Guerrero Amuzgo language

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Guerrero Amuzgo
Ñomndaa
Native toMexico
RegionGuerrero
Native speakers
46,000 (2011)[1]
Oto-Manguean
Language codes
ISO 639-3amu
Glottologguer1243
ELPGuerrero Amuzgo

The Guerrero Amuzgo language is an Amuzgo language spoken in southwest Guerrero state in Mexico.[1]

Statistics and history[edit]

There are 23,000 speakers, 10,000 that are monolingual. It is also known as Nomndaa or Ñomndaa.[1] It belongs to the Oto-Manguean language family and the Amuzgoan subfamily.[1] The use of the language is widespread and it is learned as a second language by Spanish and Nahuatl speakers living with the Guerrero speakers.[1]

There is a positive cultural affinity toward the tongue and it is used in business, religion, and taught bilingually with Spanish until 6th grade.[1] 10% of adults and 15% of children are literate in Amuzgo Guerrero.[1] There are media such as videos, a dictionary and radio broadcasts in the language that propagate its use.[1]

Phonology[edit]

Vowels[edit]

Oral/Nasal vowels
Front Central Back
oral nasal oral nasal oral nasal
Close i ĩ u ũ
Close-mid e o õ
Open-mid æ æ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã
Laryngealized vowels
Front Central Back
oral nasal oral nasal oral nasal
Close ḭ̃ ṵ̃
Close-mid ḛ̃ õ̰
Open-mid æ̰ æ̰̃ ɔ̰ ɔ̰̃
Open ã̰
  • Sounds /æ, æ̃, æ̰, æ̰̃/ can also fluctuate to more mid sounds [ɛ, ɛ̃, ɛ̰, ɛ̰̃].

Consonants[edit]

Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar
Velar Glottal
central labial
Nasal m n ɲ
Plosive voiceless (p) t k kʲ ʔ
prenasal (ᵐb) ⁿd ⁿdʲ ᵑɡ ᵑɡʷ
Affricate ts
Fricative β s ʃ h
Lateral l
Rhotic tap ɾ
trill (r)
Approximant w j

Sounds [p, ᵐb, r] only appear in a few words.[2]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Guerrero Amuzgo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ de Jesús García, Ivan (2019). Fonología del Amuzgo de Cochoapa, Guerrero. México: CIESAS.