Huehuetla Tepehua

Huehuetla Tepehua is a moribund Tepehua language spoken in Huehuetla, northeastern Hidalgo, Mexico. There are fewer than 1,500 speakers left according to Susan Smythe Kung (2007).

Huehuetla Tepehua
Lhiimaqalhqama7
Native toMexico
Regionnortheastern Hidalgo, Mexico
Native speakers
1,500 (2007)[1]
Totonacan
Language codes
ISO 639-3tee
Glottologhueh1236
ELPHuehuetla Tepehua

Syntax

Word order tends to be VSO, although it can be SVO at times (Kung 2007).

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes
Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar
Velar Uvular Glottal
plain sibilant lateral
Nasal m n
Stop plain p t ts k q ʔ
ejective tsʼ tʃʼ
voiced (b) (d) (g)
Fricative s ɬ ʃ h
Approximant w l j
Trill r
Flap ɾ

The voiced stops /b/, /d/, and /g/, as well as the flap /ɾ/ and the trill /r/, appear only in loanwords and ideophones. In younger speakers, the uvular /q/ has merged with the glottal stop /ʔ/.

Vowels

Vowel Phonemes
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a

Morphology

Huehuetla Tepehua has a large variety of affixes (Kung 2007).

Valency-changing affixes
  • Reflexive -kan
  • Reciprocal laa-
  • Dative -ni
  • Causative maa-
  • Instrumental puu-
  • Comitative t'aa-
  • Applicative lhii-
Aspectual derivational affixes
  • Inchoative ta-
  • Imminent ti-
  • Roundtrip kii-
  • Ambulative -t'ajun
  • Begin -tzuku
  • Desiderative -putun
  • Repetitive -pala
  • Again -choqo
  • All -qoju
  • Distal -chaa and Proximal -chii
Derivative affixes
  • Agent nominalizer –nV7
  • Non-agentive nominalizers –ti and -nti
  • Deverbalizer -n
  • Instrumental prefixes paa- and lhaa-
  • Locative prefix puu-
  • Applicative prefix lhii-
  • Comitative prefix t'aa-

Further reading

  • Zendejas, Esther Herrera (2021). "Mecapalapa Tepehua". Illustrations of the IPA. Journal of the International Phonetic Association: 1–17. doi:10.1017/S0025100321000098, with supplementary sound recordings.

References

Sources

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