Tepehua languages

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Tepehua is a language cluster of Mexico, spoken across a number of central Mexican states by the Tepehua people. Tepehua is a Mesoamerican language and shows many of the traits which define the Mesoamerican Linguistic Area. Along with some 67 other indigenous languages, it is recognized by a statutory law of Mexico[2] (General Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Peoples) as an official language in the Mexican Federal District and the other administrative divisions in which it is spoken and it is on an equal footing with Spanish.

Tepehua
Hamasipini
RegionMexico: Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo
EthnicityTepehua
Native speakers
9,000 (2020 census)[1]
Totonacan
  • Tepehua
Official status
Regulated byINALI
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
tee – Tepehua of Huehuetla
tpp – Tepehua of Pisaflores
tpt – Tepehua of Tlachichilco
Glottologtepe1243
Approximate number of speakers of varieties of Tepehua
Language ISO 639 code Where spoken Number of speakers
Tepehua of Huehuetla tee Northeastern Hidalgo, Huehuetla, and half the town of Mecapalapa in Puebla. 3,000 (1982 SIL)
Tepehua of Pisaflores tpp Around the town of Pisaflores, Veracruz 4,000 (1990 census)
Tepehua of Tlachichilco tpt Tlachichilco, Veracruz 3,000 (1990 SIL)

Huehuetla and Pisaflores are at best marginally intelligible, at 60–70% intelligibility (depending on direction). Tlachichilco has much lower intelligibility with the others, at 40% intelligibility or less.

Morphology

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Tepehua is an agglutinative language, where words use suffix complexes for a variety of purposes with several morphemes strung together.

References

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  1. ^ Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020 INEGI. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020.
  2. ^ "Ley General de Derechos Lingüísticos de los Pueblos Indígenas" (PDF). (56.2 KiB) ("General Law of the Linguistic Rights of Indigenous peoples"), decree published 13 March 2003