Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6621 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German
| Message 1 of 8 29 April 2006 at 6:14pm | IP Logged |
May I start working on the Nahuatl profile for this forum? As a Mexican, I can say that Nahuatl is -after Spanish- the most widely spoken language in Mexico and it's also spoken -as I told you before- in other Central American countries.
My English isn't that perfect, but I could get someone to help me to correct my texts. I'd be happy to contribute to enrich this site. I want to share my experience as a Nahuatl learner with whoever wants to know/learn more about this interesting language.
Many philosophical, scientific, technical or modern terms are easily translated into Nahuatl because, in contrast with other native languages, it has many resources to express abstract concepts.
Edited by Alfonso on 06 May 2006 at 9:20pm
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hokusai77 Triglot Senior Member Italy Joined 6912 days ago 212 posts - 217 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Italian*, FrenchB1, EnglishC1 Studies: GermanB1, Japanese
| Message 2 of 8 15 May 2006 at 7:39am | IP Logged |
What kind of language is it? Is it very widespread in Mexico?
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Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6621 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German
| Message 3 of 8 15 May 2006 at 6:09pm | IP Logged |
Nahuatl is the name of the most widely spoken native (or indian) language in Mexico.
It's spoken in about 13 States of Mexico, mainly in the southern rural zones in the small vilages. Even in Mexico City there are small groups where it has been spoken since the Aztec empire.
It is not only spoken in Mexico but in some other countries in Central America, like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. There are even small groups of immigrants in the United States who speak this language between them. It counts about 1 500 000 speakers in all.
In archaeological zones throughout Mexico the technical and historical explanations of each monument, ruin, pyramid, are given in three languages: Spanish (the national language), English (the most widely spoken international language) and the local native language.
If you make a tour in your holidays in Central Mexico, where the Aztec empire was established, you will have a perfect chance to practice written Nahuatl in this kind of texts. But if you prefer to practice your Nahuatl orally, then you can choose between the many small villages where Nahuatl is actually spoken.
The Nahuatl literature is very vast. We have, for example, the poetry written by Nezahualcoyotl (a Nahuatl poet from the XVI century). There are also texts (legends, speeches, historical chronicles, poems, scientific researches, as well as catechisms, prayer books and many others) written by Spanish and metisse missioners entirely in Nahuatl.
There are some films like: “La Otra Conquista”, “Zapata” and many others which are not entirely spoken in Nahuatl but in Spanish, but some dialogs in that language have been included in them.
There are some radio programs broadcasted in Nahuatl.
I could give you more information later, if you wish.
Edited by Alfonso on 15 May 2006 at 6:10pm
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Malcolm Triglot Retired Moderator Senior Member Korea, South Joined 7075 days ago 500 posts - 515 votes 5 sounds Speaks: English*, Spanish, Korean Studies: Mandarin, Japanese, Latin
| Message 4 of 8 15 May 2006 at 11:14pm | IP Logged |
I think we should first work on adding Nahuatl to the list of languages for members' profiles. It must be frustrating that you're putting so much effort into the language but can't add it to your profile.
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Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6621 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German
| Message 5 of 8 15 May 2006 at 11:17pm | IP Logged |
I agree.
I forgot to include in the other message that the Wikipedia is already in Nahuatl. I already posted the link somewhere in this forum. Here's again the link
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Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6621 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German
| Message 6 of 8 16 May 2006 at 2:29pm | IP Logged |
I have already posted some links about Nahuatl in other threads. Maybe it's good to post them here again: (some of them for the first time)
Mexica: Lecciones de Náhuatl
lecciones para un curso de nahuatl moderno
Nahuatl Info
Leeciones de Nahuatl
Nahuatl Bibliography
Curso Nahuatl
Puede Hablar Náhuatl
and more
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FuroraCeltica Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6625 days ago 1187 posts - 1427 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
| Message 7 of 8 05 April 2007 at 4:35pm | IP Logged |
Mexican catholics talk about an apparition of the Virgin Mary where she addressed a man in Nahuatl: Our Lady of Guadeloupe?
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Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6621 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German
| Message 8 of 8 02 May 2007 at 6:46pm | IP Logged |
FuroraCeltica:
Sorry for not answering you before, but I was so busy and didn't logged in here for several weeks.
Yes. There are many Catholics here -and even Christians of all denominations- that know well the story about the apparitions in which Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke to Juan Diego in Nahuatl his own native language. Even if the historicity of the story is still discused, it's used as a religious reason to revindicate or strengthen the importance of the native American languages.
Edited by Alfonso on 02 May 2007 at 6:49pm
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