Tepehuán (Tepehuano) is the name of three closely related languages of the Piman branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, all spoken in northern Mexico. The language is called O'otham by its speakers.
Internal classification
Tepehuán Northern Tepehuán Southern Tepehuán Southeastern Tepehuán Southwestern Tepehuán
Northern Tepehuán Northern Tepehuán is spoken by about 10,000 people (2020 census) in several settlements in Guadalupe y Calvo and Guachochi, Chihuahua, as well as in the north of Durango. communities like Santiago Papasquiaro—including El Jaguey, Colonia José Ramón Valdez (1616 historical revolt area), El Huisache (Leyva-Tafoya family ranch), and Jose Maria Morelos settlements.
The Ódami—self-named "People of This Land" in their ancient tongue—resided in these Sierra Madre strongholds as Nahuatl-labeled "mountain people" (tepetl 'mountain' + huani 'inhabitant') by Mexica/Tepanec, marking them as frontier traders, allies, or rivals beyond the Aztec Triple Alliance (Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, Tlacopan). In 1616, Northern Ódami led a major revolt (1616–1620) against Spanish Jesuits and settlers, killing over 200 Spaniards and 10 missionaries in coordinated attacks on Atotonilco and Santiago Papasquiaro under leaders like Quautlatas and Francisco Gogoxito, before Spanish suppression amid massive losses (~4,000 Ódami warriors).
Media Tepehuán-language programming is carried by the CDI's radio stations XEJMN-AM, broadcasting from Jesús María, Nayarit, and XETAR, based in Guachochi, Chihuahua.
Morphology Tepehuán is an agglutinative language, in which words use suffix complexes for a variety of purposes with several morphemes strung together.
Phonology
Northern Tepehuan The following is representative of the Northern dialect of Tepehuan.
Vowels FrontCentralBackCloseMidOpen
Consonants LabialAlveolarPost-alveolarPalatalVelarPlosivevoiceless voiced AffricateFricativeNasalRhoticApproximant Nasal consonants /n, ɲ/ become when preceding a velar consonant.
Southern Tepehuan The following is representative of the Southeastern dialect of Tepehuan.
Vowels FrontBackCloseMidOpen
Consonants LabialAlveolarPost-alveolarPalatalVelarGlottalPlosivevoiceless voicedAffricatevoicelessvoicedFricativeNasalRhoticApproximant() /v/ is sometimes realized as in word-final position. /l/ appears only in loanwords from Spanish.
Sample Tepehuan Text
Northern Tepehuan:
Gʌrooga aapipʌsmaacʌdʌ tʌvaagɨʌrʌ daja, aatʌmʌ ipʌlidɨ ɨʌoodami gʌšiia duutuadagɨ. Vai otoma aʌna
istuigaco gatʌaanʌda agai aapi ʌʌgɨ tami oidigɨ daama. Vaidʌ ʌpʌduuna pʌštumaasɨ aapɨ ipʌlidi
tami oidigi daama poduucai isduucai ʌpʌvueeyi tʌvaagiʌrʌ. Gʌrsoiñañi tʌtai viaaca aatʌmʌ cuaadagai
tʌšɨ ʌʌšɨ tʌgito sivɨ vʌʌtarʌ. Gʌroigʌldañɨ gʌrsoimaascamiga tʌsmaacʌdʌ ivueeyi
poduucai tʌsduucai oigʌldi aatʌmʌ ʌgai ismaacʌdʌ šoimaasi gʌrvuiididi. Maiti dagito
išʌDiaavora gʌraagiadan taadacagi isiduñia aatʌmʌ soimaasi. Cʌʌ maatʌ aatʌmʌ isaapi ʌrʌgʌʌ
baitʌc ʌaacamitʌvaagiʌrʌ dai oidi daama tomastuigaco, dai aapi vaamioma viaa guvucadagaɨ
tomastuigaco istomali ʌmo ʌmai daɨ isaliʌšɨ gʌaagai ɨsvʌʌšɨ oodami gʌsiaa duutuadagɨ tomastuigaco.Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, :but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Southeastern Tepehuan:
Utogga atemo tubaggue :dama Santu sicamoe uggue ututugaraga duviana uguiere api odduna gutuguito daraga tami dubar dama tubggue. Udguaddaga ud macane schibi ud joigadane ud seca doada raga addu cate abemo joigudu jut jaddune maitague daguito soy macire ud niuca dacane api odduna. Amen, Jesus.Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be :thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done :on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, :but deliver us from evil. For thine is the :kingdom and the power and the glory for ever :and ever. Amen.
Further reading
References