Mother Tongue.
San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya is an old Zapotec town located in The Central valley of the State
of Oaxaca, in Southeastern Mexico. When Spaniards arrived, it was a settlement
and Lordship in the Valley of Tlacolula. Is during the Lordships period, that it was
founded by the great Zapotec warrior named “Cochicahuala”.
There are many stories that describe the Zapotecs as very skillful in arts, architecture and astronomy, and from that, we also have a live testimony on their buildings and ceremonial palaces that still stand today.
Their Language was no exception, since they had a complex system of writing, and an Oral Language so rich in words and phrases that surprised the Spaniards. Beside those factors, also the importance of Zapotecs for archeologists reside in their migration route to The central Valley, since according to some scholars they migrated along with the Maya-Quichés, The Olmecs and The Xicalanques, which puts them in a group of great civilizations.
Tlacochahuaya was founded by Cochicahuala, and settled with other groups, taken captives from his conquests. Father Jose Antonio Gay, mentions that probably those gropus were from the Tribe of Chontales, but he does not go into detail to confirm it.
Since Aztecs had their dominion in the Valley of Oaxaca, many towns had their original names in Zapotec and also in Náhuatl. So, Tlacochahuaya means "Humid Place" in Náhuatl and when it comes to Zapotec, its name is Zunni, and according to latest notes, this makes reference to the main activity on this town: agriculture. I-Zuun (Let's Plant), so literally menas the town of people who plant.
There are many stories that describe the Zapotecs as very skillful in arts, architecture and astronomy, and from that, we also have a live testimony on their buildings and ceremonial palaces that still stand today.
Their Language was no exception, since they had a complex system of writing, and an Oral Language so rich in words and phrases that surprised the Spaniards. Beside those factors, also the importance of Zapotecs for archeologists reside in their migration route to The central Valley, since according to some scholars they migrated along with the Maya-Quichés, The Olmecs and The Xicalanques, which puts them in a group of great civilizations.
Tlacochahuaya was founded by Cochicahuala, and settled with other groups, taken captives from his conquests. Father Jose Antonio Gay, mentions that probably those gropus were from the Tribe of Chontales, but he does not go into detail to confirm it.
Since Aztecs had their dominion in the Valley of Oaxaca, many towns had their original names in Zapotec and also in Náhuatl. So, Tlacochahuaya means "Humid Place" in Náhuatl and when it comes to Zapotec, its name is Zunni, and according to latest notes, this makes reference to the main activity on this town: agriculture. I-Zuun (Let's Plant), so literally menas the town of people who plant.
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