0 1 4 ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Mat is ▁pe op les ▁had ▁reached ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 4 5 7 . ▁There ▁are ▁currently ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 3 5 0 ▁Mat is ▁speak ers . ▁Mat is ▁language ▁has ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁transmission , ▁especially ▁among ▁women ▁and ▁children , ▁who ▁are ▁generally ▁mon ol ing ual ▁in ▁Mat is ▁only . ▁Portuguese ▁is ▁spoken ▁by ▁older ▁male ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Mat is ▁for ▁trade ▁purposes . ▁ ▁Name ▁ ▁Because ▁Mat is ▁is ▁the ▁non - ind igen ous ▁name ▁given ▁to ▁this ▁community , ▁some ▁members ▁prefer ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁themselves ▁by ▁their ▁original ▁name , ▁m ats es . ▁There ▁is ▁another ▁ind igen ous ▁group ▁called ▁the ▁Mayor una ▁that ▁is ▁of ▁close ▁lingu istic ▁and ▁ge ographical ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁Mat is ▁and ▁also ▁goes ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁M ats es . ▁To ▁avoid ▁confusion ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁groups , ▁most ▁literature ▁about ▁the ▁Mat is ▁refers ▁to ▁them ▁as ▁Mat is . ▁The ▁word ▁m ats es ▁means ▁“ human ▁being ” ▁in ▁the ▁Mat is ▁language , ▁and ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁language ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁kin ship ▁group ings . ▁ ▁Language ▁family ▁ ▁The ▁Mat is ▁language ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁P ano an ▁( P ano ) ▁language ▁stock , ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁about ▁ 3 2 ▁languages ▁and ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 - 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁total ▁speak ers . ▁Only ▁ 1 8