Oto-Manguean
/ˌoʊ.toʊ mæŋˈɡiː.ən/noun
Relating to a major Indigenous language family of Mesoamerica, including languages such as Otomi, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Chatino.
Did you know?Oto-Manguean languages are notable for including several tonal languages, in which pitch can change a word’s meaning, and some have extraordinarily complex sound systems.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
Oto-Manguean
“A scholarly label combining Otomi with Mangue to designate a proposed Mesoamerican language family.”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
otomí
“The Spanish form of the name for the Otomi people and their language, borrowed from Nahuatl.”
16th Century
Nahuatl
ōtōmitl
“A Nahuatl term referring to the Otomi people; its deeper etymology is uncertain.”
16th Century
Spanish
mangue
“A Spanish name for an Indigenous people and language of Nicaragua and neighboring parts of Central America.”
Modern English
English
Oto-Manguean
“The established name for the language family, also written Otomanguean or Oto-Mangue.”