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Nahua and náhuatl

 

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  #1  
Old September 22, 2010, 09:58 AM
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Nahua and náhuatl

Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar View Post
Mientras bailaba/estaba bailando el zumba (I didn't know this dance existed ) me encontré con una amiga mejicana/mexicana. Me gusta porque ella puede ayudarme a aprender a hablar español.
Interesting, I didn't know that "mejicano" was a valid word to RAE. It seems awkward to me anyhow.
Additionally, RAE has another definition for "mexicano" that I had never heard:

Quote:
3. m. Idioma nahua.
Sorry for being off topic but this caught my eye. No offense meant.

Saludos.
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  #2  
Old September 22, 2010, 10:34 AM
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@alx: Me topé con la misma sorpresa. En México nunca se le diría "mexicano" al náhuatl (cuando mucho, "mexica", pero sólo en contextos de historia precolombina).
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Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; September 22, 2010 at 03:08 PM. Reason: Edited to fit the thread
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Old September 22, 2010, 12:26 PM
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Here is common to write "mejicano" instead of "mexicano". I've learnt to write "mexicano" here, in the forums (although I knew this word, of course). Also Texas is written Tejas (I pronounce "teksas" for Texas and "tejas" for Tejas).

I didn't know the third meaning. It's good to know. Thanks.

Edit: Is it correct to say "nahua" instead of "náhuatl"?

Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; September 22, 2010 at 03:11 PM. Reason: Edited to fit the thread
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Old September 22, 2010, 01:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar View Post
Edit: Is it correct to say "nahua" instead of "náhuatl"?
I had that doubt as well (first I thought it was an error), but digging deeper, I came across "nahuatl" refers to the language spoken by "nahua" people.

Thanks!
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Old September 22, 2010, 03:07 PM
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Since this is an interesting topic by itself, the messages on náhuatl, from the thread "Beneficio de Zumba" have been moved here.

I think Alx is right about the difference of both words.

I have found in the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas (which has a few brief descriptions of many indigenous peoples from Mexico) something very striking for me though: the use of the word "mexicano" for náhuatl language does exist for some variations of it. I never heard it used that way and thought it was wrong.
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Last edited by AngelicaDeAlquezar; September 22, 2010 at 03:47 PM. Reason: Added information
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Old September 22, 2010, 07:42 PM
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Really that is a surprise for me, I didn't know about that, at least I didn't know what the language was recognize for the RAE dictionary.

Sometimes it's awkward to think that there're more language without know it than known language.


Sincerely yours.
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Old September 23, 2010, 12:18 AM
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Gracias por el enlace, Angélica.

He visto que hay libros publicados en lenguas indígenas. ¿Se publican en todas las lenguas indígenas que hay en México? Porque parece que hay unas cuantas, ¿no? ¿Todos los pueblos tienen su lengua o su variedad dialectal del náhuatl? ¿Es el náhuatl el más hablado?

Perdón por tanta pregunta, soy curiosona.
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Old September 23, 2010, 07:57 AM
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Nahuatl es número uno. Se la habla en el alto centro del pais. Se la oye en lugares como Patzcuaro. No sé si tiene muchos dialectos pero imagino
que sí. México es montañoso y en el pasado las montañas
aislaban las poblaciones fomentando dialectos.
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Old September 23, 2010, 12:19 PM
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@Poli: ¿En Pátzcuaro? ¿Seguro? Por ahí se habla más bien tarasco (o purépecha).

@Irma: Confieso mi enorme ignorancia al respecto de los pueblos indígenas, pero según las estadísticas, son más numerosos los pueblos que hablan variantes del náhuatl, en comparación con los grupos que hablan otras familias de lenguas.
De muy pocos años para acá se ha hecho un esfuerzo por hacer llegar publicaciones y servicios de educación a varias comunidades indígenas, en sus propias lenguas. Evidentemente, son muchos grupos y muchas variantes de cada lengua, así que aún queda mucho por hacer. Existe también el Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas, que se encarga de promover el conocimiento de las lenguas indígenas y de acercar a algunos grupos, a través de su lengua, a "la vida nacional" (se ha traducido la Constitución Política y el Himno Nacional a varias lenguas, por ejemplo).
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Old September 23, 2010, 05:53 PM
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That's right Angela. All research I have done after your post (It should have been done prior to my post) shows that purépacha is the native language commonly spoken there. Sometimes memory doesn't always serve.
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