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.Arellanes, F., Carranza, L., Peón, M. E. C., Fidencio, V., Guerrero, A., Knapp, M., & Romero, A. Hacia una tipología tonal de las lenguas otopames. RAÍCES, 1(2), 3. 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 JonazPalancar, Enrique L. 2016. Oto-PameanBartholomew, Doris. 1965. The Reconstruction of Oto-Pamean (Mexico). PhD Dissertation. Tulane University.Soustelle, J., 1937. La Famille Otomi-Pame du Mexique Central. Travaux et Mémoires de l̂Institut d̂Ethnologie. Paris: Université de Paris.
Proto-language
Four vowels with nasalization contrast are reconstructed for Proto-Oto-Pamean by Bartholomew (1989):Bartholomew, Doris A. 1989. The Proto Otopamean vowel system and the development of Matlatzinca. In Mary Ritchie Key and Henry M. Hoenigswald (eds.), General and Amerindian ethnolinguistics: in remembrance of Stanley Newman, 345–363. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. *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 Matlatzinca 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
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