Otopame sociolinguistic diversity in Veracruz

Abstract

This article aims to analyze Otopame sociolinguistic diversity in Veracruz, mainly the use of Otomi in the municipality of Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz. This presents interesting sociolinguistic phenomena such as multilingualism, in which minority languages such as Otomi, Nahuatl, Tepehua, and Totonac coexist with each other and with the majority language of Spanish. For the analysis of sociolinguistic diversity, it is important to consider the vital state in which these languages are found or their disappearance. The economic power, social status, population density of speakers, and symbolic value assigned to the languages is therefore of vital importance in diagnosing the sociolinguistic situation of the Otomi in Veracruz, through detailed and complete information. This article is part of the research project “Linguistic ideologies: national languages and Spanish and their relationship with politics and identity,” by the Faculty of Anthropology at the Universidad Veracruzana.