Before much information was known about it, Tlapanec (sometimes written "Tlappanec" in earlier publications) was either considered unclassified or linked to the controversial Hokan language family. It is now definitively considered part of the Oto-Manguean language family, of which it forms its own branch along with the extinct and very closely related Subtiaba language of Nicaragua.[4]
Meꞌphaa people temporarily move to other locations, including Mexico City, Morelos and various locations in the United States, for reasons of work.
Varieties
Ethnologue distinguishes four Tlapanec languages:[5]
Other sources of information, including native speakers and the Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas of the Mexican government, identify eight or nine varieties, which have been given official status: Acatepec, Azoyú, Malinaltepec, Tlacoapa, Nancintla, Teocuitlapa, Zapotitlán Tablas (with Huitzapula sometimes considered distinct), Zilacayotitlán.[6] These share mutual intelligibility of 50% between Malinaltepec and Tlacoapa, though Acatepec has an 80% intelligibility of both.
Tlapanec is an ergative–absolutive language. However, while most languages of this type have an overt ergative case, Tlapanec is one of the rare examples of a marked absolutive language, that is, an ergative language that overtly marks the absolutive and leaves the ergative unmarked.[8]
Phonology
The following presents one view of the phonology of the Malinaltepec Tlapanec language,[9] but a view that looks at Tlapanec language with a broader view has resulted in a quite different analysis.[10]
^Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas. 2008. Catálogo de las lenguas indígenas nacionales: Variantes lingüísticas de México con sus autodenominaciones y referencias geoestadísticas. Diario Oficial 14 enero, Primera Sección: 31–78, Segunda Sección: 1–96, Tercera Sección: 1–112.
Fernández de Miranda, María Teresa (1968). "Inventory of Classificatory Materials". In Norman A. McQuown; R. Wauchope (eds.). Handbook of Middle American Indians, Vol. 5: Linguistics. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 63–78. ISBN0-292-73665-7. OCLC277126.
Suárez, Jorge A. (1977). El tlapaneco como lengua Otomangue (in Spanish). México, D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Suárez, Jorge A. (1983). La lengua tlapaneca de Malinaltepec (in Spanish). México, D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas. ISBN968-5805-07-5.
Suárez, Jorge A. (1986). "Elementos gramaticales otomangues en tlapaneco". In Benjamin F. Elson (ed.). Language in global perspective (Papers in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Summer Institute of Linguistics 1935–1985. Dallas: The Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN9780883126622.
Swadesh, Morris (1968). "Lexicostatistic Classification". In Norman A. McQuown (volume editor) (ed.). Handbook of Middle American Indians, Vol. 5: Linguistics. R. Wauchope (general editor). Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 79–116. ISBN0-292-73665-7. OCLC277126. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help)
