Amuzgo (Ñòmndaá)

Amuzgo is an Eastern Oto-Manguean language spoken by about 60,000 people in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in southern Mexico. In particular, Amuzgo is spoken in the towns of Xochistlahuac, Tlacoachistlahuaca and Ometepc in southeast Guerrero, and in the towns of San Pedro Amuzgos and Santa María Ipalapa in northwest Oaxaca. The area where it's spoken is known as Costa Chica.

There are four varieties of Amuzgo which are officially recognized by the Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (INALI), a Mexican federal agency:

Northern Amuzgo (Ñòmndaá, Nta, Ñondá), which is spoken in the towns of Xochistlahuaca (Sūljaá') and Tlacoachistlahuaca (Seī'chuè) in Guerrero. It is also known as Guerrero or Amuzgo del norte.
Southern Amuzgo (Nundá'), which is classified as a subdialect of Northern Amuzgo, and is also known as Amuzgo del sur.
Upper Eastern Amuzgo (Jnòn' ndá tsjóon nuàn, Jñon'ndaa, Ñonndaa), which is spoken mainly in the town San Pedro Amuzgos (Tsjoóm Ñmàⁿ) in Oaxaca, and is also known as Oaxaca Amuzgo, San Pedro Amuzgos Amuzgo or Amuzgo alto del este.
Lower Eastern Amuzgo (Ts'unuma, Jñunnda), which is spoken in the town of Santa María Ipalapa (Icpalli), and is also known Ipalapa Amuzgo or Amuzgo bajo del este.

These varieties are classified as separate languges in some sources.

Amuzgo is written with the Latin alphabet. It is taught in some schools used on the radio. The name Amuzgo comes from the Nahuatl placename Amoxco (“moss place / water-weed place”), or the Nahuatl word amoxtli (“book”).

Northern Amuzgo alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

Long vowels are doubled (aa).
b, p and r appear mainly in words borrowed from Spanish

Upper Eastern Amuzgo alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

Long vowels are doubled (aa).
b, f, k, ll, p, r, rr and z appear in words borrowed from Spanish

Download alphabet charts for Amuzgo (Excel)

Sample text

Tsoom nda̱a̱na:—Quia na cwilaneiⁿꞌyoꞌ nnom Tyꞌo̱o̱tsꞌom, canduꞌyoꞌ: Tsotya̱a̱yâ na mꞌaaⁿꞌ cañoomꞌluee ñequiiꞌcheⁿ catseitꞌmaaⁿꞌñenaꞌ xueꞌ. Candyo cantyja na matsa̱ꞌntjomꞌ naquiiꞌ nꞌo̱o̱ⁿyâ. Caluii cantyja na ꞌu lꞌue tsꞌomꞌ nnom tsjoomnancue chaꞌxjeⁿ na cwiluii cañoomꞌluee.
Quiaaꞌ na nlcwaaꞌâ ticwii xuee.
Ndoꞌ catseitꞌmaⁿ tsꞌomꞌ jâ jnaaⁿyâ, ee mati cwilaꞌtꞌmaⁿ nꞌo̱o̱ⁿyâ chaꞌtso nnꞌaⁿ na cwilaꞌtjo̱o̱ndye nda̱a̱yâ. Cateijndeiꞌ na tincjaachuuñenaꞌ jâ na nlꞌaayâ yuu na ticatsa̱ꞌntjomnaꞌ. Ndoꞌ catseicandyaandyuꞌ jâ lꞌo̱ juu natia.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/229/LUK.11.AMU

Translation (for both texts)

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample Videos

Links

Information about Amuzgo languages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amuzgo_language
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idioma_amuzgo
https://www.native-languages.org/amuzgo.htm
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/amu
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/azm
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/azg

Oto-Manguean languages

Amuzgo, Chinanteco, Chatino, Cuicatec. Mazahua, Mazatec, Mazatec (Chiquihuitlán), Mazatec (Jalapa), Mixtec, Mixtec (Chayuco), Mixtec (Coatzospan), Otomi, Otomi (Acazulco), Otomi (Sierra), Otomi (Temoaya), Popoloca (Northern), Tlapanec, Triqui (Chicahuaxtla), Triqui (Copala), Triqui (San Martín Itunyos), Triqui (Santo Domingo del Estero), Zapotec (Aloápam), Zapotec (Choápam), Zapotec (Güilá), Zapotec (Isthmus), Zapotec (Miahuatlán), Zapotec (Rincón), Zapotec (San Dionisio Ocotepec), Zapotec (Zoogocho)

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created 29.04.26. Last modified: 29.04.26

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