Otomo Languages

OTOMÍ, EASTERN (SIERRA OTOMÍ, HUEHUETLA OTOMÍ) [OTM] 20,000 including 4,700 monolinguals (1990 census). Vicinity of Huehuetla and San Bartolo, Hidalgo; Tlachichilco and Ixhuatlán, Veracruz. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. 81% intelligibility with Tenango (closest), 50% with Mezquital. Dictionary in progress. 40% literate. Typology: VOS, tonal, short words, affixes, clitics. Levels of bilingualism in Spanish are 0:16%, 1:59%, 2:20%, 3:3%, 4:1%, 5:1%. Mountain slope. Peasant agriculturalists. Altitude: 555 to 770 meters. NT 1974. Bible portions 1951-1968.

OTOMÍ, MEZQUITAL (OTOMÍ DEL VALLE DE MEZQUITAL) [OTE] 100,000 (1990 census), including 100 in North Carolina, USA. Mezquital Valley, Hidalgo. Some in Florida, USA. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. Desert, semi-arid. Plains, mountains. Pastoralists: sheep, goats; swidden agriculturalists: maize. Altitude: 5,000 feet. Traditional religion, Christian. NT 1970. Bible portions 1951-1991.

OTOMÍ, SOUTHEASTERN (IXTENCO OTOMÍ) [OTA] 736 speakers including 4 monolinguals out of a population of 5,356 (1990 census). Tlaxcala, San Juan Bautista Ixtenco. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. 41% intelligibility of State of Mexico Otomí (closest), 23% of Mezquital, and Eastern Otomí, 22% of Tenango Otomí. Speakers are over 50 years old, and are bilingual in Spanish.

OTOMÍ, STATE OF MEXICO [OTS] 10,000 including 400 monolinguals (1990 census). State of Mexico. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. Dialect: SAN FELIPE SANTIAGO OTOMÍ. 73% intelligibility with Mezquital Otomí (closest), lower in outlying areas. Typology: VOS, tonal, short words, affixes, clitics. Levels of bilingualism in Spanish for Women: 0:0%, 1:20%, 2:40%, 3:40%, 4:0%, 5:0%; Men: 0:0%, 1:20%, 2:30%, 3:50%, 4:0%, 5:0%. Mountain mesa. Peasant agriculturalists: maize. Altitude: 2,500 to 2,600 meters. Traditional religion, Christian. NT 1975. Bible portions 1957-1961.

P Used with permision of SIL Internationalp
art of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.

Copyright © 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. All rights reserved.


OTOMÍ, TEMOAYA [OTT] 37,000 including 850 monolinguals (1990 census). 10% of monolinguals in Temoaya are under 10 years old. State of Mexico. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. Typology: VOS, tonal, short words, affixes, clitics. Levels of bilingualism in Spanish for Women: 0:0%, 1:0%, 2:20%, 3:40%, 4:30%, 5:10%; Men: 0:0%, 1:0%, 2:5%, 3:15%, 4:40%, 5:40%. Mountain slope. Peasant agriculturalists, laborers in city (men). Altitude: 2,700 to 2,850 meters. Christian. Bible portions. Work in progress.

OTOMÍ, TENANGO [OTN] 10,000 (1990 census). San Nicolás, Hidalgo, and Puebla. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. 53% intelligibility with Eastern Otomí (closest). NT 1975. Bible portions 1959-1967.

OTOMÍ, TEXCATEPEC (NORTHEASTERN OTOMÍ) [OTX] 12,000 including 3,000 monolinguals (1990 census). Northwestern Veracruz, Texcatepec Municipio: Texcatepec, Ayotuxtla, Zontecomatlán Municipio: Hueytepec, Amajac, Tzicatlán. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. 70% to 79% intelligibility of Eastern Otomí, 57% of Ixmiquilpan, 44% of Tolimán, 40% of San Felipe, 20% of Ixtenco. Limited bilingualism. Pastoralists: sheep. Altitude: 6,000 feet. Christian, traditional religion.

OTOMÍ, TILAPA [OTL] 400 speakers, mainly over 50 years old (1990 census). Santiago Tilapa town between Mexico, D. F. and Toluca, State of Mexico. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. Only elderly speakers left. Linguistic island. Nearly extinct.

OTOMÍ, WESTERN (QUERETARO OTOMÍ, NORTHWESTERN OTOMÍ) [OTQ] 33,000 (1990 census). Queretaro, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, State of México, Amealco Municipio: towns of San Ildefonso, Santiago Mexquititlán; Acambay Municipio; Tolimán Municipio. Oto-Manguean, Otopamean, Otomian, Otomi. 78% intelligibility with Mezquital (closest), lower in outlying areas. Semi-arid, savannah. Mountain mesa. Pastoralists: sheep, goats, cattle; agriculturalists: maize. Altitude: 7,000 feet. Traditional religion, Christian. Work in progress.