Definition

1. Noun:

   • A member of the Zapotec people: An individual belonging to a large indigenous tribe of Mesoamericans historically centered in the Oaxaca region of southern Mexico.
   • The language of the Zapotec people: A group of related indigenous languages, forming a major branch of the Oto-Manguean language family, spoken by the Zapotec people.

2. Adjective:

   • Of or relating to the Zapotec people, their culture, or their language: Describing anything originating from or associated with the Zapotec civilization.

Examples

• Noun (Person):

  • The archaeologist consulted with a Zapotec about the ancient ruins.
  • Many Zapotecs continue to practice traditional crafts.

• Noun (Language):

  • She is conducting research on verb morphology in Zapotec.
  • Several dialects of Zapotec are still spoken today.

• Adjective:

  • The museum has a remarkable collection of Zapotec pottery.
  • They studied Zapotec glyphs and codices.

Advanced Usage

• "Zapotec civilization": Refers to the pre-Columbian culture that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca, known for its urban centers like Monte Albán.
  • The Zapotec civilization developed a sophisticated writing system.

Variants and Related Words

• Zapotecan (adjective): A less common variant synonymous with 'Zapotec' as an adjective.
  • Zapotecan linguistics is a specialized field.

Synonyms

• Ben'zaa: (Noun) The name for the Zapotec people and language in some Zapotec languages, meaning "The Cloud People".

Adjective

1. of or relating to the language or culture of the Zapotec people

Noun

1. the language of the Zapotec
2. a member of a large tribe of Mesoamericans living in southern Mexico whose civilization flourished around 300 to 900