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artículo trata sobre el pueblo otomí, su distribución actual, sus variantes lingüísticas, sus autodenominaciones y la vitalidad de su lengua
materna.

Palabras clave: Otomí, Población, Variantes lingüísticas, Autodenominaciones, Querétaro.

Abstract
Inside and outside Mexico the Ñähñus or Otomis are not very well-known. Nevertheless, the Otomís are an old people whose origin can
be found in Teotihuacan around 500 A.D., although going back some milleniums more, we can find their roots in the culture of the Olmecs.
The Ñähñus, together with the Mazahuas, Matlatzincas, Tlahuicas, Pames and Chichimecas constitute the linguistic branch called
Otopame, which in turn forms a part of the linguistic family of the Otomangues, integrated by all the groups which speak a tonal language
and which belong to the oldest cultures of Mesoamerica. Hñähñu is a language of about 1500 years old, and inside the Otopame branch
it is the language with most dialects. Currently nine groups of dialects are recognized, which are spoken in the central part of Mexico,
and each one of them has their own name, which depends of the region. At the national level, the Otomis call themselves Ñähñus in their
own language, and call their language Hñähñu, but depending of the region the self-denominations are different. This is an article about
the Otomis, their present-day distribution, their linguistic variations, their self-denominations or the way they call themselves and about the
vitality of their mother language.

Keywords: Otomi, Population, Dialects, Self-denominations, Queretaro.

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Año 11 Núm. 31 enero-abril 2024 Tlahuizcalli ISSN: 2448-7260