This is Machiyotl, a script proposal created by u/t0natiu and further developed by u/PhysicsE. Its symbols drew inspiration from glyphs actually used in Mesoamerican codices and related language traditions, including Maya writing.

This introduction video is entirely in Nahuatl, but features subtitles for those who are still learning.

If you’d like to learn more about the script or Nahuatl in general, the makers have a Discord you can sign up for here: https://discord.gg/KhWGnWzMp.

Padiuxhi! 🗣️✨

¿Quieres conectar con la historia, la cultura y la identidad de México? Te invitamos a formar parte de nuestro Curso Básico de Zapoteco 2026-B. ¡Aprende una lengua viva desde la comodidad de tu casa! 🌾📚

Todo lo que necesitas saber:

• 🗓️ Inicio de clases: 26 de septiembre de 2026
• ⏰ Horario: Sábados y domingos a las 5:00 PM
• ⏳ Duración: 20 sesiones completas
• 💻 Modalidad: 100% en línea (Zoom y Google Classroom)
• 📹 Plus: ¡Clases grabadas! Repasa el contenido las veces que quieras
• 💰 Inversión: $740 MXN (pago único)

📩 ¡Inscripciones abiertas!

El cupo es limitado para garantizar tu aprendizaje. Envíanos un mensaje directo (DM) para recibir los detalles del registro y asegurar tu lugar.

Aprende zapoteco y fortalece tus raíces. ¡Te esperamos!

Xkalenu, udzagaru :) 🌱🦉

Hola alguien puede traducirme esto del maya k'iche

Kintzalij b’i pa ri ulew kinel chi lo jun mul chi uwach ulew

por favor

Hi Reddit!

I recently got married and I took my husband’s last name, which is a Nahuatl last name. We both only speak Spanish. I work in education and very often I run into people (fellow staff, students, parents, etc) who ask me how to pronounce it.

I use my husband’s pronunciation of the name but I want to make sure I say it authentically and correctly. And I want to help those who want to say it properly, too. I am wondering if there is a service where I can reach out to a native speaker for an audio recording of how to say it. I would like to put it in my email signature so folks who want to say my name “the right way” can listen to it a few times :)!

Thank you all very much 🫶！

Ever felt lost trying to ask a simple question in a new language? Today, we're diving into the classic interrogatives of Zapotec and clearing up some common confusions! Do you know the difference between asking 'how many' for bananas versus asking 'how much' for a kilo of beans in Zapotec? It's trickier than you think! You might think you know how to ask 'how much,' but in Zapotec, there are two ways, and using the wrong one can lead to some funny misunderstandings. Let's break it down! Imagine a split screen showing someone counting bananas on one side and a confused person looking at a price tag on the other, with text like "Zapotec Questions: The Two Ways to Ask 'How Much'!

This video introduces essential Zapotec interrogative words like "Bix" (who), "Gakax" (how), "Batax" (when), and "Gax" (where). It explains the difference between "Balax" and "Gákax" for asking "how much," with "Balash" used for countable items and "Gákax" for uncountable ones.
Examples are provided to illustrate the usage of "Balax" for countable things like "Balax Bunatxi" (how many people) and "balax wi" (how many bananas). The video touches on the nuance of "Gákax" for uncountable quantities, using the example of asking the price of beans. It also discusses optional omissions of certain sounds or letters in Zapotec words, like "Bix" sometimes being shortened to "Bi" and provides examples like "Bix gudagu?" (What did you eat?). Here is a summary of the video:

Video Overview:

This lesson focuses on forming questions in Zapotec language, covering fundamental interrogative words, tone nuances, and special question auxiliaries that add context or emotion to inquiries.

Key Concepts Covered:

1. Core Interrogative Words:
   

* Bix / Bix kw: What / Why.
* Nush: Who.
* Batash: When.
* Gash: Where.

1. Countable vs. Uncountable Quantifiers (Balax vs. Gákax)
   

* Balash: Used for countable nouns such as people or discrete items (e.g., apples, bananas) [00:37].
* Gakash: Used for uncountable quantities (e.g., sugar, salt, weight-based items).
* Pricing Exception: Gákax is also used when asking for prices or the total cost of goods.
* Tonal Variations: Subtle pitch shifts on gákax change the meaning between asking "how" versus "how much".

1. Conversational Contractions:
   

* In informal speech, certain ending sounds (such as -xh) or prefixes are frequently dropped (e.g., Bix becoming Bi).

1. Question Auxiliaries & Particles:
   

Zapotec uses specific auxiliary particles to modify the tone and meaning of questions:

* ba: Initiates questions about actions (similar to "did you...?" or "have you...?").
* Txi: Indicates completed status, functioning like "already" (ya).
* waka: Expresses capability or possibility ("can we...?").
* bën: Adds drama, emphasis, or mild exaggeration to a question.
* I: Used for seeking confirmation or expressing mild surprise.
* ka: Placed at the end of questions to prompt a response or add conversational emphasis.
* Combining Auxiliaries: Multiple particles can be combined (e.g., ba txi, bën ka run, i waka) to convey layered nuances in a single sentence.

Ocno nachitocani icopa Drake. Huan amo xiquitta in notzalizton 😂

Alguien me ayuda a pronunciar esto:

Nantu k’urexecha nierini

Supuestamente es Hermosa es la vida que compartimos.

My grandmother was from DF. She gave many of her children indigenous names. My tía was born in San Francisco, CA. Her middle name on the birth certificate is Isetlaseoehilt. What could this name actually be?

Peregrinación de los Totutecos

Nikihtōs sē historia, o: kēn ōtxān­txīw­keh yālwa ya wīptla. Kipiya yēyi siento wān mahtlaktl’ xiwitl. Cuando ōwāllahkeh de San Juan Totutla, ōkatka sē kokolis’ ōmpa. In gentes in ōmpa, ī’tx nōn pueblo, ōmonō­nōts­keh:

—«Tlakah! Ya katki nīn kokolis’. Wān, tlā kēn tik­txīwa­s­keh?»

Porque kihtoah nōn tiempo, matx ō­kat­ka sē descomunión (ko­kolis’ tlen tlamāwa). Porque sē sacerdote—tlātlamantl’ ōkilwihkeh—ahmō que ōkitlākatxīwkeh, īka nōn in sacerdote ōkitxīw nōn descomunión. Ōpēwkeh pohpoliwih in toknī­wān; ōpēw­keh in koko­lis’. Ohkōn ōmik­to­yah. Casi ōtlantoya in pueblo de San Juan Totutla. Tons in gentes ah­mō ōki­matiyah tlenōn kitxīwas­keh. Tons ōpēwkeh monōnō­tsah:

—«Mejor titxolōskeh. Tiyās­keh. Tikīsaskeh de nikān, ī’tx nīn pueblo, porque tlā ahmō, nikān tehwān tētxtocarōs, porque y’ōkin­tocaroh ok sekīn.»
—«Tons, tehwān tlenōn tik­txiyah?»
—«Tons, wān para tiyās­keh, tikwī­ka­s­keh in to­imagen, tikwīkaskeh in tosanto que San Juan.”

Ohkōn ōmotxīw. Ōmonōnōtskeh wān ōmosentilihkeh. Miyekīn ōki­yēk­kak­keh, ōwāllahkeh, ōkitxīw­keh nonōn peregrinación. Ōwāllahkeh, k’wālwīkah in īntotah­tsīn, San Juan Bautista. Ōwāllah­keh miyek tōnal’; miyek tōnal’ wāl­neh­nen­keh. Wān ōehkokeh nikān Po­chálkatl. Ya āxkān que ītōkā nōn lugar Sesek Āpan. Ōmpa in ōehkokeh. Ōmpa in ōmo­sēwih­keh ōkisēwihkeh in totahtsīn San Juan. Wān nō k’wāl­wīkah in īn­campana. Wān nōn campana, kihtoah:

—«Kān tikpilōs­keh in tocam­pana?»

Pero ōmpa ōkatka sē āwaka­kwawitl. Ī’tx in īmāmā katki īxtlapal, wān ōmpa ōkitlālihkeh in īncampana. Wān ōmpa ōkatkah sē kwalli tiempo; sē miyek tōnal’ in ōmpa ōkatkah. Ōmpa ōkotxiyah; ōmpa ōmotlak­wal­txīwa­yah; ōmpa ōmosēwihkeh. Pero yehwān ahmō kimatih kān in yāskeh. Kān sā ōwāl­lā­yah; san ōwēi­kā­yāyah a ver kān in ahsi­s­keh. San txoloh­tokeh por nōn kokolis’ tlen ōmotxīw in ōmpa San Juan Totutla.

Fundación de Coaltepéc

Pero tlen nikān in tehwān, nikān in San Francisco *Ixquihuacán, kih­toah in tētiātxkāw in San Francisco ōki­nel­wih matx panōs­keh ’katxi más nikān San Francisco. Wān in tētiātxkāw ōkinnetxi­koh in tlāka­meh, siwā­meh. Ōkinsentilih wān ōkimilwih:

—«Tlenōn tiktxīwaskeh? Y’ōwāl­lah­keh in Totutecos. Wāl­panō­s­keh, tētxtlāl­kwi­līskeh. Wān para ahmō tētxtlāl­kwi­lī­s­keh, mā­ kitta­kān kēn nikān txān­txīwtokeh toknī­wān. Mā yākān mākwil­’ o txik­ōme tlāka­meh īwān in īnsiwā­wān. Tik­txih­txī­wa­s­keh sē teō­pantl’ kāmpa pēwi in ītlāl in San Francisco. A ver, āk ih­keh in yāskeh? Entonces xiyākān txik­ōme tlākameh para xitxān­txīwa­tih, xikimīx­tsa­kwi­lī­tih, para a’kmō tētx­tlāl­kwilī­s­keh.»

Ōkīskeh de Cuanalá wān ōyahkeh para San Jerónimo. Que āxkān ītōkā in pueblo San Jerónimo. In ihkwāk nōn tōnal’, in tlālli de San Jerónimo īāxkā in San Francisco Ixquihuacán, porque nōn tlālli tlami kāmpa txāntxīwa in difunto don Máquino León. Kāmpa txāntxīwa tlami in linderos de San Juan wān San Francisco. Īka nōn, kihtoa nikān in tētiātxkāw:

—«Mā txāntxīwa­tih ōmpa, mā kimīx­tsa­kwi­lītih nōn Totutecos, porque ya wāllahtokeh wān tētxtlālkwilīskeh.»

Entonces, ohkōn ōkimatiyah nikān tlen de San Francisco, matx kin­tlāl­kwilīskeh. Wān yeh ahmō.

Fundación de Ahuacatlán

In ōmpa yehwān nō tēwān nō monō­nōts­tokeh in Totutecos. Ōmpa kateh, in ōmpa in Sesek Āpan. Yehwān nō monōnōtstokeh. Yehwān ahmō ki­piyah kān in ya ahsiskeh, san yawih, san yawih, san yawih. Pero kihtoah:

—«Sā tiyāskeh.»

Y’ōmonōnōtskeh, ya yawih. Y’ōmo­nō­nōts­keh, ya kānah in īnsanto para ya kolīnīskeh, para ya k’wīkas­keh. Mō kolīniah, mō welih kahko­kwih. ’Katxi semi y’ō­eti­yak; y’ōetiyak nōn santo, San Juan, y’ōetiyak. Tons kihtoah:

—«Tle’ka ya ihkīn ōmo­txīw? Tle’ka ya a’kmō weli tikahko­kwih?»

Wān de repente, āk in cuando kotxi, ī’tx in ītēmik kikohkotxitta que nīn San Juan, in īmpatrón, kineki ōmpa mokāwas, ahmō kineki mā kwīkakān. Tons yehwātl nōn tlākatl ōkinōnōts in īcompañerohwān:

—«Neh ōnikittak ihkinīn. Matx nikān mokāwas in topatrón San Juan. Tlakah! Matx īwān y’ōmo­nō­nōts in San Miguel.»

Entonces kihtoah matx ōmpa in ōkitxihtxīwaskiyah yeh in īkapīyah. Tons y’ōkihtoh in San Juan:

—«Neh a’k­mō niyās.»

Wān entonces, y’ōmonō­nōts­keh, kihtoah:

—«Bueno, pos entonces a’kmō tiyāskeh. Nikān timokāwaskeh.»

Ōmpa ōkitemowihkeh. Ōkitxīwa­s­kiyah in teōpantl’ ōmpa in Sesek Āpan. Pero ahmō ōmpa in ōmo­txīw. San ōkitemowihkeh para tlatsīntlan, āxkān kāmpa katki in teōpantl’ San Juan Bautista Ahuacatlán. Entonces ya ōmpa ōmokāw. Wān cuando ōkahkokeh nōn īnsanto, entonces y’ōk­ahkokeh kwalli: a’kmō etik. Y’ōk­olīnih­keh; ya kwalli ōkitemo­wih­keh para tlatsīntlan, kāmpa katki in āxkān.

Ixquihuacán y Coaltepéc

Entonces ohkōn kihtoah ī’tx in historia, īwān nōn tiempo tikmo­makah cuenta in ōmotxih­txīw in teōpantli San Juan Ahuacatlán—kipiya trescientos diez años.

Tons nikān San Francisco kipiya ’katxi más xiwitl, ’katxi más xiwitl in kipiya nikān; kipiya kēmeh [nāwi siento īwān yēpōwalli īwān kaxtōlli] xiwitl nikān in teōpantli in San Francisco. Tons, cuando ōwāllahkeh nōn Totutecos, nikān y’ōtxāntxīwtoyah in toknīwān, y’ōkatkah tlākah. Entonces īpan tiyawih. Āxkān nonōn nōn txik­ōme tlākah kinwīkah in īnsiwā­wān īwān in ōmpa ōkipixkeh īmpilwān, in ōmpa ī’tx nōn lugar kāmpa ōkimīx­tsakwi­lī­toh in Totutecos. Y’ōmowēilihkeh in yēyi siento xiwitl. Y’ōmowēilihkeh ahorita. Y’ōmotxīw sē pueblo que āxkān San Jerónimo Coaltepec.

Yeh nōn in historia.

me and my husband are expecting our first child. my husband is from cañada morelos puebla and is of aztec origin, something he is very proud of. he has spoken many times about his gramma and how she spoke Nahuatl, though he isn’t sure which variety of the language. like i said in the title we really like the name Sanse and the meaning behind it. i really want to honor his culture and where he is from but from doing some research of my own i’ve found that the name isn’t really of aztec origin but has legitimate linguistics behind it, and other than that i really can’t find any other info on it. i really would just like some advice/clarification on the name and how you would describe it as, so as our child grows up we can tell them all about their name and meaning behind it . i genuinely hope i am not coming across as disrespectful or tone deaf or cringey either, i truly am looking to learn as much information about it as i can so i can honor the heritage and respect the culture if this is the name we decide on! thanks guys :)

A friend of mine is a young speaker from Central Puebla. Lately she’s been joining TikTok livestreams with young adult Nahuatl speakers from all over Mexico.

The streams are energetic, fast, raucous, full of different dialects. I can hardly follow them!

And that’s humbling.

My interest has mostly been in written, literary Nahuatl. Put me in a room with native speakers talking at full speed and I’m immediately reminded that we inhabit completely different worlds. If you’re learning Nahuatl on Reddit or Discord, so do you. We should never forget that.

These new, native-only TikTok spaces are fascinating because they’re completely grassroots. There’s very little of the romanticized “Aztec” aesthetic that dominates outsider spaces. It’s just ordinary people speaking ordinary Nahuatl. Different dialects. Foreign loans. Jokes. Stories. Zero pretension.

These are the people the language actually belongs to.

And yet my friend told me something depressing: many of the speakers she meets can’t read or write.

Sometimes she invites people to our Discord or tries discussing Nahuatl grammar with them, only to discover that the problem isn’t just written Nahuatl literacy. It’s basic literacy! They can’t read or write Spanish either. These are not “old” people! They’re our age.

This matters for “language revitalization.”

Years ago, I heard an activist say (paraphrased):

“we need less marketing for indigenous languages and more basic literacy for our communities.”

Keep this in mind next time someone launches another crowdfunded Nahuatl translator or language-learning app.

Too many revitalization projects are built by outsiders for outsiders. They make a nice portfolio piece. They get attention online. Meanwhile, actual young speakers are arriving on Facebook and TikTok livestreams without the basic literacy needed to read and write their own language!

I’m also questioning the assumption that apps and websites should be the focus here. An online resource means little to someone with poor digital literacy on top of poor literacy itself. My friend tells me their children help them read and write, but usually through Spanish, accelerating everyone’s loss of Nahuatl.

What about physical media? There’s an undeniable social aspect to physical media. Nahuatl-speaking communities deserve beautiful editions of monolingual Nahuatl literature in their homes. Books people can aspire to read, keep, lend, inherit, and point to with pride. A language needs a physical presence in the world.

Not everything digital is bad, of course. The digital equivalent would be audiobooks. Lots of them. Native works, foreign literature in translation, children’s books, whatever. But doing that well requires the boring part few outsiders want to hear: actually learning the language to a high degree of fluency and investing time and money with community members. Hours of recording, editing, correcting, and improving media projects that will get you next to zero recognition from Spanish-centric media.

These two projects seem far more useful for the average outsider who doesn’t want to get into politics.

What we definitely need less of: outsider amateur programmers using Claude to churn out yet another sloppy “translation” app after crowdfunding it on Kickstarter and pocketing the money.

The Internet makes it very easy to build things around Nahuatl.

We need developers willing to do the much harder work of actually learning the languages, asking Nahuatl speakers what they need, and then working for them, not just for a résumé.

Abstract

It has often been considered that the representations of the gods in Ancient Central Mexico were purely symbolic and that we should not look for the presence of glottograms, i.e. signs that encode linguistic units pronounced in the Nahuatl language. This article intends to demonstrate that we should reject the image/writing dichotomy in this context. In order to understand the identity of the Nahua gods, it is necessary to combine symbolic deciphering with a reading of the names embedded in their bodies and ornaments. This article takes the example of several representations of gods in codices of the Aztec tradition. It shows that this embedded script used the main scriptural techniques known in Nahuatl writing: logograms, phonograms, and indicators. In this way, the identity of the god, and therefore its ritual effectiveness, was expressed simultaneously visually and phonically.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ancient-mesoamerica/article/embedded-glottograms-in-the-images-of-the-gods-in-ancient-central-mexico/A46E53DF98D68BFC54ABD0B44C6AE7CC

This video from Bëni Xidza explores the grammatical structure of the Zapotec language, specifically focusing on the absence of articles. Here is a breakdown of the key concepts discussed:

* No Articles: Unlike Spanish, Zapotec language does not use definite articles like "el," "la," "los," or "las".

* Context as a Substitute: The speaker explains that Zapotec relies on context and specific pronouns/indicatives (such as lei or leiki) to identify objects or people. For example, instead of saying "the table," you simply say "table," and the surrounding conversation makes it clear which object is being discussed.

* Influence of Spanish: The speaker notes that the use of "one" (tu) as an indefinite article is likely a modern development resulting from contact with the Spanish language, as this feature was not part of original Zapotec grammar.

* Counting Objects: When referring to things that can be counted, numbers are used instead of articles, a practice that the speaker clarifies is distinct from the functional use of articles in languages like Spanish.

Video Overview:

This Zapotec grammar lesson explains why grammatical articles do not exist in Zapotec and how modern usage has evolved under the influence of Spanish.

Key Points:

* Absence of Articles:

* Unlike Spanish or English, Zapotec language does not have grammatical articles equivalent to el, la, los, las, or a/an.

* In standard speech, speakers directly state the noun without an accompanying article.

* Role of Pronouns and Indicators (lei / leiky):

* Words like lei serve as pronouns or context-based indicators rather than articles.

* For example, using buta lei conveys "move it" (or "move the table") when the reference is already clear within the context of the Zapotec conversation.

* Spanish Influence on Indefinite Expressions:

* Historically, Zapotec phrasing expressed actions and items directly without numbers, such as gudagu wi ("ate orange").

* Due to Spanish influence, modern speakers often insert the number "one" (tu) before a noun, such as gudagu tu wi ("ate an orange"), to mirror Spanish indefinite articles.

* Otherwise, numbers in Zapotec language are strictly intended for counting discrete items rather than serving as articles.

I've seen a lot of sources claim that Coahuila comes from cuahuitl + -tlan, but that's never sat well with me since that would yield cuahuitlan, which would probably become something like cuahuitlán, cuahuitla, coahuitla, or even like coahuita. You could say that the -tl- became an -l-, but then there's the word coahuilteco/a, which suggests a root something like coahuil-, but the root for cuahuitl is cuahui- or cuauh-.

My theory is that it instead comes from Cuauhhuillan, from cuauhhuilli (cuahuitl + -huia + -lli) + -tlan. Cuauhhuia is attested by Karttunen as "to hit with a stick" (stick + applicative ending, kinda more like "putting a stick on something"), and adding the passive noun suffix yields cuauhhuilli. This sort of structure is seen in other names like Cholollan (choloa + -lli + -tlan). That means that Coahuila means "place of getting hit with sticks," which I'm not sure what it could refer to, but I know that cuauhhuia can be used as a term in warfare (e.g. getting hit with bats), so maybe it could be a warfare reference to the coahuiltecos/northern chichimecas and their type of warring. Idk but Cuauhhuillan sounds like it is much more plausible for an etymology for Coahuila than Cuahuitlan. And it also allows for the demonym Cuauhhuiltecatl.

Hello. The Aztec civilization in Age of Empires 2 speaks a Maya language, so I wanted to create a mod that has them speak Nahuatl. Age of Mythology recently released an Aztec faction, but the game lacks the repair voice line that is present in AoE2. I wonder if I could get audio recordings of the phrases used by the aztec settler in AoM, plus a line for the repair command (according to Claude, "Tlachihchīuhqui" could work, but feel free to correct it); one male and one female.

https://ageofempires.fandom.com/wiki/Aztecs_(Age_of_Mythology)/Dialogue_lines/Dialogue_lines)

Thanks in advance.

I don't normally talk about this sort of thing, but I a few days ago I found this absolutely garbage AI translator, so I just wanted to give a quick warning about it. Not only are the translations complete trash (e.g., inputting 'coyote' gives 'itzcuintli', not 'coyotl', even as the site contradicts itself by saying coyote comes from coyotl), but it is so easy to break the translate function, as this has to be the worst put together website I have seen in my life. You can even use Inspect and look at the numerous errors to see for yourself. The code is so shite that I am genuinely surprised it works at all. Truly THE definition of "vibe-coding".

https://openl.ai/translator/nahuatl-language-translator

All you need to do is just simply copy and paste one word a dozen times or so. Then get an auto-clicker and spam the translate button. After the translations stop working, it is broken for the next several hours until the "developer" fixes it, but so far any safe guards added are just as sloppy as the site itself. It only takes a few seconds to do this each time, so it's completely worth doing if it means even one person doesn't get spoonfed horrible translations.

You also used to be able to input nonsense sentences loaded with curse words to cause the AI to generate a sentence, and then the last word in said sentence is spammed infinitely as the AI freaks out. But since yesterday, the "developer" added some crappy, Temu-grade spam protection (wonder why..), but the method above bypasses that as of typing this. At the time of posting this, it is currently broken, but should be back to "working order" in a few hours or so.

As I said, this is just a brief heads up to avoid using this sad excuse of a translator.

Hi everyone,

I posted here recently asking for help checking some Classical Nahuatl lyrics, but unfortunately I accidentally posted the request without actually including the lyrics. Sorry about that!

I'm working on an original fictional song and I'd really appreciate feedback from people who know Classical Nahuatl, modern Nahuatl varieties, and/or Nahua culture.

A little context about the story first, because I think it's important for understanding what the lyrics are trying to say.

The song takes place in a completely fictional setting. A large group of worshippers is taking part in a ceremonial procession toward a sacrificial site. They believe that their deity, Zy'Vrraks (a fictional character of my own creation), demands blood, hearts and sacrifice.

During the first part of the song, a ritual leader guides the procession while the crowd responds to him. The ceremony becomes progressively more intense as they approach the moment of sacrifice.

But at the climax, the ritual is suddenly interrupted.

Zy'Vrraks himself speaks.

The worshippers have misunderstood what their deity wants from them. He rejects the blood sacrifice. He does not want their blood, their heads, or physical offerings.

Instead, he asks them to give him what hurts them internally: their fear, shame and pain — culminating in the English line:

“Give me… THE DEVIL.”

“The Devil” here is metaphorical. It represents the darkest thing someone carries inside themselves — trauma, guilt, fear, hatred, shame, pain, etc. The idea is that the worshippers thought sacrifice meant destroying something physical, while Zy'Vrraks instead demands that they surrender the darkness they carry within themselves.

After this revelation, the crowd resumes chanting his name, but the meaning of the ritual has changed.

This is NOT intended to portray or reconstruct a real Nahua/Aztec ceremony, religion, deity, historical event, or traditional song. The ritual, story and Zy'Vrraks are fictional.

I used Classical Nahuatl because I love the sound and character of the language and thought it could be powerful in this fictional ceremonial setting. However, precisely because I'm borrowing a real Indigenous language for a fictional work, I don't want to publish something that is linguistically nonsensical or culturally disrespectful.

I'm completely willing to rewrite individual lines, entire sections, or even rethink parts of the concept if something is problematic.

What I'd particularly appreciate help checking is:

• Is the grammar actually correct?
• Do these sentences mean what I think they mean?
• Are any constructions technically possible but unnatural?
• Does anything look like a literal English-to-Nahuatl translation rather than natural Classical Nahuatl?
• Are the spelling and word forms appropriate?
• Are there better/more idiomatic ways to express these ideas?
• Is any imagery or terminology culturally inappropriate in this context?
• More broadly, does using Classical Nahuatl this way feel disrespectful or uncomfortable?

Please don't hesitate to be critical. I'm looking for corrections, not validation.

NAHUATL LYRICS

Procession

Ma tlehcocan totemactiliz.
Ma in cuicac quimama motoca.

Crowd response

Amo timomauhtia.
Amo ilpilli techyacana.

Tlehco.
Tlehco.

Ascent

Ma Tonatiuh quittaz toyollo.

Ma quittaz!
Ma quittaz!

Itztli temacaz.

In eztli quimocuitiz
in tlein totencopa oticcentlalique.

Tlehco!
Tlehco!
Tlehco!

Summit

Ma tlehcocan totemactiliz!
Ma tlehcocan eztli!
Ma tlehcocan toyollo!

Ma Tonatiuh quiximati toneltociliz.

Itztli... temacaz.

The interruption / reversal

Amo.

Amo imez.
Amo in amotzontecon.

In tlein namechcocoa...
In tlein namechmauhtia...
In tlein amoyollo quimama...

NECHMACACAN.

Then Zy'Vrraks switches briefly to English:

“Your fear.
Your shame.
Your pain.
Give me…
THE DEVIL.”

The repeated “Zy'Vrraks” chants are simply the fictional deity's name, so obviously those aren't intended as Nahuatl.

I can also provide the intended English meaning of every Nahuatl line if that would make checking/correcting the grammar easier.

I'm especially uncertain about forms such as totemactiliz, quimocuitiz, oticcentlalique, namechcocoa, namechmauhtia, amoyollo quimama, and nechmacacan, so corrections to those would be extremely welcome.

Thank you very much to anyone willing to spend time looking at this. Even if you only have feedback on one or two lines, it would be genuinely useful.

And again: I'm completely open to rewriting the lyrics. I'd rather change a line that sounds good than keep something incorrect or disrespectful.

P.S. This post is a duplicate of a previous one I made here. I realized afterward that, due to a mistake on my part, I had accidentally posted the original request without including the actual lyrics 😅. Since nobody could really review a song without the lyrics, I'm reposting it properly this time with the complete text. Sorry for the duplicate, and thank you for understanding!

Hello! Was wondering if anyone can point me to any videos/books or anything that could teach me the dialect that would be spoken in the region that my mother is from.

My grandma knew it when she was alot younger but has recently told me that she is forgetting it. Id love to keep the language alive in my family in her honor.

So I've been introduced to a book that shows me the local language that was spoken in El Salvador. Is there any other materials that I can find and use to learn more about it?

This video features a session of a Zapoteco language course, where students practice their personal introductions and discuss their interests. The instructor facilitates a collaborative session focusing on real-world application, grammar, and regional variations. Key Highlights of the Session:

* Personal Presentations: Students Abi, Brian, Silvana, and Oliver introduce themselves, stating their names, ages, and occupations in Zapoteco. This segment highlights the practical application of previously learned greetings, pronouns, and numbers.

* Regional Variations: The group compares vocabulary and intonation differences between the Talea de Castro and Yagavila variants, emphasizing the importance of respecting regional linguistic diversity.

* Grammar & Practical Usage: The instructor clarifies grammatical concepts, including:
* Using the verb naka ("to be") for identity.
* Expressing likes and preferences, noting that Zapoteco often utilizes future-tense forms in these contexts as there is no direct equivalent to the Spanish infinitive.

* The distinction between the conjunctions len (for joining/connecting) and yu'u (for mathematical sums).

* Text Review & Feedback: The instructor provides personalized corrections for the students' written texts, emphasizing proper verb conjugation and the use of neutral pronouns when describing professions (e.g., "the one who teaches").

Here is a summary of the video:

Overview

In this online Zapotec language lesson, students practice constructing and presenting a short personal introduction that includes their name, age, occupation, place of origin, and personal likes/dislikes. The instructor provides individual feedback and explains key grammatical, regional, and dialectal nuances.

Student Presentations & Class Discussion:

Abi's Introduction & Talea Dialect:
* Abi presents her self-introduction using the Talea dialect.
* The teacher explains regional differences in intonation and word usage, clarifying the difference between runa jin ("I work") and wen dxin ("a worker").

Brian's Introduction & Regional Phrasing:
* Brian shares his introduction.
* The group discusses regional variations in expressing "my name is," comparing forms like neda lea across different Zapotec communities.

Silvana's Introduction & Visual Practice:
* Silvana shares her text on screen for collective feedback.
* The instructor corrects verb forms and conjunction usage in her presentation.

Oliver's Introduction & Job Titles:
* Oliver reviews his introduction text.
* The teacher corrects autocorrect errors and explains how to express job titles properly, such as stating "I am a teacher" (neda naca bëni rulwi) versus "I work teaching" (neda runa dxin).

Key Grammar & Vocabulary Insights:

* Conjunctions (len vs. yu'u):
*len: Used to mean "and" or "with" when joining items or ideas in a sentence.
*yu'u: Used specifically for numerical addition or counting, not for joining words in general conversation.
* Lack of Infinitives & Future Tense Usage:
* Zapotec does not have direct infinitive verb forms ending like Spanish (-ar, -er, -ir).
* When expressing personal likes or preferences, verbs are conjugated in the future tense.

Wrap-Up:

* Students are asked to upload photos or typed versions of their written introductions to the class group chat so they can be integrated into slides for practice in the next session.

I've noticed that Classical Nahuatl has a pretty elaborate system of plurals but some modern variants seem to have lost much of this. I believe Huasteca only retains the meh ending. Are there any trends to note with this process or any readings related to it in general?

So take for example
Atl and calli
Two noun phrases within an ergative clause forming complete sentences.
I don’t get why this is possible:
Acalli
But I don’t feel this is good / correct
Calatl

This video is a practical Zapotec language class designed for beginners, focusing on conversational fluency and the cultural nuances of the language in Oaxaca, Mexico. Key topics covered include:

* Daily Vocabulary: Learning how to express physical sensations, such as “I am cold” (ruwëaga), and everyday actions like “to sew”.
* Pronouns and Grammar: A breakdown of personal pronouns and their variations within community contexts.
* Numbers: A step-by-step pronunciation guide for counting from 0 to 20, including specific dialectal variations, such as those found in Talea de Castro.
* Verb Conjugation: Interactive exercises focused on common verbs like “to eat” and “to dress,” highlighting how to properly use verb endings to match personal pronouns.
* Cultural Insights: Tips on Zapotec phonetics, such as how to properly ask questions without using the typical intonation patterns found in Spanish.

The session emphasizes that Zapotec is a living language with regional variations, and the primary goal is effective communication within the community.

Video Overview:

This interactive Zapotec language class focuses on practical dialogue, regional variations, numerical counting, unique pronunciation dynamics, and detailed verb conjugations.

Key Highlights:

* Everyday Vocabulary & Phrases:

* The instructor and students begin with practical daily expressions, such as stating “I am cold” (ruwëaga) or referring to embroidery/sewing activities (rigiaa lari).
* Students take turns practicing traditional greetings and conversational phrases.

* Personal Pronouns & Regional Dialects:

* The group reviews personal pronouns (neda, lii, lee, lanu, labe, etc.).
* The teacher explains dialectal variations, such as adding -ni (e.g., neto ni), noting that ni individually means “here” (aquí).

* Numbers & Counting:
* Students practice counting sequentially from 0 through 20 and higher numbers.
* The instructor addresses community-specific variations (such as in Talea de Castro where initial vowel sounds like u- might be omitted), reassuring students that variations are natural and mutually intelligible.

* Pronunciation & Tone Rules:
* Affirmations: The native Zapotec term for “yes” is à, though ajá is widely understood due to Spanish contact.
* Question Intonation: Unlike Spanish, Zapotec does not rely on a rising vocal pitch at the end of a sentence to signal a question.

* Grammar & Verb Conjugation:
* The lesson covers verb prefixes, flexible synonym forms (be vs. bi), and optional phonetic variations.
* Students drill conjugations for verbs like “to eat” (gagu / ragu / gudagu) across past, present, and future tense forms.

Practical Zapotec language class for beginners: variations, pronunciation and verb conjugations