Orizaba Nahuatl

{{Short description|Nahuatl language of Mexico}}

{{Infobox language

|name = Orizaba Nahuatl

|nativename = Āwilisāpan Nāwatl

|pronunciation =

|states = Mexico

|region = Veracruz

|speakers = 120,000

|date=1991

|ref=e18

|script = Latin

|familycolor = Uto-Aztecan

|fam1 = Uto-Aztecan

|fam2 = Aztecan (Nahuan)

|fam3 = Nahuatl

|fam4 = Central Nahuatl

|fam5 = Tehuacan–Zongolica Nahuatl

|iso3 = nlv

|glotto=oriz1235

|glottorefname=Orizaba Nahuatl

}}

Orizaba Nahuatl is a native American language spoken in the southeastern Mexican state of Veracruz mostly in the area to the south of the city of Orizaba.[http://www.sil.org/mexico/nahuatl/orizaba/00e-Orizaba-nlv.htm], Orizaba Nawatl, SIL-México, retrieved 19 Nov, 2007 It is also known as Orizaba Aztec and Náhuatl de la Sierra de Zongolica. It has 79 percent intelligibility with Morelos Nahuatl. There is a dialect called Ixhuatlancillo Nahuatl which is spoken in a town to the north of Orizaba. There is one secondary school which uses this language.{{e25|nlv}}

Phonology

=Vowels=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Short

!

! Front

! Back

High

| {{IPA link|i}}

|

Mid

| {{IPA link|e}}

| {{IPA link|o}}

Low

|colspan="2"| {{IPA link|a}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Long

!

! Front

! Back

High

| {{IPA link|iː}} {{grapheme|ī}}

|

Mid

| {{IPA link|eː}} {{grapheme|ē}}

| {{IPA link|oː}} {{grapheme|ō}}

Low

|colspan="2"| {{IPA link|aː}} {{grapheme|ā}}

=Consonants=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Consonants{{cite journal |title=The Phonemes of Orizaba Nahuatl |author1=Theodore R. Goller |author2=Patricia L. Goller |author3=Viola G. Waterhouse |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=40|issue=2 |date=April 1974|pages=126–131 |jstor=1264347 |doi=10.1086/465295|s2cid=142992381 }}

!rowspan="2"|

!rowspan="2"| Labial

!colspan="2"| Apical

!rowspan="2"| Post-
alveolar

!colspan="2"| Velar

!rowspan="2"| Glottal

Central

! Lateral

! Unrounded

! Rounded

Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}} {{grapheme|m}}

| {{IPA link|n}} ~ {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{grapheme|n}}

|

|

|

|

|

Plosive

| {{IPA link|p}} {{grapheme|p}}

| {{IPA link|t}} {{grapheme|t}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|k}} {{grapheme|k}}

| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{grapheme|kw}}

| {{IPA link|h}} {{grapheme|h}}

Affricate

|

| {{IPA link|ts}} {{grapheme|ts}}

| {{IPA link|tɬ}} {{grapheme|tl}}

| {{IPA link|tʃ}} {{grapheme|ch}}

|

|

|

Fricative

| rowspan="2" | {{IPA link|w}} ~ {{IPA link|β}} ~ {{IPA link|ɸ}} {{grapheme|w}}

| {{IPA link|s}} {{grapheme|s}}

| {{IPA link|l}} {{grapheme|l}}

| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{grapheme|x}}

| {{IPA link|ɣ}} {{grapheme|g}}

|

|

Semivowel

|

|

| {{IPA link|j}} {{grapheme|y}}

|

|

|

Writing

The orthography of Orizaba Nahuatl (nlv) is similar to that of Classical Nahuatl (nah), though it features the consonants of this modern variety internationally rather than on the basis of Castilian (Spanish) orthography:

  • "I will enter his/her house."

:"Nicalaquīz īcal." [nah]

:"Nikalakīs īkal." [nlv]

This corresponds to a more phonetic translation while still making use of macrons to mark long vowels.

In this orthography the name of the language is Nawatl (as capitalized for English speakers), rather than Nahuatl.

Most grammar and vocabulary changes are minor, most of them corresponding to neologisms and loan words from Spanish.

Example:

  • "Now/At this moment/Today."

:"Āxcān." [nah]

:"Axan." [nlv]

(In this case both long vowels and intermediate consonant are lost.)

Some loanwords from Spanish:

:"Kahwen" (from {{wikt-lang|es|café}}, coffee; also used in Classical Nahuatl as {{wikt-lang|nci|cafetzin}}).

:"Kawayoh" (from {{wikt-lang|es|caballo}}, horse; also used in Classical Nahuatl as {{wikt-lang|nci|cahuayoh}}).

:"Kochih" (from {{wikt-lang|es|coche}}, car).

:"Refreskoh" (from {{wikt-lang|es|refresco}}, soft drink or soda).

Notes

{{reflist}}