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Glite Dictionary
🧑‍🌾 An indigenous person 🗣️ A native language
Zapotecan

Zapotecan

1 9.9
A member of a native people from southern Mexico
  • noun
  • /ˌzæpəˈtɛkən/
: zapoteca
  • Many Zapotecans continue to practice their traditional customs.

Examples

  • A Zapotecan community thrived in the Oaxaca Valley.

  • Some Zapotecan descendants still preserve their ancient customs and traditions.

  • Many Zapotecan artifacts have been found in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.

  • The Zapotecan civilization is known for its impressive archaeological sites.

  • Many Zapotecan artifacts have been found in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.

  • The Zapotecan civilization is known for its impressive archaeological sites.

  • Some Zapotecan descendants still preserve their ancient customs and traditions.

Synonyms

Zapotec
vsZapotecan
1 9.9

A member of a native people from southern Mexico

has identical meaning but is a different name form

Compounds

Zapotecan language
9.9

A native language that the Zapotec people speak in southern Mexico

Surface Forms

Zapotecan singular
Zapotecans plural

Morphology

Zapotecan = Zapotec (transparent) = Zapotec + an

Formed from the ethnonym 'Zapotec' plus the productive demonym/adjectival suffix '-an', so the member meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Zapotecan comes from Zapotec, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word tzapotēca meaning 'people of the sapote', a soft fruit. So a Zapotecan is a member of the native people of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.