Tequistlatecan
Encyclopedia
The Tequistlatecan languages, also called Chontal of Oaxaca, are three close but distinct languages spoken by the Chontal people of Oaxaca
State, Mexico:
The Tequistlatecan languages are part of some versions of the controversial Hokan
Macro-family proposal, but generally considered to be an isolate
. Campbell and Oltrogge (1980) believe that the Tequistlatecan languages may be related to Jicaquean but this hypothesis remains to be explored further.
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
State, Mexico:
- HuamelultecHuamelultec languageHuamelultec, also known as Huamelula Chontal, Lowland Oaxaca Chontal, and Chontal de la Costa de Oaxaca, is one of the Chontal languages of Oaxaca....
(Lowland Oaxaca Chontal), - Tequistlatec properTequistlatec languageTequistlatec was the Chontal language of Tequisistlán town, Oaxaca.Highland Oaxaca Chontal is sometimes also called Tequistlatec, but is a distinct language....
(extinct), - Highland Oaxaca ChontalHighland Oaxaca ChontalHighland Oaxaca Chontal, or Chontal de la Sierra de Oaxaca, is one of the Chontal languages of Oaxaca. It is sometimes called Tequistlatec, but is not the same as Tequistlatec proper, which is extinct....
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The Tequistlatecan languages are part of some versions of the controversial Hokan
Hokan languages
The Hokan language family is a hypothetical grouping of a dozen small language families spoken in California, Arizona and Mexico. In nearly a century since Edward Sapir first proposed the "Hokan" hypothesis, little additional evidence has been found that these families were related to each other...
Macro-family proposal, but generally considered to be an isolate
Language isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
. Campbell and Oltrogge (1980) believe that the Tequistlatecan languages may be related to Jicaquean but this hypothesis remains to be explored further.