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Zapotec Indian Language (Zapoteco)

Zapotec is an Oto-Manguean language of Mexico. Actually, depending on the linguist doing the counting, there are somewhere between 12 and 60 different Zapotec languages, each of which is difficult for speakers of the others to understand. (The difference of opinion on the number comes about because some of the languages are considered to be dialects of one of the others by some people, and considered to be distinct Zapotecan languages by others). Taken together there are at least 400,000 speakers of Zapotec languages in Mexico today. They are tone languages and have primarily VSO word order.





˜Zapotec Language
Zapotec language samples and resources.

˜Zapotec Culture and History
Information and links about the Zapotec tribe past and present.

˜Zapotec Legends
Introduction to Zapotec mythology.



˜Zapotec Language Resources –

Our Online Zapotec Materials

Zapotec Vocabulary:
     Our list of vocabulary words in the Isthmus and Yatzachi Zapotec languages.
Isthmus Zapotec Pronunciation Guide:
    How to pronounce Zapotec words.
Zapotec Animal Words:
     Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Isthmus Zapotec language.
Zapotec Colors:
    Worksheet showing color words in the Isthmus Zapotec language.
Zapotec Body Parts:
    Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in Zapotec.
Zapotec Numbers:
     Worksheet showing how to count in the Zapotec language.

Zapotec Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Zapotec Languages
     Overview of the Zapotec languages in English and Spanish, with audio clips of spoken Mountain Zapotec.
Zapotec Script
     Information on the pre-Columbian Zapotec writing system.
Zapotec Language, Alphabet and Pronunciation:
    Phonological inventory of Zapotec, with a sample text.
Participant reference and tracking in San Francisco Ozolotepec Zapotec
     Zapotec linguistics paper available online in PDF format.
Zapoteco Words
     A wordlist in Zapotec.
UDHR: Zapoteco * UDHR: San Lucas Quiavini Zapotec:
     The Universal Declaration of Human Rights translated into the Zapotec language.
Zapotec Indian Prayers * Zapoteco Prayer * Lord's Prayer in Choapan Zapotec * Zapoteco del Istmo Prayer:
    Miahuatlan Zapotec Prayer * Yautepec Prayer:
    Translations of Christian prayers into the Zapotec language.
Bible Verses in Mexican Languages: Zapotec: * Zapoteco del Istmo * Zapoteco de Chichicapan:
    Zapoteco de Tabaa * Language Museum: Zapoteco Aloapan * Northern Villa Alta Zapotec:
    Zapoteco de San Lorenzo Texmelucan: * Zapoteco Sierra de Juárez * Western Ocotlán Zapotec * Yatzachi Zapotec:
    Zapotec translations of several Biblical passages.
Oaxaca Placenames:
     Chart of Mexican place names in Zapotec, Mixtec, and Chinantec.
Zapotecan Languages:
     Demographic information about different varieties of Zapotec from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Zapotec Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources

San Lucas Quiavini Zapotec Dictionary
     Excellent two-volume English-Spanish-Zapotec dictionary.
Zapotec-English/English-Zapotec Concise Dictionary
     Pocket dictionary of the Ishtmus Zapotec language.

Links, References, and Additional Information

Lengua Zapoteca:
Information on the Zapotec language in Spanish.
Zapotec Language:
Zapotec links.



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