Chinanteco is a group of Oto-Manguean languages spoken in
Oaxaca and Veracruz in Mexico by about 80,000 people. As there
is only some mutual intelligibity between the different Chinanteco
languages, they are considered by most linguists as separate languages
rather than dialects.
Varietis of Chinanteco
Chiltepec-Tlacoatzintepec Chinantec is spoken in the towns of San José Chiltepec, San Juan Bautista Tlacoatzintepec, San Pedro Alianza, Santiago Quetzalapa, and San Juan Zapotitlán in northern Oaxaca. There were 1,800 speakers in the year 2000.
Highland Chinantec (Jmii’) is spoken by about 10,000 people (in 1998) in Comaltepec, San Juan Quiotepec in northern Oaxaca.
Lalana-Tepinapa Chinantec has about 23,000 (in the year 2000) in northern Oaxaca.
Lealao Chinantec is spoken in San Juan Lealao, Latani, Tres Arroyos and La Hondura in northeast Oaxaca by about 2,000 people (in 1990).
Ojitlán Chinantec had about 38,000 speakers (in the year 2000) in and around San Lucas Ojitlán area in northern Oaxaca.
Ozumacín Chinantec had about 3,100 speakers in year 2,000 in San Pedro Ozumacín, Ayotzintepec and Santiago Progreso in northern Oaxaca.
Palantla Chinantec, or Tlatepuzco Chinantec, has about 25,000 speakers (in 2007) in and around San Juan Palantla in northern Oaxaca.
Sochiapam Chianantec, or San Pedro Sochiapam, is spoken in the towns of Retumbadero, San Juan Zautla, Santiago Quetzalapa and San Juan Zapotitlán. In the year 2000 there were 3,600 speakers of Sochiapam Chianantec.
Tepetotutla Chinantec is spoken in the northern Oaxacan towns of Santa Cruz Tepetotutla, San Antonio del Barrio, San Pedro Tlatepusco, Santo Tomás Texas, Vega del Sol and El Naranjal by about 1,900 people (in the year 2000).
There are also whistled version of Chinanteco languages. There are
only used by men, but are understood by women.
Chiltepec-Tlacoatzintepec Chinantec alphabet and pronunciation
Details of Chinanteco pronunciation supplied by Michael Peter Füstumum
Sample texts
Chinanteco
Lej ni sou tsa lisia ijaa sia ikou' ne
kojo jï ne juso ne jmo' re ju i s' jmo'
nö sala ne sasno.
Chinanteco, Ajitlán
La juu dsa lu siä –Dsa kö ñi ba dsa, nía
kö ni' ba na lu' dsa e dsa tï é li jnia' roö'.
Translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another
in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.
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