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Ikoot language
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Map of Mexico highlighting the state of Oaxaca in orange in the southern part of the country, with its major cities Oaxaca and Juchitan labeled. Surrounding countries, state boundaries, and bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are also shown.
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Also called:
OmbeayiĂŒts
Formerly called:
Huave language (pejorative)
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Map of Mexico highlighting the state of Oaxaca in orange in the southern part of the country, with its major cities Oaxaca and Juchitan labeled. Surrounding countries, state boundaries, and bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are also shown.
Oaxaca, Mexico

Ikoot language

Also known as: Huave language
Written by
Lyle Campbell
Professor of Linguistics, University of Hawai'i, Manoa. Author of American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America and others.
Lyle Campbell
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History
Top Questions

Where is the Ikoot language spoken?

How many speakers of the Ikoot language are there?

Is Ikoot related to other languages?

Ikoot language, a language isolate (i.e., a language with no known relatives) on the Pacific coast in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is spoken in four main towns—San Francisco del Mar, San Dionisio del Mar, San Mateo del Mar, and Santa María del Mar—with a total of about 18,800 speakers in 2020. Attempts to find relationships between it and other languages have not been successful, though proposals have hypothesized links with Mayan, Mixe-Zoquean, Otomanguean, and even “Algonquian-Gulf.”

Lyle Campbell