Sochiapam Chinantec

Sochiapam is a Chinantec language of Mexico. It is most similar to Tlacoatzintepec Chinantec, with which it has 66% intelligibility (intelligibility in the reverse direction is 75%, presumably due to greater familiarity in that direction).

Sochiapam has seven tones: high, mid, low, high falling, mid falling, mid rising, low rising.

Like other Chinantec and Mazatec languages, Sochiapam Chinantec is noted for having whistled speech (produced only by men, but understood by all). More unusually, it has also been reported to have a rare marked absolutive case system.

Phonology
The following are sounds of Sochiapan Chinantec:


 * 1. Parenthesised sounds are loans, allophones, or free variants
 * 2. /p, t, k/ tends to be slightly aspirated
 * 3. Alveolar and velar consonants are palatalised before the semivowel /j/


 * Tones