Matlatzinca language
Encyclopedia
The Matlatzinca language, also called Tlahuica or Ocuiltec, is an indigenous language of Mexico
spoken by the Matlatzinca people
in the southern part of the State of Mexico
. It is an Oto-Manguean language
of the Oto-Pamean
subgroup. The name of the language in the language itself is pjiekak'joo, "The language that I speak".
The Matlatzinca language has two subgroups or dialects that are mutually unintelligible: one called Ocuiltec or Tlahuica and Matlatzinca proper. While originally one language they are now so removed that they are often considered separate languages. Matlatzinca is spoken by around 1000, mostly elderly people in San Francisco Oxtotilpa, and Ocuiltec/Tlahuica spoken by around 400 in Ocuilan municipio in the villages San Juan Atzingo and Santa Lucía del Progreso.
Because of the extremely small population and the unfavourable age structure, the Matlatzincan languages are considered to be highly endangered. In the 2000 census, only 26 persons under the age of 20 were registered as speakers of Ocuiltec.
In 2001, together with 62 other languages, it was recognised by a statutory law
of Mexico as an official language
in the Mexican Federal District and the other administrative divisions in which it is spoken, and on an equal footing with Spanish
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
spoken by the Matlatzinca people
Matlatzinca
Matlatzinca is a name used to refer to different indigenous ethnic groups in the Toluca Valley in the state of México, located in the central highlands of Mexico. The term is applied to the ethnic group inhabiting the valley of Toluca and to their language, Matlatzinca.When used as an ethnonym,...
in the southern part of the State of Mexico
Mexico (state)
México , officially: Estado Libre y Soberano de México is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of the United Mexican States. It is divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Toluca de Lerdo....
. It is an Oto-Manguean language
Oto-Manguean languages
Oto-Manguean languages are a large family comprising several families of Native American languages. All of the Oto-Manguean languages that are now spoken are indigenous to Mexico, but the Manguean branch of the family, which is now extinct, was spoken as far south as Nicaragua and Costa Rica.The...
of the Oto-Pamean
Oto-Pamean languages
The Oto-Pamean languages are a branch of the Oto-Manguean languages of central Mexico that includes are half a dozen languages, or more accurately dialect clusters:*Otomian: Otomi, Mazahua*Matlatzinca*Pamean*Chichimeca...
subgroup. The name of the language in the language itself is pjiekak'joo, "The language that I speak".
The Matlatzinca language has two subgroups or dialects that are mutually unintelligible: one called Ocuiltec or Tlahuica and Matlatzinca proper. While originally one language they are now so removed that they are often considered separate languages. Matlatzinca is spoken by around 1000, mostly elderly people in San Francisco Oxtotilpa, and Ocuiltec/Tlahuica spoken by around 400 in Ocuilan municipio in the villages San Juan Atzingo and Santa Lucía del Progreso.
Because of the extremely small population and the unfavourable age structure, the Matlatzincan languages are considered to be highly endangered. In the 2000 census, only 26 persons under the age of 20 were registered as speakers of Ocuiltec.
In 2001, together with 62 other languages, it was recognised by a statutory law
Statutory law
Statutory law or statute law is written law set down by a legislature or by a legislator .Statutes may originate with national, state legislatures or local municipalities...
of Mexico as an official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
in the Mexican Federal District and the other administrative divisions in which it is spoken, and on an equal footing with Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.