Tolatecan languages

Proposed language family

Tolatecan
(abandoned)
Geographic distribution	Mesoamerica
Linguistic classification	Proposed language family
Subdivisions	Tequistlatecan (Chontal) Tolan
Glottolog	None

Tolatecan is a proposal by Campbell and Oltrogge (1980) linking two language families of Mesoamerica, Tequistlatecan (Chontal of Oaxaca) and Tol/Jicaque languages of Honduras.^[1] Later, Campbell (1997) said that Tolatecan is not likely to be a valid language family.^[2]

Vocabulary

Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Proto-Jicaque and the Tequistlatecan languages.

gloss	Proto-Jicaque^[3]	Huamelultec^[4]	Highland Chontal^[5]	Tequistlatec^[6]
head	*ha(y)pʰuk	hwaj	ƚiWak	fa
hair	*¢ʼil	hwak’	ƚaWak	fah
eye		a’u	ƚiʔi	’uh
ear	*pʰa¢ʼ	as’mas	lišʔmas
nose	*mik	’nał	ƚiʔnat	’nali
tooth	*wis	a’ay’	lihaʔ	ai’
tongue	*pelam	pał	ƚipaƚ	pala
mouth	mɨy-pʰini(h); lala	ak’o	likó	ko
hand	*mas ?	mane’	ƚimane
foot	*tek 'leg'	a’miš	liʔmi¢
breast		tyuwe	latuwe	pare
meat	*pis	išik’	lišik’	ci’
blood	*kʼas	hwac’	ƚaWa¢’	fas
bone	*kʰele	ekał	lekaƚ
person	*yom	akwe’	kal šans
name		puftyiñe	ƚaftine
dog	*¢ʰiyo(h)	milya’	kal ¢iki	tsigi
fish	*kʰul	atyu’	ƚatu	tu’u
louse	*tɨtʼ	aykwix	ƚaykwi
tree	*yo(h)	’ex	al ʔek
leaf		ipela	lipela	pela
flower		ipa’	lipaʔ	pipi
water	*sɨ(tʰ)	axa’	lahaʔ	xa
fire	*kʼawa	unkwa’	ƚuŋa	ngwa
stone	*pe(h)	apix	ƚapik	pih
earth	*(a)ma(h)	amac’	ƚama¢’
salt	*¢olim	u’we	ƚoʔwe	weh
road		ane’	lane	ne
eat	*la ?	sago’ma	lihaʔ 'food'	te, tes
die	*pɨʔ ?	ma’ma	timá	ma
I	*nap ?	iya’	iyaʔ	ya
you	*hip	ima’	imaʔ	ma

References

^ Campbell, Lyle, and David Oltrogge (1980). "Proto-Tol (Jicaque)." International Journal of American Linguistics, 46:205-223.
^ Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages, The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
^ Campbell, Lyle and David Oltrogge. 1980. Proto-Tol (Jicaque). International Journal of American Linguistics 46: 205-223.
^ O'Connor, Loretta. 2014. Chontal de San Pedro Huamelula, Sierra baja de Oaxaca. (Archivo de Lenguas Indígenas de México, 33.) México: El Colegio de México.
^ Waterhouse, Viola. 1980. Chontal de la Sierra de Oaxaca. Archivo de Lenguas Indígenas de México, 7. México: Ciudad de México: Centro de Investigación para la Integración Social.
^ de Angulo, Jaime and Lucy S. Freeland. 1925. The Chontal Language (Dialect of Tequixistlan). Anthropos 20: 1032-1052.