Ayoquezco Mazaltepec Zapotec? [Tejalapan] Sierra Norte Villa Alta Choapan, Rincon, Tabaa, Yatee, Cajonos–Yalalag–Zoogocho–Yatzachi Ixtlán Yareni–Atepec–Ixtlan–Sierra Juarez, Yavesia, [Aloápam] Sierra Sur Miahuatlan Amatlan, Coatecas Altas, Coatlan, Loxicha, San Baltázar Loxicha–[San Vicente], Miahuatlan (Cuixtla), Ozolotepec, [Lapaguía, Xadani] Yautepec San Agustin Mixtepec, San Juan Mixtepec–San Jose Lachiguiri, Quiegolani, Quioquitani, San Pedro Leapi, Xanaguia, Xanica, [Tlacolulita] Western Zapotec Papabuco Texmelucan, Zaniza, [Elotepec] Solteco Solteco†, Lachixio–San Miguel Mixtepec–[El Alto], [Totomachapan] Two of the moribund varieties, Asunción Mixtepec and San Bartolo Yautepec (ISO "Yautepec"), are apparently divergent. Santa Catarina Albarradas Zapotec was not listed, and presumably subsumed under Albarradas Zapotec, but intelligibility is one-way. Other classifications Based on forms of the personal pronouns, Operstein (2003) groups the languages as follows: Proto-Zapotec Southern Zapotec Papabuco (unnamed) Solteco Northern Zapotec Central Zapotec Valley Zapotec Isthmus Zapotec Based on the development of Proto-Zapotec *tty/*ty and *ttz/*tz, Operstein (2012) groups the Zapotec languages as follows. Proto-Zapotec Western Papabuco Coatec Core Zapotec Southern Central Northern Phonetics and phonology Fortis and lenis In Zapotec languages, fortis typically corresponds to voicelessness and extra length in obstruents and extra length in sonorants. Lenis corresponds to voicing and less length in obstruents and less length in sonorants. In addition, stressed vowels before lenis consonants may be longer than those before fortis consonants. Retroflex consonants Some varieties of Zapotec have a contrast between alveopalatal fricatives and retroflex fricatives. In other varieties this distinction has been lost in favor of only one or the other. Tone Zapotec languages are tonal, as are Otomanguean languages generally. Unfortunately, materials on Zapotec languages vary widely in the quality of their tonal description and analysis. Whistling has been used by Zapotec people to communicate in a way that would not be detected by their colonizers. Many Northern Zapotec languages, such as Sierra Juárez (Nellis and Nellis 1983, Bickmore and Broadwell 1998, Tejada 2010) show a system of three level tones (L, M, H) plus two contours. Potential aspect and 1st person singular both involve floating high tones. One example is Texmelucan Zapotec, which has four contrasting tones: three contour tones and one level tone, as shown in the figure. These tones are used for "word play" frequently. A typical system for a Central Zapotec language has two level tones plus contours, but there are complex interactions between tone, stress and phonation type, e.g. San Lucas Quiaviní (Chávez Peón 2010). Phonation Zapotec languages all display contrastive phonation type differences in vowels. Minimally