Huastec language

Huastec has three dialects, which have a time depth of no more than 400 years (Norcliffe 2003:3). It is spoken in a region of east-central Mexico known as the Huasteca Potosina. • Western (Potosino) — 48,000 speakers in the 9 San Luis Potosí towns of Ciudad Valles (Tantocou), Aquismón, Huehuetlán, Tancanhuitz, Tanlajás, San Antonio, Tampamolón, Tanquian, and Tancuayalab. • Central (Veracruz) — 22,000 speakers in the 2 northern Veracruz towns of Tempoal and Tantoyuca. • Eastern (Otontepec) — 12,000 speakers in the 7 northern Veracruz towns of Chontla, Tantima, Tancoco, Chinampa, Naranjos, Amatlán, and Tamiahua. Also known as Southeastern Huastec. Ana Kondic (2012) reports only about 1,700 speakers, in the municipalities of Chontla (San Francisco, Las Cruces, Arranca Estacas, and Ensinal villages), Chinampa, Amatlan, and Tamiahua. ==Phonology==

Vowels • can be realized as laryngealized after a glottalized consonant. • in unstressed syllables can also be heard as . Consonants • Unaspirated plosives and affricates only occur as allophones of their aspirated counterparts word-medially. can also become voiced to word-finally. • may be present Spanish loanwords. • The affricates can also be realized as . • can also be realized as a fricative , and also as a voiceless fricative in word-final positions. • Ejective velars can be realized as voiced word-medially. • Approximanta can be devoiced word-finally. • before velars is realized as a palatal nasal . • before can be realized as a velar fricative . ==Notes==