A Day in the Cornfields: A Western Otomi Narrative

Resumen

This paper focuses on Western Otomi, a Mexican native language spoken in the municipality of Temoaya in the State of Mexico (ISO 639-3 ott). Speakers recognize themselves as dri ñatho, which means ‘I still speak’ and differentiate themselves from people who only speak Spanish, even though they belong to the same community, as i ñamfo ‘they speak Spanish’. This variety is underdocumented, mainly transmitted by oral tradition and spoken at home or with friends and neighbors. Hence, receptive speakers are common. Through this narrative from a Western Otomi speaker, we are offered a glimpse into what a day in the cornfields is like. In addition, this narrative gives us general insight into some features of the language. So, after introducing the cultural context of it, I present the narrative.