Totozoquean
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution		Mexico
Linguistic classificationProposed language family; perhaps related to Huavean
Subdivisions
GlottologNone

Totozoquean is a proposed language family of Mesoamerica, originally consisting of two well-established genetic groupings, Totonacan and Mixe–Zoque. The erstwhile isolate Chitimacha was later proposed to be a member. The closest relatives of Totozoquean may be the Huavean languages.[1]

Correspondences

Comparative proto-Totozoquean reconstructions are proposed in Brown et al. (2011) for simple consonants and vowels. The consonant-inventory for proto-Totozoquean is similar to that reconstructed for proto-Totonacan (Arana Osnaya 1953), and the vowels are not unlike those proposed for proto-Mixe–Zoquean (Wichmann 1995). A parallel set of laryngealized but otherwise identical proto-Totozoquean vowels is reconstructed for proto-Totozoquean to account for the distribution of laryngealized vowels in the Totonac branch of the Totonacan family, though these left no known trace in proto-Mixe–Zoquean (Wichmann 1995) and there may be a more economical explanation. Vowel length is likewise an independent parameter reconstructed for proto-Totozoquean that does not seem to affect the correspondences, but in this case it is a feature inherited by both families.

Some Totozoquean lexical correspondences have also been proposed by Davletshin (2016).[2]

Vowels

Proto-Totozoquean (pTZ) is reconstructed with seven vowel qualities, all of which occur with long, laryngealized, and long laryngealized homologues. These reduce to a three-vowel system in proto-Totonacan (pT); length and laryngealization is retained. Proto-Mixe–Zoque (pMZ) loses laryngealization and neutralizes **ɨ~ə and **ɔ~o.

pTZ  pT  pMZ
**i *i *i
**e *e
**ɨ *ə
**ə *a
**a *a
**ɔ *o
**o *u
**u *u

Consonants

Of the three consonants which do not appear in either daughter, **ty and **ny are poorly attested, whereas **ky is robust. Proto-Mixe–Zoque loses the laterals and gutturals, and neutralizes the alveolar–palato-alveolar distinction. Proto-Totonocan loses glottal stop and **y.

pTZ  pT  pMZ
**n *n *n
**ny *l
**l *y
**ɬ *ɬ
**ƛ *ƛ
**y *t
**t *t
**ty *č
**č *¢
**¢ *¢
**š *š *s
**s *s
pTZ  pT  pMZ
**p *p *p
**m *m *m
**w *w *w
**ky *k *k
**k *q
**q *ʔ
**ʔ *∅
**h *h
**#h *h
**x *x

See also

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Totozoquean reconstructions

References

  1. ^ Brown, Cecil H., Wichmann, Søren, & Beck, David. 2014. Chitimacha: A Mesoamerican language in the Lower Mississippi Valley. International Journal of American Linguistics 80(4): 425–474.
  2. ^ Давлетшин А.И. Гипотеза дальнего родства тепеуа-тотонакских, юто-астекских и михе-соке языков. XI традиционные чтения памяти С. А. Старостина, РГГУ, 24-25 марта 2016 г. (in Russian)
  • Arana Osnaya, E. 1953. Reconstrucción del protototonaco: Huastecos, totonacos y sus vecinos, ed. Ignacio Bernal. Revista Mexicana de Estudios Antropológicos 23:123–30.
  • Brown, Cecil H., David Beck, Grzegorz Kondrak, James K. Watters, and Søren Wichmann (2011). Totozoquean. International Journal of American Linguistics 77, 323–372.
  • Brown, Cecil H., David Beck, Grzegorz Kondrak, James K. Watters, and Søren Wichmann (2011) "Linking proto-Totonacan and proto-Mixe–Zoquean"[1]
  • Søren Wichmann (1995). The Relationship among the Mixe-Zoquean Languages of Mexico. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.
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