Pame language
| Pame | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Mexico |
| Region | San Luis Potosí, Puebla |
| Ethnicity | Pame people |
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Native speakers
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11,000 (2010 census) |
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Oto-Manguean
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| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Variously: pbs – Central Pame pmq – Northern Pame pmz – Southern Pame |
| Glottolog | pame1260 |
The Pame language, number 1 (azure), north.
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The Pame languages is an indigenous language of Mexico spoken by around 10,000 Pame people in the state of San Luis Potosí. The Pame language belongs to the Oto-Pamean branch of the Oto-manguean language family.
The Ethnologue counts two living varieties of Pame both spoken in the state of San Luis Potosí: Central Pame spoken in the town of Santa María Acapulco, and Northern Pame spoken in communities from the north of Río Verde to the border with Tamaulipas.
The third variety, Southern Pame, was last described in the mid 20th century, is assumed to be extinct , and is very sparsely documented. It was spoken in Jiliapan, Hidalgo and Pacula, Querétaro.
The Pame languages are part of the Oto-Pamean branch of the Oto-Manguean language family. They are most closely related to the Chichimeca Jonaz language spoken in Guanajuato together with which they form the Pamean language groups. In the colonial period two grammatical descriptions were written.
Berthiaume (2004) reports a complex phonology for Northern Pame with contrasts between plain, voiced, aspirated, and glottalized consonants both for the stops, nasals, affricates and approximants.
Pame languages are tonal but the exact number of tonal contrasts is a matter of debate. Avelino, Gibson and Manrique have analyzed the language as having three tones: high and low level tones and a falling contour tone (Suárez 1983, pg. 51). But Berthiaume (2004) argues that there are only a high and a rising tone - with no low level tone.
Pame grammar is characterized by complex morphophonemics and suppletion - many grammatical categories are marked by exchanging consonants in patterns that are not fully predictable. The morphology is headmarking, marking agreement with possessors on nouns, and marking agreement with the participants in actions on the verbs. Its personal system distinguishes between singular, dual and plural number in all person categories, and also has an exclusive plural first person category (i.e. "us but not you").
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