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| Proto-Mixe–Zoquean | |
|---|---|
| Proto-Mixe–Zoque | |
| (partial reconstruction) | |
| Reconstruction of | Mixe–Zoquean languages |
| Era | ca. 2000–1200 BCE |
Proto-Mixe–Zoquean or Proto-Mixe–Zoque is a language that language scholars and Mesoamerican historians believe was spoken on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec during the Initial Formative Period (c. 2000–1200 BCE). [1] Wichmann (1995) has reconstructed nearly 600 Proto-Mixe–Zoquean lexical items. [2]
Ethnic marker
Olmec influence on neighboring groups and cultures and those who followed them suggest that they shared a similar language, or were rooted in a similar language. [3] In later Mesoamerican languages, evidence of loan words suggests that the Olmecs influenced both material culture and the language. Many words borrowed by these early civilizations indicate a shared vocabulary of Mesoamerican cultigens (beans, squash, tomatoes, and maize) and food preparation. [4] Mesoamerican speakers had a sophisticated culture for their time.
Phonology
A vowel could be short or long, and the nucleus of a syllable could be a short or long vowel or followed by /ʔ/ or /h/. [5]
Mixe–Zoque language
Archaeologists call this culture Mokaya, which means 'people of the corn' in the contemporary Mixe–Zoque languages. [6] Archaeological evidence indicates that the Mixe–Zoque language was spoken across the isthmus, therefore sharing its roots in this Olmec language tradition, and a common ancestor, the proto-Mixe–Zoque. [7]
See also
References
- ^ Campbell, Lyle; Kaufman, Terrence (1976). "A Linguistic Look at the Olmecs". American Antiquity. 41 (1): 80–89. doi: 10.2307/279044. JSTOR 279044. S2CID 162230234.
- ^ Wichmann, Søren (1995). The Relationship Among the Mixe–Zoquean Languages of Mexico. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-0-87480-487-4.
- ^ Campbell, Lyle; Kaufman, Terrence (1976). "A Linguistic Look at the Olmecs". American Antiquity 41 (1): 80-89.
- ^ Evans, Susan Toby 2008 Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History, second edition. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
- ^ Elson, Benjamin F. (1992). "Reconstructing Mixe-Zoque". Summer Institute of Linguistics (107): 577–592.
- ^ Evans, Susan Toby 2008 Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History, second edition. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
- ^ Evans, Susan Toby 2008 Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History, second edition. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
- Evans, Susan Toby (2008). Ancient Mexico and Central America: Archaeology and Culture History (2nd ed.). London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28440-7.