Mesoamerican languages - Definition and Overview

Genealogy

Areal

• Uto-Aztecan —5000 BP^*
  • Soshonean (N Uto-Aztecan) —3500 BP
    • Numic (Plateau group) —2000 BP
      • C Plateau
        • Soshoni ^[SHH]
        • Comanche ^[COM]
        • Paramint ^[PAR]
      • S Plateau
        • Ute-Chemehuevi (S Paiute) ^[UTE]
        • Kawaiisu ^[KAW]
      • W Plateau
        • Mono ^[MON]
        • Paiute (Northern Paiute) ^[PAO]
    • Takic ( Southern Californian) —2400 BP
    • Hopi
    • Tubatulabal
  • Sonoran^**
    • Piman-Tepehuan
      • Piman —1000 BP •  Arizona, Sonora, Jalisco  •  EXTINCT?
      • Tepehuan • Sonora, Jalisco  • 25,000
    • Tara-Cahitian —2500 BP
      • Tarahumara —1000 BP •  Chihuahua highlands
        • Rarámuri  • 40,000
        • Guarillo  • 7,000
      • Cahita (Yaqui) —2000 BP •  Arizona, Sonora, Sinaloa
        • Mayo  • 27,000
        • Opata  • EXTINCT
        • Jova  • EXTINCT
        • Eudeve  • EXTINCT
    • Cora-Huichol —2000 BP •  Nayarit
      • Huichol  • 10,000
      • Cora  •  EXTINCT?
  • Aztecan —2000 BP
    • Nahuan
      • Nahuatl (C & N Nahuan) •  México(State), Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo
      • Nahual (W Nahuan) •  Michoacán, Durango, W Guerrero
      • Nahuat (E Nahuan) • S Veracruz, N Oaxaca, Tabasco
      • Nawat (S Nahuan, also known as "Pipil") • Pacific coast of Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador
    • Pochutec • Coast of Oaxaca
    • Tamaulipeco?, Maratino? • Tamaulipas

^*Estimated split date by glottochronology

^**Some scholars continue to classify Aztecan and Sonoran together under a separate group (called variously "Sonoran", "Mexican", or "S Uto-Aztecan"). There is increasing evidence that whatever degree of additional resemblance that might be present between Aztecan and Sonoran when compared with Soshonean is probably due to proximity contact, rather than to a common immediate parent stock other than Uto-Aztecan.

Tonal

• Oto-Pamean
  • Otomian
    • Otomi  •  Hidalgo, Guanajuato, N México(State), Querétaro  • 400,000
    • Mazahua •  Michoacán, W México(State)  • 220,000
  • Chichimec •  Guanajuato  •  EXTINCT?
  • Pame •  San Luis Potosí, NW Hidalgo  • 3,000
  • Matlatzinca-Ocuilteco • SW México(State)  • 3,000

• Mazateco Popolocan
  • Mazatec  •  SE Puebla, N Oaxaca  • 145,000
  • Chocho  •  SE Puebla, NW Oaxaca  • 35,000

• Mixtecan
  • Mixteco-Cuicateco
    • Mixtec  •  E Guerrero, S Puebla, W Oaxaca  • 335,000
    • Cuicatec • NE Oaxaca  • 20,000
  • Amuzgo  •  E Guerrero, W Oaxaca  • 20,000
  • Trique • W Oaxaca  • 20,000

• Zapotecan
  • Zapotec •  Oaxaca  • 400,000
  • Chatino • SW O Oaxaca  • 25,000
  • Soltec-Papabuco  •  Elotepec Oaxaca  • EXTINCT

Non-Tonal

• Mixe-Zoquean
  • Mixean
    • E & W Mixe • E Oaxaca  • 75,000
    • N Mixe • S Veracruz  •  EXTINCT?
    • S Mixe •  SE Chiapas  • EXTINCT
  • Zoquean
    • Zoque • Tabasco, Chiapas, E Oaxaca  • 35,000
    • Sierra Zoque Popoluca • S Veracruz  • 25,000
    • Texistepec Zoque • S Veracruz  •  EXTINCT?

• Totonacan
  • Totonaca •  Puebla, Veracruz  • 240,000
  • Tepehua • Hidalgo, Veracruz  • 20,000

• Mayan
  • Huastecan
    • Huastec • N Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, NE Hidalgo  • 100,000
    • Chicomulcetec • S Chiapas  • EXTINCT

• • NE Mayan (Yucatecan)
    • Yucatec •  Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Belize, N Guatemala  • 650,000
    • Mopán • N Guatemala, Belize  • 6,000
    • Itzá • N Guatemala  •  EXTINCT?
    • Lacandon • Chiapas  •  EXTINCT?

• • NW Mayan (Chol-Tzeltalan)
    • Cholan-Tzeltalan
      • Cholan
        • Chol  •  Tabasco, Chiapas  • 110,000
        • Chontal (Yocotán) •  Tabasco  • 50,000
        • Chorti  •  Honduras, E Guatemala  • 65,000
      • Tzeltalan • Chiapas
        • Tzeltal  • 120,000
        • Tzotzil  • 120,000
    • Chujean-Kanjolabal • NW Guatemala, Chiapas
      • Chujean
        • Chuj • NW Guatemala  • 30,000
        • Tojolabal • Chiapas  • 20,000
    • Kanjolabal • NW Guatemala
      • Solomec  • 60,000
      • Acatec  • 13,000
      • Jacaltec  • 20,000
    • Mochó (Cotoque) • SE Chiapas
      • • Motozintlec  •  EXTINCT?
        • Tuzantec  •  EXTINCT?

• • SE Mayan (Quiché-Mame)
    • Mamean
      • Teco-Mam
        • Mam • W Guatemala  • 435,000
        • Teco •  Chiapas-Guatemala border  • 5,000
      • Ixilan  •  NW Guatemala
        • Ixil  • 60,000
        • Aguacatec  • 15,000
    • Quichean
      • Cakchiquel-Quichean  •  C Guatemala
        • Quiche  • 680,000
        • Cakchiquel  • 430,000
        • Tzutujil  • 50,000
        • Sacapultec  • 3,000
        • Sipacapan  • 3,000
      • Kekchi • C & E Guatemala  • 375,000
      • Pocom • C & E Guatemala
        • Pocomchi  • 75,000
        • Pocomam  • 30,000
      • Uspantec • NW Guatemala  • 15,000

Isolates

• Seri •  Sonora coast  •  EXTINCT?

• Purépecha (Tarascan) • SW Michoacán  • 75,000

• Cuitlatec • Guerrero  • EXTINCT

• Chinantec • N Oaxaca  • 80,000

• Tlapanecan
  • Tlapanec (Yopi) • Guerrero  • 50,000
  • Subtiaba • Nicaragua, El Salvador  • EXTINCT

• Tequistlatec • SE Oaxaca  • 10,000

• Huave • SE Oaxaca  • 25,000

• Xicaque • NW Honduras  •  EXTINCT?

• Xinca • SE Guatemala  •  EXTINCT?

• Lenca • SW Honduras, El Salvador  •  EXTINCT?

• Paya • N Honduras  •  EXTINCT?

• Misumalpan • Nicaragua  • 115,000

• Chiapaneco-Manguean
  • Chiapanec • Chiapas  • EXTINCT
  • Chorotegan • Honduras  • EXTINCT
  • Mangue • Nicaragua  • EXTINCT
  • Nicoyan • Costa Rica  • EXTINCT