The indigenous languages

Central otomi
The name Otomi, historically used by the Mexican population, designates an indigenous
group and also a set of indigenous languages closely related to each other. This name is the
Castilianized form of Otomi, which in Nahuatl means people of the Otomi nation or bird
shooters.
The Otomi linguistic group belongs to the large Oto-Mangue family. The languages closest to
the Otomi, or to put it another way, its sister languages are: Mazahua, Matlatzinca and
Tlahuica. The Otomi linguistic grouping brings together nine variants. Each variant has one or
more endonyms, that is, the name with which speakers recognize their variant.

1. Otomi of the Sierra: ñuju/ñoju/ yühu

2. Northwest Low Otomi:hñäñho
3. Western Otomi: ñathó
4. Otomi from the west of the Mezquital Valley: ñöhñö/ ñähñá
5. Otomi from the Mezquital Valley: hñähñú/ ñänhú (from the Mezquital Valley)/ ñandú/
ñóhnño (from the Mezquital Valley)/ñanhmu Otomi from Ixtenco: yühmu
6. Otomi from Ixtenco: yühmu
7. Otomi from Tilapa or from the south: ñü’hü
8. Northwestern Otomi:hñöñho/ñühú/ñanhú
1. Otomí of the center: hñähñu (of the center)/ ñöthó/ ñható/ hñothó/ ñóhnño (of the center)

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