# Zoogocho Zapotec

Zoogocho Zapotec, or Diža'xon, is a Zapotec language of Oaxaca, Mexico.
It is spoken in San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca, Santa María Yalina, Tabehua, and Oaxaca City.
As of 2013, about 1,500 "Zoogochenses" live in Los Angeles, California. Classes are held in the MacArthur Park neighborhood to preserve the Zoogocho Zapotec language.
The language is also known as Tabehua, Yalina, Zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, and Zoogocho.

## Phonology
### Vowels

| | Front | Back |
| Close | i | (u) |
| Mid | e | o |
| Open | a | a |
There are a total of five vowels in San Bartolomé Zoogocho Zapotec. The vowel /u/ only appears in loanwords. Phonation types include: VV, VhV, V'. VV stands for double vowels that are pronounced with creaky voice, vowels with an /h/ between them are pronounced with breathy voice and vowels such as V' are checked vowels.

### Tones

Tones include high, mid, low, rising and falling. Lower tonal qualities are seen more commonly in breathy tones, while checked vowels have a higher tone quality. Although it's common for breathy to have a lower tones and checked vowels commonly have higher tones, this is considered a distinct phenomenon and tone can't be predicted based on phonation types.
Example: yáhà 'weapon’

### Stress

In Zoogocho Zapotec, stress is most commonly found on the penultimate syllable of a stem. In words consisting of two roots, the stress (accent) will fall on the second root.
Example: niihe 'nixtamal'; yeten 'the tortilla'

### Syllable Structure

Syllables are created according to the pattern (C)CV(V)(C)(C). Vowels in a syllable may carry any phonation type.

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Retroflex | Velar | Labio- velar | Uvular | Glottal |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | | | k | kʷ | | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | | | ɡ | | | |
| Affricate | voiceless | | | tʃ | | | | | |
| Affricate | voiced | | | dʒ | | | | | |
| Fricative | voiceless | | s | ʃ | ʂ | | | | |
| Fricative | voiced | | z | ʒ | ʐ | | | ʁ | |
| Nasal | voiced | m | n | | | | | | |
| Nasal | voiceless | | n̥ | | | | | | |
| Rhotic | Rhotic | | (ɾ) | | | | | | |
| Lateral | voiced | | l | | | | | | |
| Lateral | voiceless | | l̥ | | | | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | | j | | | w | | |
A few sounds also occur in loanwords from Spanish: /f/, /ɾ/, /ɲ/, /x/, /r/, /ɲ/, and /x/.

## Morphology
### Nominal Morphology

Nominal means to be categorized in a group of nouns and adjectives, the morphology occurs in a noun phrase.
x-migw=a'
POSS-friend=1SG
x-migw=a'
POSS-friend=1SG
'my friend'
x-kuzh
POSS-pig
lalo
lalo
x-kuzh lalo
POSS-pig lalo
'Lalo’s pig'
x-dao=be'
POSS-corn.tassel=3SG.INF
x-dao=be'
POSS-corn.tassel=3SG.INF
'his corn tassel'

#### Possession

Possession is indicated by placing the possessor or possessive pronoun after the item possessed (Inherent possession is the items being possessed) which is marked prenominally with prefix x-, the possessed nominal then is developed by a pronominal clitic or noun phrase.

#### Pronominal Clitic

Or noun phrase is pronounced like an affix. Clitics play a syntactic role at the phrase level.

### Verbal Morphology

No tense in this language. Zoogocho Zapotec relies on 'temporal particles' za, ba, na, gxe, or neghe.

#### Primary Aspect

Events that are still occurring, occurred, or will occur over a period of time. The continuative aspect of the examples is dx-.
dx-e-ban-e'
CONT-FREQ-wake=3F
yogo
every
zhaha
day
dx-e-ban-e' yogo zhaha
CONT-FREQ-wake=3F every day
'She wakes up every day.'
bi
what
dx-aog
CONT-eat
zxoana
Juan
bi dx-aog zxoana
what CONT-eat Juan
'What is Juan eating?'
The completive aspect is usually marked as b-, gw-, gud-, or g-. This aspect reflects the completion of the event occurred.
b-e-ban=e'
COMP-FREQ-wake=3F
b-e-ban=e'
COMP-FREQ-wake=3F
'She used to wake up.'
ga
where
gud-ao=be'
COMP-eat=3SG.INF
yet
tortilla
ga gud-ao=be' yet
where COMP-eat=3SG.INF tortilla
'Where did he eat the tortilla?'
The potential aspect refers to an event that has not yet happened or an event that has not been specified. This aspect is marked by gu- or gw-.
gw-e-ban=e'
POT-FREQ-wake=3F
gw-e-ban=e'
POT-FREQ-wake=3F
'She will wake up.'
dx-bez=a’
CONT-hope=1SG
w-aow
POT-eat
bidao
child
yeth
tortilla
dx-bez=a’ w-aow bidao yeth
CONT-hope=1SG POT-eat child tortilla
'I hope the kid eats the tortilla.'
bate'
when
y-egh=o'
POT-drink=2S
nis
water
bate' y-egh=o' nis
when POT-drink=2S water
'When are you going to drink water?'
The stative aspect is referred to as the prefix n- or by nothing at all. This aspect has multiple uses, such as, expressing the states and conditions and habitual meaning.
m-ban=a'
STAT-live=1SG
m-ban=a'
STAT-live=1SG
'I am alive.'
kuzh
pig
la
FOC
n-dxe=be'
STAT-carry=3SG.INF
ke?
no
kuzh la n-dxe=be' ke?
pig FOC STAT-carry=3SG.INF no
'He’s carrying a pig, right?'
nake
how
gud-itgh=le
COMP-play=2PL
kate
when
n-ak=le
STAT-be=2PL
bidao=na'
child=DET
nake gud-itgh=le kate n-ak=le bidao=na'
how COMP-play=2PL when STAT-be=2PL child=DET
'How did you all use to play when you were children?'
Maria
Maria
n-ak-dx=e'
HAB-be-more=3F
benhe
person
zxen
large
ka
than
xoan
Juan
Maria n-ak-dx=e' benhe zxen ka xoan
Maria HAB-be-more=3F person large than Juan
'Maria is larger than Juan.'
Table 4.1 Conjugation in gw- :
| | Conjugation in gw- |
| Potential | gw- |
| Completive | b- |
| Continuative | dx- |
| Stative | n- |

## Orthography
### Dillawalhall Zapotec Alphabet

a, b, ch, chh, d, e, f, g, i, j, k, l, ll, lh, m, n, nh, o, p, r, rh, s, sh, t, u, w, x, xh, y, z.

### Vowels

Vowels are as follows.
| Letter(s) | Example |
| A/a, E/e, I/i, O/o | ba "grave", de "ash", bi "No, negation", do "rope" |
| A'/a', E'/e', I'/i', O'/o' | la' "Oaxaca", ye' "skin disease", li' "sting", yo' "home" |
| A'A, a'a, E'E, e'e, I'I, i'i O'O/u'u | za'a "corn", ze'e "wall", zi'i "it is heavy", yo'o "let’s go" |

### Consonants

Consonants are as follows.
| Letter(s) | Examples |
| B/b | beb "ash", bid "bug" |
| CH/ch | chop "two", bach "already" |
| CHH/chh | chhak "something being done", nhachh "then", chho' "tos" |
| D/d | da "see", de "ash", déd "away", dé "there" |
| F/f | yej fre "Brugmansia arborea" |
| G/g | ga "nine", bgab "ladder", go "sweet patato", nhaga' "my ear" |
| J/j | jed "hen", bej "well", jia "rooster", yetj "cane" |
| K/j | ka' "so", beko' "dog", ki "so", nhake' "is", nhaka' "am" |
| L/l | lao "aguave stalk flower", bel "snake", bél "fish", lí "certain" |
| LL/ll | lli' "down, south", lla "day", bell "tiger", yill "scar" |
| LH/lh | lhao (rhao) "your number", lhillo' (rhillo') "your house", lhe' (rhe') "you", zilh (zirh) "in the morning" |
| M/m (rare) | mechho "money", llome (llom) "basket", dam "owl" |
| N/n | na' "today, now", ne' "ten", bene' "person" |
| NH/nh | nhi "here", nhile "nixtamal", nha' "there", nholhe "mother", bnha' "I washed", benhi' "clarity" |
| P/p (rare) | padioxh "greeting", tap "four", pita' "rainbow" |
| R/r (In loanwords, rare) | eob "at", ros "pink, rice", rós "pink" |
| RH/rh (rare) | rhiz "little", rhito "daisy" |
| S/s | sib "high (wall, house, tree)", sa'o "piece of glass", bes "irrigation", bsa' "scrape/set in motion", nhis "water" |
| SH/sh | shi "10", sha' "casserole", shod (shud) "buzzard", gash "Amarillo", bsha' "changes" |
| T/t | tap "four", to "one", bat "when", btao "corn" |
| W/w | wí "orange", wag "firewood", wekoell "musician", weya' "dance", tawa' "my grandmother", wenllin "worker" |
| X/x | Xjollo' "Zoogocho", xao "your father", xop "six", bex "tomato", bxin "vulture", bxide' "scourer" |
| XH/xh | chiko' "your dog", xhis "barañas", bxhidw "kiss", xhiga' "jicara", xop "six" |
| Y/y | ya "iron", yag "tree", beye' "ice", laya' "my tooth", yade "Yaté" |
| Z/z | za "bean", beza' "vixen", nhez "path", bzinha' "mouse" |

## Syntax
### Sentence Structure

Zoogocho Zapotec normally uses the Verb–Subject–Object sentence structure. It is also possible to form Object–Verb–Subject or Subject–Verb–Object sentences.
Sentence Structure :
| Verb Subject Object (VSO) | Object Verb Subject (OVS) | Subject Verb Object (SVO) |
| dx-aogoCONT-eatbe'ko'dogyettortilladx-aogo be'ko' yetCONT-eat dog tortilla'The dog is eating tortillas.' | yettortilladx-aogoCONT-eatbe'ko'dogyet dx-aogo be'ko'tortilla CONT-eat dog'Tortillas, the dog is eating.' | be'ko'=n'dog=DETdx-aogoCONT-eatyettortillabe'ko'=n' dx-aogo yetdog=DET CONT-eat tortilla'It’s the dog that’s eating tortillas.' |

#### Noun Phrases

Adjective-Noun Order: The ordering of adjectives and nouns.
When asked to cite adjectives in isolation, native speakers will invariably put da, the inanimate classifier, in front of the adjective.
Da is used as an inanimate classifier, bi is a classifier for small things and be is an animate classifier. These three classifiers can be used in sentences when agreeing with the head noun.

#### Plural Markers

Ka can be used to mark a plural noun. Plural markers are not always present in plural noun phrases, and plurality can also be inferred from context or from verbal marking.

#### Demonstratives

Demonstratives follow their nouns, and either appear by themselves or with a classifier.

#### Determiners

The determiner is a clitic which has three main variants; en', which occurs following a non-nasal consonant, na' which occurs after noun phrases ending in /n/ or /n̥/, and n or na' which occur in free variation after vowels. Determiners occur at the end of a noun phrase.