Mitla Zapotec
# Mitla Zapotec

Mitla Zapotec, or Didxsaj, is an Oto-Manguean language of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Guelavia Zapotec is reported to be 75% intelligible, but the reverse is apparently not the case.

## Phonetics, phonology, and orthography

Mitla Zapotec has the following consonants:

* Fortis: p, t, k, $k^w,$ s, ʃ, m:, n:, l:
* Lenis: b, d, g, $g^w,$ z, ʒ, m, n, l
* Neutral: ɾ [flap r], r [trill r], f, x, ʔ, h, w, y.

/f/ is rare in native words.

* Mitla Zapotec has six vowels: /a, æ, e, i, o, u/. The vowel /æ/ is written ⟨ä⟩ in the practical orthography.

Vowels contrast in phonation, with a difference between modal phonation, breathy phonation, and creaky phonation. For example

* gihts [gi̤ts] 'paper'
* be'ts [bḛts] 'louse'

## Noun morphology

Mitla Zapotec has little noun morphology. Pluralization is indicated by a plural proclitic /re=/, as in the following example

re=guejdx

[re=ge̤dʒ]

PL=village

re=guejdx

[re=ge̤dʒ]

PL=village

'villages'

Alienably possessed nouns have a prefix ʃ- (spelled ⟨x⟩ in the popular orthography), as in the following examples (cited first in practical orthography, then in IPA).

x-cojb

[ʃ-ko̤b

POSS-dough

Maria

maria]

Maria

x-cojb Maria

[ʃ-ko̤b maria]

POSS-dough Maria

'Maria's dough'

x-cu'n=reni

[ʃ-kuʔn=ɾeni]

POSS-tortilla=3pl

x-cu'n=reni

[ʃ-kuʔn=ɾeni]

POSS-tortilla=3pl

'their tortillas'

## Verb morphology

### Aspectual morphology

Briggs analyses Mitla Zapotec as having six aspects, each of which has an ablative ('go and V') and non-ablative variant. They are

* continuative, e.g., ka' 'to take' ka-ká'-ni 'he continually takes'
* habitual, e.g., wi 'to see' r-wi-ni 'he habitually sees'
* completive, e.g., sloh 'to begin' gu-sloh-ni 'he began'
* potential, e.g., sæu 'to close' gu-su-ni-ni 'he is going to close it'
* unfulfilled, e.g., llux 'to finish' nu-llûx-ni 'he didn't finish'
* incomplete, e.g., re 'to invite' zu-re-ni 'he will invite'

The following example shows the aspectual inflection of three verbs in Mitla Zapotec.

| habitual | unreal | continuative | potential | definite future | completive | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| /ɾ-baʰnː/ | /ni-baʰnː/ | /ka-baʰnː/ | /gi-baʰnː/ | /si-baʰnː/ | /bi-baʰnː/ | ' wake up' |
| /ɾ-aʰdʒ/ | /nj-aʰdʒ/ | /kaj-aʰdʒ/ | /g-adʒ/ | /s-aʰdʒ/ | /guʰdʒ/ | ' get wet' |
| /ɾ-uʰn/ | /nj-uʰn/ | /kaj-uʰn/ | /g-uʰn/ | /s-uʰn/ | /b-eʰn/ | ' do, make' |

### Person marking

Person marking is shown with a set of post-verbal clitics, which are used for both subjects and objects

| | | singular | plural |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1st person | 1st person | =ǽ | =nú |
| 2nd person | 2nd person | =lu | =tú |
| 3rd person | ordinary | =ni | =reni |
| 3rd person | respect | =bá | =reni |
| 3rd person | male to male | =xí | =reni |

The following examples show examples of verbs with aspect and person marking

Gu-kwaʔts=ǽ=lu

POT-hide=1sg=2sg

Gu-kwaʔts=ǽ=lu

POT-hide=1sg=2sg

'I am going to hide you.'

Ba-saʔN=ǽ=tú

COMPL-leave=1sg=2pl

Ba-saʔN=ǽ=tú

COMPL-leave=1sg=2pl

'I left you (pl).'

## Syntax

The most basic word order is VSO. However, SVO also occurs, especially with a topicalized subject.

Zä

go

nigui=re

man=this

Zä nigui=re

go man=this

'This man went away'

Narä

I

r-hui=ä́

HAB-see=1sg

la'tu

2pl

Narä r-hui=ä́ la'tu

I HAB-see=1sg 2pl

'I see you (pl).'

R-ahp

HAB-have

byûz

child

llîbr

book

R-ahp byûz llîbr

HAB-have child book

'The child has a book'

