Oto-Pamean
Geographic
distribution		Mexico
Linguistic classificationOto-Manguean
  • Western ?
    • Oto-Pame–Chinantecan ?
      • Oto-Pamean
Subdivisions
Glottologotop1242

The Oto-Pamean languages are a branch of the Oto-Manguean languages that includes languages of the Otomi-Mazahua, Matlatzinca, and Pamean language groups all of which are spoken in central Mexico. Like all Oto-Manguean languages, the Oto-Pamean languages are tonal languages, though most have relatively simple tone systems.[1] Unlike many Oto-Manguean languages that tend towards an isolating typology, they are morphologically complex headmarking languages with complex systems of conjugational classes both for verbs and nouns, and in the Pamean languages there are highly complex patterns of suppletion.

Classification

Proto-language

Proto-Oto-Pamean
Reconstruction ofOto-Pamean languages

Four vowels with nasalization contrast are reconstructed for Proto-Oto-Pamean by Bartholomew (1989):[5]


Lexical reconstructions of Proto-Oto-Pamean by Bartholomew (1989) are given below, along with synchronic Oto-Pamean languages:[5]

English gloss Proto-Oto-Pamean Otomi Matlazinca North Pame Mazahua Ocuilteco Chichimeco
chile *ʔi ʔi mi ʔei ʔiʔi mi ʔe
blood *kʰi kʰi či-hyabi kkʰi kʰiʔi nči-hya kʰe
squirrel *mi-nã minã mini meigŋ mi
tell *si-p šipʰi ši sep šipʰi se
pull *kiʔHC-mʔ kʰɨʔmi kɨɨza kkeʔedn kʰɨbʔɨ nkɨbi keʔenʔ
chin *kʰiHC-nʔ kʰɨni nčɨri kʰwelʔ kʔɨdʔɨ nčɨli
beans *kʰiHC-ʔ kʰɨ čʰɨ nkʰweʔ kʰɨʔɨ čʰɨ kʰeʔ
louse *tʔo tʔoni tʔo lʔo tʔoʔo tʔo rʔo
house *tʔo-s tʔoši 'bed' tʔoši 'supper' lʔos tʔošɨ 'bed' rʔos
stone *=to do nto to ndo nto ro
flower *=toHC-n dəni təni togŋ ndəhnə ndə ro
hen *ʔoHC-n ʔəni ʔəni ʔogŋ ʔənə ʔə
hear *ʔoHC-t ʔəde ʔəti ʔoʔ ʔərə ʔəti ʔo
water *=teh dege tawi tæ ndehe nta ri
to weave *pe pe pa ppæ peʔe mpa pi
mouth *ne ne na næ neʔe ši-na 'lips' ni
people *te te ta læ teʔe tạ
spider *me-s meše maši mæs meše maši
to cough *hyeh hehe hyewi 'a cold' hhæ hehe he
a cold *t-heh tʰehe hyewi ri-tʰyæʔæ tʰe
one *nʔa ʔna dawi nda daha la ntʔa
plain *mʔa-tʰa ʔmatʰa bati nibia bʔatʰɨ bati
horse *pah-nʔ pʰani pari wahalʔ pʰadʔɨ bali
straw mat *pĩh-ʔ ši-mpʰĩ mpʰiwi ppẽhiʔ pʰi-ngwa pʰi
drunken *tĩ, *nĩ ntĩ nimi tĩʔi ni
to look *nõ nũ nu nnõʔo nũʔu nu 'wake up' nũʔu
to tie up *tõ-tʔ/cʔ tũtʔi tuncʔi 'know' ttocʔ 'knot' tũntʔɨ tuncʔi tucʔ 'knot'
to die *tũ tũ tuwi ttõ tũʔu tu rũ
owner *mʰõ ʰmũ mʰu mʰõʔ ʰmũʔu mʰu mʰũ
to steal *pẽ pæ̃ pewi ppæ̃ pẽ pe ppĩ
tortilla *mʰẽ ʰmæ̃ mʰewi mʰæ̃ mʰe
tamale *tʰẽ-t tʰæ̃di tʰeti lʰæ̃ʔæ tʰẽʒẽ tʰenti rʔĩhi
atole *tʔẽ-m tʔæ̃i tʔemi lʔæ̃ŋ tʔẽʰme tʔe rʔĩ
to roast *hã-s hãši həši hãs hãša həši hüs
to say *mã-m mã məmi mmãŋ mãmã mə mã
to know *pã-t pãdi pəya ppã 'visit' pãra mpəya pã 'see'
to buy *tao-m tɔi tami ttaogŋ tɔmɨ ta ta
mucus *mʔao-s ʔmɔši maši 'nose' mbaos bʔɔšɨ maši 'nose'
to ask *ʔao-nʔ ʔɔni ʔari ʔahodnʔ ʔɔnɨ ʔali ʔan
to try *cao cɔ copi cʔaoʔ sɔʔɔ co
avocado *cʔao-n cʔɔni cʔoni cʔaogŋ sʔɔhnɨ cʔo
to stand up *mʔao-mʔ ʔmɔi bʔɔbʔɨ nbohobi
white *tʔoa-s tʔaši tʔoši ddoa tʔɔšɨ nuʔu
plow *tʔoa-p tʔabi tʔopi tʔɔbi tʔopi rʔu
bat *coa-cʔ cacʔi cocʔi čoacʔ cocʔi
foot *koa gwa kwahtu koa ngwaʔa gu
wing *hoa hwa nʰowi hoa hwaʔa nʰo
maguey *nʔoa ʔwada ddoa ʔwadɨ nlooti nʔu
bitter *kʰão kʰũ čʰə kʰão kʰõʔo čʰə kʰã
to sing *tãoh tũhu təwi ndão tõho tə
moon *mʔão-ʔ mbə mʔãoʔ bə mʔãʔ
night *são-m šũi šəmi são šõmɨ lšũ sã
shadow *são-t/mʔ šũdi šubi sãot šõrɨ čʰubi
corn *tʰõa tʰã tʰuwi lʰõa tʰõʔo tʰu
cornfield *nhõa-ʰm hwãhi nomi nʰõa hwãʰma nu nʰũ
to confess *kõah- kʰwãni kunya kkõaho kʰwãmʔa
to beat *paih-ʔmʔ pʰæʔmi papi ppahiʔ pʰæʔbʔi pe
to abandon *hai-k/mʔ hægi habi haigŋ hæzi habi he
abandoned *hi-ai-k hyægi heči nʰiagŋ hyæzi heči hi
hand *nʔi-ai ʔyæ ye nʔia dyʔæʔæ ye nʔi
liver *nia ya ya 'heart' nia ya 'heart'
to dance *nãih-mʔ nẽi nəbi nnãhiʔ nẽmʔe nəhəbi nẽheʔ
to nurse *coi cɨ čuʔu ciʔ siʔi ci čüʔ
to ride horseback *teog təge llæogŋ čəgə nde
to burn *ceo nze ceti zərə
meat *nkoeHC ngə ŋgwæʔ nge gu
star *coeHC cə nceʔe sehe ce
cold *coe cæ ce cæ sæʔæ ce či
to split wood *coe-nʔ cæni seri ccæʔædn celi čin
fly *ʔõi ʔwæ̃ ʔu ʔẽi ʔwæ ngwi ʔẽ
hunger *tʰõi tʰũhu lʰõi tʰĩʰmi tʰu
squash *mõih-ʔ mũ muhu mõhiʔ mũʔu muʰli mũhuʔ
sand *mĩo-m -mũ mumi mmẽoŋ mu
full *nĩo-t yũdi nuti næ̃ ñiʒi nuti
three *nʰĩo hyũ hyu nʰõʔ ʰñĩʔi hyu nʰũ

References

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Oto-Pamean reconstructions
Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Central Otomian reconstructions
  1. ^ Arellanes, F., Carranza, L., Peón, M. E. C., Fidencio, V., Guerrero, A., Knapp, M., & Romero, A. Hacia una tipología tonal de las lenguas otopames. RAÍCES, 1(2), 3.
  2. ^ Palancar, Enrique L. 2016. Oto-Pamean
  3. ^ Bartholomew, Doris. 1965. The Reconstruction of Oto-Pamean (Mexico). PhD Dissertation. Tulane University.
  4. ^ Soustelle, J., 1937. La Famille Otomi-Pame du Mexique Central. Travaux et Mémoires de l̂Institut d̂Ethnologie. Paris: Université de Paris.
  5. ^ a b Bartholomew, Doris A. 1989. The Proto Otopamean vowel system and the development of Matlatzinca. In Mary Ritchie Key and Henry M. Hoenigswald (eds.), General and Amerindian ethnolinguistics: in remembrance of Stanley Newman, 345–363. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
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