /tʰeni/ | ushi /uʃi/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | nginum /ŋinum/ |
| One | tubyabi /tubjabi/ | tobi /tobi/ | nahi /nahi/ | kan /kan/ | satu /satu/ | jun /hun/ | sai /sai/ |
| Two | tyop /tjop/ | chupa /tʃupa/ | yeje /jeʔe/ | pa /pa/ | dua /dua/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | rua /ruwa/ |
| Hello | padiux /padiuʃ/ | padixhe /padiʃe/ | kjamadhi /kjamaði/ | ma'rik /maʔɾik/ | salam /salam/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | tabik /tabik/ |
| Thank you | xclen lo' /ʃklen loʔ/ | xtiozenu /ʃtjozenu/ | ndios /ndios/ | payn /pajn/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | yuj /juh/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ |
| Good | nazac /nazak/ | nazaaca /nazaːka/ | nzhomu /nʒomu/ | kausrik /kawsɾik/ | manah /manah/ | lek /lek/ | hayep /hajep/ |
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