otomanguean languages

English - English

Definition of otomanguean languages in English English dictionary

Diverse family of more than 20 American Indian languages and language clusters concentrated in central and southern Mexico, with more than a million speakers. Several of the language clusters, such as Otomí (dispersed through eastern central Mexico), Chinantecan, Mixtecan, and Zapotecan (all spoken in the state of Oaxaca), are highly differentiated and may be considered language families in themselves. Otomanguean languages differ in many ways from other American Indian languages, for example, in the extensive use of tone