Zapotec Languages

Zapotec Languages

The Zapotec language(s) are a group of closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages that constitute a main branch of the Oto-Manguean language family and which is spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of Mexico. Present-day native speakers are estimated to number over half a million, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca. Zapotec-speaking communities are also found in the neighboring states of Puebla and Guerrero. Labor migration has also brought a number of native Zapotec-speakers to the United States, particularly in California. Most Zapotec speaking communities are highly bilingual in Spanish.