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True Voice Lost - a Rare Spanish Language is Disappearing

A language which has survived the Spanish conquest, gone through revolutions, famines and floods is now on the verge of extinction.

There are only two speakers of Ayapaneco and they refuse to communicate with each other. Manuel Segovina, aged 75, and Isidro Velazquez, 69, live in the village of Ayapa in the southern state of Tabasco. There is no clear reason why they avoid each other’s company but Daniel Suslak, a linguist anthropologist says, Segovia can be a "little prickly" while the more stoical Velazquez rarely leaves his home. Segovia still uses the language in his family and although they understand him perfectly they only can only produce one or two words in Ayapaneco. Suslak says Ayapaneco has always been surrounded by the much stronger indigenous language which might have played a big role in the death of Ayapaneco. The advent of education in Spanish, urbanization and migration have also played strong roles.

There are 68 different indigenous languages in Mexico, further subdivided into364 variations. The name Ayapaneco is an imposition by outsiders, the last two native speakers call it Nuumte Oote, “True Voice”. The National Indigenous Language Institute is planning a last attempt rescue program, in which the last two speakers may pass their knowledge on to the locals. Unfortunately, previous efforts have failed due to lack of funding and limited enthusiasm.

The full article is available here.

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