Ayapaneco

Ayapaneco or Nuumte Oote (tr. True Voice^[1]) is a language of the Mixe–Zoque family, one of 68 indigenous languages of Mexico. With only two fluent speakers remaining (Manuel Segovia, 75, and Isidro Velazquez, 69), the language was reported to be "at risk of dying out" by The Guardian newspaper on 13 April 2011. A vibrant, albeit minority, language until the middle of the 20th century in Tabasco, the language suffered after the introduction of compulsory education in Spanish, urbanisation and migration of its speakers.^[1]

Daniel Suslak, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, is one of the linguists working to prepare the first dictionary of the language; his efforts have been hampered by the fact that Mssrs. Segovia and Velazquez do not like each other and refuse to speak, even as part of a recorded conversation for research purposes.^[1][2] The Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (INALI) (also known as the National Indigenous Languages Institute) has also shown its interest in revitalising the language.^[1]

See also

• Indigenous languages of the Americas
• Language death

References

External links

• Indiana University Minority Languages & Cultures of Latin America & the Caribbean Program
• National Indigenous Languages Institute (Spanish)