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The Zapotecs are an indigenous people of Mexico. The population is concentrated in the southern state of Oaxaca, but Zapotec communities also exist in neighboring states. The present-day population is estimated at approximately 400,000 to 650,000 persons, many of whom are monolingual in one of the native Zapotec languages and dialects. In pre-Columbian times, the Zapotec civilization was one of the highly developed cultures of Mesoamerica, which, among other things, included a system of writing. Many people of Zapotec ancestry have emigrated to the United States over several decades, and they maintain their own social organizations in the Los Angeles and Central Valley areas of California.
In Zapotec cultures of Oaxaca, a muxe is a person assigned male at birth who dresses and behaves in ways otherwise associated with women; they may be seen as a third gender.
The Zapotec languages are a group of around 50 closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages that constitute a main branch of the Oto-Manguean language family and which is spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of Mexico. A 2020 census reports nearly half a million speakers, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca. Zapotec-speaking communities are also found in the neighboring states of Puebla, Veracruz, and Guerrero. Labor migration has also brought a number of native Zapotec speakers to the United States, particularly in California and New Jersey. Most Zapotec-speaking communities are highly bilingual in Spanish.
Isthmus Zapotec, also known as Juchitán Zapotec, is a Zapotecan language spoken in Tehuantepec and Juchitán de Zaragoza, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. According to the census of 1990 it has about 85,000 native speakers, however this number is rapidly decreasing, as speakers shift to Spanish.
The Zapotec civilization was an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence shows that their culture originated at least 2,500 years ago. The Zapotec archaeological site at the ancient city of Monte Albán has monumental buildings, ball courts, magnificent tombs and grave goods, including finely worked gold jewelry. Monte Albán was one of the first major cities in Mesoamerica. It was the center of a Zapotec state that dominated much of the territory which today is known as the Mexican state of Oaxaca.
The Zapotec script is the writing system of the Zapotec culture and represents one of the earliest writing systems in Mesoamerica. Rising in the late Pre-Classic era after the decline of the Olmec civilization, the Zapotecs of present-day Oaxaca built an empire around Monte Albán. One characteristic of Monte Albán is the large number of carved stone monuments one encounters throughout the plaza. There and at other sites, archaeologists have found extended text in a glyphic script.
Texmelucan Zapotec is an Oto-Manguean language of the San Lorenzo Texmelucan Municipality in western Oaxaca, Mexico. It is a divergent Zapotec language, having only 10% intelligibility with its closest relative, Zaniza Zapotec. Both go by the name Papabuco.
Lachixío Zapotec is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is spoken in the Sola de Vega District by around 3000 speakers in Santa María Lachixío and San Vicente Lachixío. While many other Zapotec languages have suffered major language shifts to Spanish, most children in these towns are raised with Zapotec and learn Spanish at an early age.
Tlacolula Valley Zapotec or Valley Zapotec, known by its regional name Dizhsa, and formerly known by the varietal name Guelavia Zapotec is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Zaachila Zapotec is a small Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is perhaps a dialect of Yatzeche Zapotec, which is 85% intelligible to Zaachila speakers. Tilquiapan Zapotec is 75% intelligible, 72% of San Juan Guelavía to Zaachila speakers.
Ocotlán Zapotec is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Chichicapan Zapotec is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico. The town's name is spelled as both Chichicápam and Chichicapan.
Elotepec Zapotec is a Zapotec language of a single village in western Oaxaca, Mexico, San Juan Elotepec in the Municipio of Villa Sola de Vega. It is one of several Zapotec languages called Papabuco, and has 68% intelligibility of Zaniza Zapotec.
Yatee Zapotec and Lachirioag Zapotec are dialects of a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Ixtlán Zapotec is a Zapotec dialect cluster of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Coatecas Altas Zapotec is a Zapotec language spoken in southern Oaxaca, Mexico, in and around the town of Coatecas Altas, in the Ejutla District, south of Oaxaca City. It is 83% intelligible with Ozolotepec Zapotec, and similar to Miahuatlán Zapotec.
Ozolotepec Zapotec is a Zapotec language spoken in southern Oaxaca, Mexico. It is partially intelligible with Cuixtla Zapotec and Loxicha Zapotec.
Quiegolani Zapotec is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico.
El Alto Zapotec, also known as South Central Zimatlan Zapotec, is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico, spoken in the towns of San Pedro el Alto, San Antonino el Alto, and San Andrés el Alto.
References
- ↑ Quiavicuzas Zapotec at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
