[ Kurly Tlapoyawa ]

Corn is one of the great contributions made by Mesoamerican civilizations to the world. Modified and manipulated by the hands of our indigenous ancestors, it remains a pivotal part of Chicano-Mexicano identity. Here are 68 different ways you can say “corn” in Indigenous Mexican languages!

Sunuko /Tarahumara (Chihuahua)

Os /Huave (Oaxaca)

Getta /Zapoteco (Oaxaca)

Golgoxac/ Chontal (Oaxaca)

Mojk /Zoque (Rayón Chiapas)

Cuxi’/ Totonaco (Jicotepec de Juárez Puebla)

‘inï /Triqui (Chicahuastla, Oaxaca)

Ixim/ Tseltal (Bachajon Chiapas)

Xob/ Zapoteco (Mitla Oaxaca)

Xoa’/ Zapoteco (Zoogocho, Oaxaca.)

Batchi/ Mayo /(Sonora)

Nnan/ Amuzgo (San Pedro Amuzgos Oax,)

CuΟi/ Chinanteco (San Pedro Tlaltepuzco Oaxaca)

Ixim/ Yokot’an / Chontal (Chontal, Tabasco)

Ixim/ Tojolabal (Chiapas)

Ixim/ Tsotsil (Chiapas)

Ixim /Ch’ol (Tumbalá, Chiapas)

Úzih/ Chichimeco Jonaz (Misión de Chichimecas, Gto.)

Tlayóhjli’/ Nahuatl (Xalitla, Gro.)

Xuba’/ Zapoteco (del Itsmo)

Nahmé/ Mazateco (El Mirador, Oaxaca)

Kuxe’/ Totonaco (Olintla, Puebla)

Dethä/ Otomí (Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo)

Tsiri/ Xanini /P’urhepech (Michoacán)

Núni/ Mixteco (Pinotepa Nacional Oaxaca)

Mooc/ Mixe (Coatlán Oaxaca)

Moc/ Zoque (Fco. León, Oaxaca)

Ninu/ Cuicateco (Cuicatlán, Oaxaca)

Mojc/ Popoluca (Oluta, Puebla)

No: wa / Popoluca (San Juan Atzingo Pue.)

Moc/ Popoluca (Sierra de Veracruz)

Tlaoli/ Nahuatl (Norte de Puebla)

Hapxöl/ Seri (Sonora)

Ixi’im/ Maya (Yucateco)

Nskwa’/Chatino (zona Alta, Oax.)

Yujme/ Mazateco (Chiquihuitlán Oax.)

Duuk- húun/ Pima (Chihuahua bajo)

Ikú/Huichol (Nayarit)

Iŝi /Tlapaneca (Guerrero)

Nahme/ Ixcateco(Sta. Maria Ixcatlán, Oax)

Iziz/ Husteca (San Luis Potosí)

Thuhui/ Tlahuica (Estado de México)

Chjöö/ Mazahua (Estado de México)

Nluá/ Pam  (Santa Catarina, S. L. P)

‘ixim/ Lacandón(Chiapas)

Kux/kuxi  /Tepehua (Norte de Veracruz)

Yuuri/ Cora (Nayarit)

Ixim/ Kiché (Chiapas y Guatemala)

Ta’tjuwi/ Matlatzinca (Edo. de Méx.)

Ta yiit/ Kiliwa (Baja California)

Bachi/ Yaqui(Sonora)

Suunú /Guarijio (Chihuahua)

Nùà /Popoloca (Los Reyes Metzontla, Puebla)

Noa/ Popoloca (San Juan Atzingo, Puebla)

Nuwa’/ Popoloca (San Vicente Coyotepec, Puebla)

Jun /Tepehuano del Norte (Chihuahua)

Cuxi’ /Totonaco (Jicotepec de Juárez, Puebla)

Cux’I /Totonaco (Papantla, Veracruz)

*Fuente

Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas, 2007. Consulta

Interested in Indigenous Mexican languages? Check out my book “Totacho: Our Way Of Talking” available on Amazon.com. In it, I detail the major influence that the Nawatl language has had on the “Spanish” spoken by Chicanos and Chicanas in the Southwest.

Kurly Tlapoyawa is an archaeologist, author, and ethnohistorian. His research focuses primarily on the interaction between Mesoamerica, Western Mexico, and the American Southwest. Kurly has lectured at UNLV, University of Houston, and Yale University on topics related to Mesoamerica. His recent book, “Our Slippery Earth: Nawa Philosophy in the Modern Age” was published in 2017. In addition to his work in Archaeology and Ethnohistory, Kurly is a professional stuntman with over 35 credits to his name. Kurly lives in New Mexico.

Follow Kurly on twitter @KurlyTlapoyawa

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