Bibliography: This is
a list of the resources I have collected to conduct my research and language
learning. I will be annotating these
resources as I review them.
Ahearn, L. M. (2012). Living language: An introduction to
linguistic anthropology. West
Sussex, UK:
Wiley-Blackwell.
Autor anónimo. (1981). Gramática de la lengua zapoteca.
México: Editorial Innovación.
Focuses on Valley Zapotec.
Although, there are some similarities, this does not help me much with
my research. I will not be using it.
Black, C. A. (2000). Quiegolani zapotec syntax: A
principles and parameters account.
Dallas: SIL International and
The University of Texas at Arlington.
The introduction provides a basic background to Zapotec
languages: there are over
fifty Zapotec language varieties in the region of Oaxaca, Mexico
totaling about 500,000 speakers.
Speakers of any one variety number between 1,000 to over 100,000. The Zapotecan family, related to the larger
Otomanguean family, is divided into five geographic and linguistic groups:
northern, central, western, eastern, and southern. Quiegolani belongs to the southern group,
which I made the mistake of assuming that Isthmus Zapotec belonged to, as well because
of its southern geographic location. According
to Black, Isthmus Zapotec is a member of the eastern group. (Geographically, it is east of the Quiegolani
area.) I chose to reference this book
because Black has included some data from Isthmus Zapotec in her study: Isthmus
Zapotec anaphora, distinguishing reflexive and nonreflexive pronouns in
accordance with Binding theory (p. 69); apparently, no passive constructions in
IZ (p. 73); questions and relative clauses—there is no audible intonational
difference in Zapotec between a question and a declaration or an exclamation,
markers are used to serve these functions (p. 125); negative clitics—must be
fronted in IZ, negative pronouns may co-occur with free negative word ke ‘not’
(p. 161).
Britton, S. (2003). Zapotec-English English-Zapotec
(isthmus) concise dictionary. New
York:
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
This travel-size dictionary can easily fit into a purse or
backpack. Although the book is small,
the print is not and is easy to read.
Unfortunately, the down side to larger print is fewer entries. The
book boasts more than 5,000 entries; however, this is a low number in terms of
dictionary entries. To compare, my pocket American dictionary has over
40,000 entries for just one language (and yes, the print is tiny).
Britton's dictionary, however, provides a background to the language, and
includes a valuable section on IZ orthography, pronunciation and grammar. This will be one of my primary references for
language study.
Camuc, F. (n.d.). Juchitán zapotec-memrise. Retrieved
from accessed on April 17, 2013
This
free, online language-learning course is a fun way to learn Isthmus Zapotec
(and other languages). It combines audio, pictures, and orthography for
quick vocabulary learning, and teaches the grammar of the language.
Córdova, F. J. D. (2000). Vocabulario castellano-zapoteco
del año 2000:
Homenaje al Dr.
Gustavo Toledo Morales. Tehuantepec, Oaxaca:
Taller de Lengua Zapoteca Fray Juan de Córdova.
De La Cruz, V. (1999). Guie'
sti' diidxaza = La flor de la palabra. Ciudad universitaria,
México: Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de México.
Esposito, S. (2012, January 10). [Web log message].
Retrieved from
“Russia’s
Best-Kept Secret and Zapotec Poetry: TWO LINES People in the News”
Fernández de Miranda, M. T.
(1995). El protozapoteco: Edición a cargo de Michael J. Piper
y Doris A. Bartholomew. Mexico:
El Colegio de Mexico, Instituto Nacional de
Antropologia e Historia.
Gosling, M. (Producer) (2007). Blossoms
of fire [Web]. Retrieved from
This is a 3:42 trailer of a documentary about the
matriarchal society of Juchitán,
Oaxaca,
México. I highly recommend viewing this
short video. It provides an
insightful glimpse into the culture, history, and lives of
the people, including their
unique view about gender.
Griffiths, C. (2008). Editor's overview. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons
from Good Language
Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kanno, Y., & Norton, B. (2003). Imagined communities and educaritional possibilities: Introduction. Journal of Language Identity, and Education, 2(4), 241-249. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15327701JLIE0204_1
Leaver, B. L., Ehrman, M., & Shekhtman, B. (2005). Achieving
success in second language
acquisition. (pp. 3-37). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
López Chiñas, G. (1982). El zapoteco y la literatura
zapoteca del
istmo de tehuantepec.
Colonia Tlatilco,
Mexico: Gabriel
López Chiñas.
Munro, P. (2003). Preserving the language of the Valley
Zapotecs: The orthography
ut/_files/pdf/resources/munro.pdf
The paper introduces the Zapotec people and their
language. The main idea, though, is to
examine the issue of orthography design and preserving the Valley Zapotec
language, which does not have a standard writing system. Without a written form, a language is more at
risk of endangerment or extinction.
Aspects of its speakers’ culture, heritage, and history are also at risk
of being lost. Furthermore, the lack of
a writing system can minimize its speakers’ position within a society, limiting
their opportunities for civic engagement, and diminish their political
identity. The name “Zapotec” is the name
of a language family in which Valley Zapotec, according to Munro, is one of
over fifty mutually unintelligible varieties.
All Zapotec languages are Verb-Subject-Object languages. Many, such as Valley Zapotec, have a complex
phonology, especially concerning vowels.
Munro notes, however, that Isthmus Zapotec has a simpler phonology, thus
has had an easier time settling on an agreeable orthography.
Munro focuses her attention on the people of the Tlacolula
Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico.
These very poor people struggle to support themselves
through farming, and commercial and small industrial work. Many immigrate to the United States, finding work at carwashes and
restaurants, especially in the West Side communities of Los Angeles.
Fewer and fewer parents are passing their indigenous language on to
their children because it will not help them in school or to later find
work. They prefer their children to
speak Spanish and English to increase their opportunities in life. In Mexico, one’s ethnicity is closely
tied to one’s language and culture.
Indigenous people who do not speak their indigenous language and cut
their relations with their home village are no longer considered indigenous,
and are re-classified as mestizo.
Nel, C. (2008). Learning style and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from good language learners (pp. 49-60). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pickett, V., & Black, C. (2001). Gramática popular del zapoteco del
istmo. (2nd ed.).
Tucson, Arizona: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano
A.C. Retrieved from
http://www-
01.sil.org/mexico/zapoteca/istmo/G023b-GramaticaZapIstmo-zai.pdf
This is a complete online resource book for Isthmus Zapotec
grammar. It is written
in Spanish.
Post, C. W. (2012, January 25). [Web log message]. Retrieved
from
“Endangered Language & Poetry in Mexico”
Shook, D. (2009, January 01). Introduction to Isthmus
Zapotec. Poetry
Translation Center,
Shook, D. (Performer), & Teran, V. (Performer) (2010,
July 06). Victor teran podcast.
Poetry
Translation Center.
[Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
I use this resource to listen to Terán’s poetry in IZ and
English. I can conveniently stop, start,
go back or forward at any point of this Podcast. The titles of the ten poems (in English) in
the order read are The North Wind Whips, Six Variations on Love, Whirlwind,
Just Yesterday, From the Palm of My Hand, Your Memory, You Will Not Manage to
Hurt Me, I Know Your Body, I Woke with Your Name, and Your Name.
Sullivan, C. (2011, December 22). The state of zapotec
poetry: Can poetry save an
endangered culture?. World Literature Today, 86(1),
Retrieved from
http://www.ou.edu/wlt/01_2012/essay-sullivan.html
Ishmus Zapotec, like many indigenous languages, is
threatened by governmental entities and the influences of a rapidly changing
world. Zapotec poets have been
influential in restoring indigenous pride, acquiring political power, and preserving
the culture and traditions of the Isthmus Zapotecs or Binnizá “People of
the Cloud” amidst globalization and development. Poets, such as Víctor Terán, Natalia Toledo,
Irma Pineda, and Enedino Jiménez preserve the indigenous way of life in their poems
with their themes and imagery. Terán’s
poetry portrays the beauty of the natural world, which is threatened by
development, and the sanctity of everyday life.
Toledo
writes about the traditional arts that she grew up with, such as weaving and
cooking. In her poems, Pineda protests
the contamination and destruction to the natural world that sustains her
people. And, Jiménez cherishes the
language with his poetic praises.
Zapotec poetry has the power to capture its readers’ attention with its
melodic verses, remind its people who they are, and “call them to take
responsibility for the future of their language and culture.”
Isthmus Zapotec poetry is characterized by its mesmerizing,
melodic sound, which is created through its syllabic quantity (or repetition)
and duration (varied by long and short vowels), stressed segments, and tonal
pitch. This tonal language has three
pitches that move from a low to a high tone.
In spoken IZ and in its poetry, “the stress does not necessarily
correspond to a high or ascendant tone, nor does it always take place on a long
syllable.” “Stress falls where tone
changes,” which can vary, thus resulting in a variety of rhythmic sounds.
Terán, V. (1994). Como
un sol nuevo. Colonia de Valle, México: Editorial Diana.
Toledo
Paz, N. (2002). Ca gunaa gubidxa, ca gunaa guiiba' risaca = Mujeres de sol,
mujeres de oro. Oaxaca: La Raíz de la Palabra.
Urcid, J. (2005). Zapotec writing: Knowledge, power, and
memory in ancient oaxaca.
Zapotecan family. (2013). Retrieved from
Zapotec languages. (2013, April 04). Retrieved from
Zapotec poetry: Bilingual recordings. (2012, January 03). World
Literature Today, 86(1),
You can listen to a sample of IZ poetry in Spanish and IZ by
three notable poets: Irma Pineda, Natalia Toledo, and Víctor Terán.
