We all know Spanish is the dominant language in Mexico—but the ubiquity of Spanish in the Latin American nation obscures the colorful tapestry of linguistic diversity that you’ll find if you begin to scratch beneath the surface. Even today, Mexico houses hundreds of indigenous languages, classified into several dozen macro groupings. An example is Mazatec—it’s often treated as a single language, but in fact, linguists have identified nine separate Mazatecan languages, and some, such as Chiquihuitlán Mazatec, are so divergent that they’re barely intelligible to speakers of other Mazatecan languages.
Chiquihuitlán Mazatec is considered the most divergent variant of Mazatec, spoken by some 1,500 native speakers, of which several are even monolingual. Although the language’s divergence from its sister languages can, in one sense, threaten it, as only a small portion of Mazatec speakers can understand it, Chiquihuitlán Mazatec’s uniqueness also increases the motivation of speakers and linguists alike to preserve it. Indeed, though the language is endangered, language revitalization programs are underway to help safeguard its future. Access to translation services is part of strengthening a language, and we at TranslationServices.com are delighted to introduce our new Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translation services.
You can check out a free quote for our Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translation services—just ask!
Chiquihuitlán Mazatec: the odd Mazatecan language out
Chiquihuitlán Mazatec is spoken where the majority of Mexico’s indigenous languages today are spoken: the southern state of Oaxaca. Specifically, it’s spoken in the locale of San Juan Chiquihuitlán, which is, naturally, where the name derives. Nearby, you’ll find other Mazatecan languages—for example, Huautla Mazatec, Puebla and Northeastern Mazatec, Eloxochitlán Mazatec, and more—but Chiquihuitlán Mazatec is only 47% intelligible with Huautla and even less so with other languages in the cluster.
Zooming out a bit, the Mazatecan languages find themselves occupying the Oto–Manguean family, a prominent language family that spans several dozen languages in southern Mexico. Grammatically, it’s complex, with a structure completely unlike that of European languages like English or Spanish. For starters, Chiquihuitlán Mazatec places the verb first in a sentence, which is common in Mesoamerican languages. It also attaches possessive suffixes directly to nouns—so, for example, instead of saying “my house,” Chiquihuitlán Mazatec speakers would structure the phrase more like “housemy.” The language also prefers to put adjectives after nouns, like Spanish—although this pattern is actually more common among the world’s languages than the English adjective-first style. Chiquihuitlán Mazatec’s various unique features, including its low intelligibility with other Mazatecan languages, render it a challenge to translate, but our team of native-speaking translators is eager to help.
Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translation services you can count on
Most translation companies don’t offer Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translation services. We not only offer them but endeavor to provide as much flexibility as we can for our clients all across Mexico and the rest of the world. We’ve hired translators from different areas of San Juan Chiquihuitlán who are passionate about their unique language and eager to help you translate both to and from it, for any number of projects.
Unfortunately, since the number of Chiquihuitlán speakers is so low, our translation team is naturally limited—but we’ve still tried to build the most robust team we can. If you’re looking for specialized translation expertise—say, for academic, business, or literary purposes—don’t hesitate to ask. Our translators have amassed experience in different domains and are familiar with various subject matters, so we may just have the ideal Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translator for your project. Whether you’re looking to translate educational materials for kids, promotional materials for a business, traditional Chiquihuitlán stories, or even a website or app, our team of translators is always here.
Now’s your chance to take advantage of our Chiquihuitlán Mazatec translation services. Simply reach out and place an order today!