# Oto-Pamean languages

The Oto-Pamean languages are a branch of the Oto-Manguean languages that includes languages of the Otomi-Mazahua, Matlatzinca, and Pamean language groups all of which are spoken in central Mexico. Like all Oto-Manguean languages, the Oto-Pamean languages are tonal languages, though most have relatively simple tone systems. Unlike many Oto-Manguean languages that tend towards an isolating typology, they are morphologically complex headmarking languages with complex systems of conjugational classes both for verbs and nouns, and in the Pamean languages there are highly complex patterns of suppletion.

## Classification

* Otomian
** Otomi
*** Northwestern Otomi
*** Tilapa Otomi
*** Sierra Otomi
*** Central Mexican Otomi
*** Toluca Otomi
*** Tlaxcala Otomi
** Mazahua
*** 12 different varieties
* Matlatzincan
** Ocuilteco/Tlawika
** Matlatzinca de Oxtotilpan
* Pame
** Northern Pame
** Central Pame
** Southern Pame †
* Chichimeco Jonaz

## Proto-language

Four vowels with nasalization contrast are reconstructed for Proto-Oto-Pamean by Bartholomew (1989):
* *a, *e, *i, *o
* *ã, *ẽ, *ĩ, *õ
Lexical reconstructions of Proto-Oto-Pamean by Bartholomew (1989) are given below, along with synchronic Oto-Pamean languages:
| English gloss | Proto-Oto-Pamean | Otomi | Matlazinca | North Pame | Mazahua | Ocuilteco | Chichimeco |
| chile | *ʔi | ʔi | mi | ʔei | ʔiʔi | mi | ʔe |
| blood | *kʰi | kʰi | či-hyabi | kkʰi | kʰiʔi | nči-hya | kʰe |
| squirrel | *mi-nã | minã | mini | meigŋ | | mi | |
| tell | *si-p | šipʰi | ši | sep | šipʰi | | se |
| pull | *kiʔHC-mʔ | kʰɨʔmi | kɨɨza | kkeʔedn | kʰɨbʔɨ | nkɨbi | keʔenʔ |
| chin | *kʰiHC-nʔ | kʰɨni | nčɨri | kʰwelʔ | kʔɨdʔɨ | nčɨli | |
| beans | *kʰiHC-ʔ | kʰɨ | čʰɨ | nkʰweʔ | kʰɨʔɨ | čʰɨ | kʰeʔ |
| louse | *tʔo | tʔoni | tʔo | lʔo | tʔoʔo | tʔo | rʔo |
| house | *tʔo-s | tʔoši 'bed' | tʔoši 'supper' | lʔos | tʔošɨ 'bed' | | rʔos |
| stone | *=to | do | nto | to | ndo | nto | ro |
| flower | *=toHC-n | dəni | təni | togŋ | ndəhnə | ndə | ro |
| hen | *ʔoHC-n | ʔəni | ʔəni | ʔogŋ | ʔənə | ʔə | |
| hear | *ʔoHC-t | ʔəde | ʔəti | ʔoʔ | ʔərə | ʔəti | ʔo |
| water | *=teh | dege | tawi | tæ | ndehe | nta | ri |
| to weave | *pe | pe | pa | ppæ | peʔe | mpa | pi |
| mouth | *ne | ne | na | næ | neʔe | ši-na 'lips' | ni |
| people | *te | te | ta | læ | teʔe | tạ | |
| spider | *me-s | meše | maši | mæs | meše | maši | |
| to cough | *hyeh | hehe | hyewi 'a cold' | hhæ | hehe | he | |
| a cold | *t-heh | tʰehe | hyewi | ri-tʰyæʔæ | tʰe | | |
| one | *nʔa | ʔna | dawi | nda | daha | la | ntʔa |
| plain | *mʔa-tʰa | ʔmatʰa | bati | nibia | bʔatʰɨ | bati | |
| horse | *pah-nʔ | pʰani | pari | wahalʔ | pʰadʔɨ | bali | |
| straw mat | *pĩh-ʔ | ši-mpʰĩ | mpʰiwi | ppẽhiʔ | pʰi-ngwa | pʰi | |
| drunken | *tĩ, *nĩ | ntĩ | nimi | | tĩʔi | ni | |
| to look | *nõ | nũ | nu | nnõʔo | nũʔu | nu 'wake up' | nũʔu |
| to tie up | *tõ-tʔ/cʔ | tũtʔi | tuncʔi 'know' | ttocʔ 'knot' | tũntʔɨ | tuncʔi | tucʔ 'knot' |
| to die | *tũ | tũ | tuwi | ttõ | tũʔu | tu | rũ |
| owner | *mʰõ | ʰmũ | mʰu | mʰõʔ | ʰmũʔu | mʰu | mʰũ |
| to steal | *pẽ | pæ̃ | pewi | ppæ̃ | pẽ | pe | ppĩ |
| tortilla | *mʰẽ | ʰmæ̃ | mʰewi | mʰæ̃ | | mʰe | |
| tamale | *tʰẽ-t | tʰæ̃di | tʰeti | lʰæ̃ʔæ | tʰẽʒẽ | tʰenti | rʔĩhi |
| atole | *tʔẽ-m | tʔæ̃i | tʔemi | lʔæ̃ŋ | tʔẽʰme | tʔe | rʔĩ |
| to roast | *hã-s | hãši | həši | hãs | hãša | həši | hüs |
| to say | *mã-m | mã | məmi | mmãŋ | mãmã | mə | mã |
| to know | *pã-t | pãdi | pəya | ppã 'visit' | pãra | mpəya | pã 'see' |
| to buy | *tao-m | tɔi | tami | ttaogŋ | tɔmɨ | ta | ta |
| mucus | *mʔao-s | ʔmɔši | maši 'nose' | mbaos | bʔɔšɨ | maši 'nose' | |
| to ask | *ʔao-nʔ | ʔɔni | ʔari | ʔahodnʔ | ʔɔnɨ | ʔali | ʔan |
| to try | *cao | cɔ | copi | cʔaoʔ | sɔʔɔ | co | |
| avocado | *cʔao-n | cʔɔni | cʔoni | cʔaogŋ | sʔɔhnɨ | cʔo | |
| to stand up | *mʔao-mʔ | ʔmɔi | | | bʔɔbʔɨ | nbohobi | |
| white | *tʔoa-s | tʔaši | tʔoši | ddoa | tʔɔšɨ | | nuʔu |
| plow | *tʔoa-p | tʔabi | tʔopi | | tʔɔbi | tʔopi | rʔu |
| bat | *coa-cʔ | cacʔi | cocʔi | čoacʔ | | cocʔi | |
| foot | *koa | gwa | kwahtu | koa | ngwaʔa | | gu |
| wing | *hoa | hwa | nʰowi | hoa | hwaʔa | nʰo | |
| maguey | *nʔoa | ʔwada | | ddoa | ʔwadɨ | nlooti | nʔu |
| bitter | *kʰão | kʰũ | čʰə | kʰão | kʰõʔo | čʰə | kʰã |
| to sing | *tãoh | tũhu | təwi | ndão | tõho | tə | |
| moon | *mʔão-ʔ | | mbə | mʔãoʔ | | bə | mʔãʔ |
| night | *são-m | šũi | šəmi | são | šõmɨ | lšũ | sã |
| shadow | *são-t/mʔ | šũdi | šubi | sãot | šõrɨ | čʰubi | |
| corn | *tʰõa | tʰã | tʰuwi | lʰõa | tʰõʔo | tʰu | |
| cornfield | *nhõa-ʰm | hwãhi | nomi | nʰõa | hwãʰma | nu | nʰũ |
| to confess | *kõah- | kʰwãni | kunya | kkõaho | kʰwãmʔa | | |
| to beat | *paih-ʔmʔ | pʰæʔmi | papi | ppahiʔ | pʰæʔbʔi | | pe |
| to abandon | *hai-k/mʔ | hægi | habi | haigŋ | hæzi | habi | he |
| abandoned | *hi-ai-k | hyægi | heči | nʰiagŋ | hyæzi | heči | hi |
| hand | *nʔi-ai | ʔyæ | ye | nʔia | dyʔæʔæ | ye | nʔi |
| liver | *nia | ya | ya 'heart' | nia | | ya 'heart' | |
| to dance | *nãih-mʔ | nẽi | nəbi | nnãhiʔ | nẽmʔe | nəhəbi | nẽheʔ |
| to nurse | *coi | cɨ | čuʔu | ciʔ | siʔi | ci | čüʔ |
| to ride horseback | *teog | təge | | llæogŋ | čəgə | nde | |
| to burn | *ceo | nze | ceti | | zərə | | |
| meat | *nkoeHC | ngə | | ŋgwæʔ | nge | | gu |
| star | *coeHC | cə | nceʔe | | sehe | ce | |
| cold | *coe | cæ | ce | cæ | sæʔæ | ce | či |
| to split wood | *coe-nʔ | cæni | seri | ccæʔædn | | celi | čin |
| fly | *ʔõi | ʔwæ̃ | ʔu | ʔẽi | ʔwæ | ngwi | ʔẽ |
| hunger | *tʰõi | tʰũhu | | lʰõi | tʰĩʰmi | tʰu | |
| squash | *mõih-ʔ | mũ | muhu | mõhiʔ | mũʔu | muʰli | mũhuʔ |
| sand | *mĩo-m | -mũ | mumi | mmẽoŋ | | mu | |
| full | *nĩo-t | yũdi | nuti | næ̃ | ñiʒi | nuti | |
| three | *nʰĩo | hyũ | hyu | nʰõʔ | ʰñĩʔi | hyu | nʰũ |