THOMAS] INDIAN LANGUAGES OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 55 
guage is divided into two principal dialects, Mazateco and Izcateco, 
but makes no reference to the respective localities in which they are 
spoken, nor is anything stated with respect to subtribes. 
CUICATECO 
The people speaking this language are located by Orozco y Berra 
in the department of Teotitlan; Professor Starr says in what is now 
the district of Cuicatlan. Their area is marked by the former and 
also on our map on the northeastern border of the Mixtec territory 
and immediately south of the Mazatec. 
The language belongs to the Zapotecan family; it does not appear, 
however, to have heen carefully studied. 
CHINANTEC 
According to Doctor Berendt (Brinton, 3: 144) the Chinantec 
language does not appear to be related to any of the surrounding 
tongues. He suggests as probable that there is to be found in it one 
of the original languages spoken before the advent of the Nahua, 
possibly the mythical Olmec. 
The people speaking this language inhabited Chinantla in the state 
of Oaxaca, on the western border of Vera Cruz, and along the north- 
ern boundary of the Zapotec territory. Orozco y Berra expressed 
the same opinion in regard to the language as that subsequently 
given by Berendt, above mentioned. ence rel was inclined to place 
it in the TSA family, and this is the opinion of Belmar; but 
with our present imperfect knowledge of the language it is best to 
make it the type of a distinct stock or family. 
ZAPOTEC 
The Zapotec group held a large area east of the Mixtec territory, 
including what is known as the Valley of Oaxaca. What Professor 
Starr means by saying “east and west of the old Mixtec territory” 
(45) is not clear. Clavigero (1, 6).says, “‘to the east of the Mixtecas 
were the Zapotecas.”’ ‘‘The Zapotecas,” says Williams (226), ‘‘con- 
stitute the greater part of the population of the southern division of 
the Isthmus [of Tehuantepec].’”’ According to Shufeldt (125, 
133-134) the Zapotec tribe inhabits the Pacific plains and the ele- 
vated table-lands from Tarifa to Petapa. The area given by Orozco 
y Berra on his map may be accepted, therefore, as correct. 
As the Zapotec language is well known and is taken as the basis of 
comparison, it is necessary only to name the dialects which are men- 
tioned by different writers. These are: 
Zapotec Netzecho, which, according to | Zapotec Ocotlan 
Villa-Sefior y Sanchez (1, 191-198), | Zapotec Etla 
appears to have been the principal one | Zapotec Iztepec 
Zapotec Zaachilla Zapotec Cajone 
