One great puzzle of Colonial Valley Zapotec is the divergence between the pronominal systems of modern Valley Zapotec languages and that of the colonial texts.
To the best of my knowledge, all (or nearly all) of the modern Valley Zapotec languages distinguish 3rd person clitic pronouns for humans, animals, and inanimates. The smallest system seems to have three such distinctions (e.g. Guevea de Humboldt Zapotec). The largest system seems to be San Lucas Quiaviní.
The following chart summarizes my understanding of the typical range of clitic pronouns available. I have used color as follows --
B1(front vowel), e.g. bi, be, ëb
B2(back vowel). e.g. bu, ba
ZH (ʒ), e.g. zha, zhi, azh
M(vowel), e.g. ma, mu, me, mi, emm
NI1 (low or non-glottal), e.g. ni, ing, yn
NI2 (high or glottal), e.g. ni', ní, ni'i
Some generalizations:
B1 and B2 pronouns are always used for humans.
If a lg has both B1 and B2, B2 represents a higher degree of respect.
If a lg has one of the B pronouns and NI1 (low or non-glottal), the B pronoun is almost always higher in honor than NI1. (Guelavia is not an exception if the ny is a reflex of NI2.)
Nearly all lgs have M(vowel) as the animal pronoun.
The Albarradas inversion of M and B pronouns is remarkable. It is the only attested language with this system.
The use of M pronouns for people is unique to Albarradas and Guevea and may indicate an shared innovation.
In contrast to this situation, most Colonial Valley Zapotec uses only one pronoun =ni.
However, in the 1666 text by Cristobal Aguero Miscelanea espiritual, I have discovered two instances of what appears to be the animal pronoun, spelled mee in the text:
This is (I think) the earliest attested use of the animal pronoun in CVZ.
To the best of my knowledge, all (or nearly all) of the modern Valley Zapotec languages distinguish 3rd person clitic pronouns for humans, animals, and inanimates. The smallest system seems to have three such distinctions (e.g. Guevea de Humboldt Zapotec). The largest system seems to be San Lucas Quiaviní.
The following chart summarizes my understanding of the typical range of clitic pronouns available. I have used color as follows --
B1(front vowel), e.g. bi, be, ëb
B2(back vowel). e.g. bu, ba
ZH (ʒ), e.g. zha, zhi, azh
M(vowel), e.g. ma, mu, me, mi, emm
NI1 (low or non-glottal), e.g. ni, ing, yn
NI2 (high or glottal), e.g. ni', ní, ni'i
| San Dionisio Ocotepec | San Lucas Quiavini | Teotitlan | San Juan Guelavia | Santa Ana del Valle | Chichi-capan | Ayoquesco | Zaachila | Coatecas | Mitla | Guevea | Albarradas | Isthmus (Juchitan) | Tehuantepec | |
| my notes | Munro and Lopez | cited in MacLaury | Jones | cited in MacLaury | cited in MacLaury | cited in MacLaury | Briggs | Marks, p,.c. (updated since the publication) | Adam | Gramatica popular | cited in MacLaury | |||
| 3 respect or honor | ba, ab | azh: | ny | bu | ba | xa' | bá | amán | ||||||
| 3 ordinary | bi, eby | ang | bï, b | bi | bi | a'n | bé | ni | me | m | be | |||
| 3 m --> m | zha | zhï, zh | zhí | zh | ||||||||||
| 3 animal | ma, am | ëmm | m | mï, m | mu | ma | mă | mé | ma | ma' | b | me | me | |
| 3 saint or reverential | ni' | ni', iny | ni'i | ni | ní | ni | ||||||||
| 3 inanimate | ni | ing | ni | ni | (i)n | yn | ní | u | an | ni | ni | |||
| 3 formal | ëb | |||||||||||||
| 3 child | ne' | ni' | ||||||||||||
| 3 male | mbe | ve | ||||||||||||
| 3 female | zha | ce | ||||||||||||
| 3 proximal | ëng | |||||||||||||
| 3 distal | ih | |||||||||||||
| 3 impersonal | nï |
B1 and B2 pronouns are always used for humans.
If a lg has both B1 and B2, B2 represents a higher degree of respect.
If a lg has one of the B pronouns and NI1 (low or non-glottal), the B pronoun is almost always higher in honor than NI1. (Guelavia is not an exception if the ny is a reflex of NI2.)
Nearly all lgs have M(vowel) as the animal pronoun.
The Albarradas inversion of M and B pronouns is remarkable. It is the only attested language with this system.
The use of M pronouns for people is unique to Albarradas and Guevea and may indicate an shared innovation.
In contrast to this situation, most Colonial Valley Zapotec uses only one pronoun =ni.
However, in the 1666 text by Cristobal Aguero Miscelanea espiritual, I have discovered two instances of what appears to be the animal pronoun, spelled mee in the text:
This is (I think) the earliest attested use of the animal pronoun in CVZ.
