Isthmus Zapotec (Diidxazá)

Isthmus Zapotec is a member of the Zapotecan branch of the Oto-Manguean language family. It is spoken by about 104,000 people in the southeast of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. In particular it is spoken in the city of Tehuantepec and the towns such as Juchitán de Zaragozaa and San Blas Atempa.

Isthmus Zapotec is also known as Juchitán Zapotec, Sapoteko, Zapoteco Istmeño, Zapoteco de la Planicie Costera or Zapoteco del Istmo.

Since 2003, Isthmus Zapotec has been officially recognised by the Mexican government, along with other indigenous languages of Mexico.

A way to write Isthmus Zapotec with the Latin alphabet was devised in 1956. It is used in writing by poets and novelists, however it is not taught in schools.

Isthmus Zapotec alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Zapotec (Excel)

Sample text

Bidxi

Cachesa, cachesa
ti bidxi' ludoo
ti bidxi' ruaangola
ti bidxi' nambó'
Latá', lataguuya'
lataguuya oh,
ti bidxi' luyaandi
cachese ludoo.

Translation

Frog

Jump! Jump!
Frog skip the rope
Wide-mouth frog
Pot-bellied frog
Come, come and see
Come and see - look
Bug-eyed frog
Jump skip the rope

This poem was written by Victor Terán and translated into English by David Shook

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isthmus_Zapotec#Poems

Sample videos in Isthmus Zapotec

Information about Isthmus Zapotec | Numbers

Links

Information about Isthmus Zapotec
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isthmus_Zapotec
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/zai
http://www.native-languages.org/zapotec_guide.htm
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/isthmus-juchitan-zapotec/A298F11AC4D76A3F2EDE06888C4BDAC8
https://mexico.sil.org/language_culture/zapotec/zapotec-zai

Oto-Manguean languages

Chinanteco, Chatino, Chiquihuitlán Mazatec, Coatzospan Mixtec, Jalapa Mazatec, Mazahua, Mazatec, Mixtec, Otomi, Otomi (Acazulco), Otomi (Sierra), Otomi (Temoaya), Tlapanec, Triqui (Chicahuaxtla), Triqui (Copala), Triqui (San Martín Itunyos), Triqui (Santo Domingo del Estero), Zapotec (Aloápam), Zapotec (Choápam), Zapotec (Güilá), Zapotec (Isthmus), Zapotec (Miahuatlán), Zapotec (Rincón), Zapotec (San Dionisio Ocotepec), Zapotec (Zoogocho)

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 01.03.22

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