Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This paper is a descriptive study of the imperatives in P’urhepecha language of the community of Ihuatzio. Although the imperative and prohibitive (or vedative) for the second person singular and plural are described in all reference grammars of P’urhepecha (Foster 1969; Wares 1974; de Wolf 1989; Chamoreau 2009), there has been little discussion of the existence of non-canonical imperatives in the language, that is, those of the first and third person singular and plural (Aikhenvald 2010, 2017). The present paper provides evidence for the existence of these non-canonical imperatives in this language and demonstrates the complexity of this category that had generally deserved little attention. Additionally, some nuances of meaning with auxiliary verbs will be accounted for, as well as some other ways of expressing directives in the language.

In this paper, we analyze a peculiar use of the periphrasis ir + gerund, which we refer to as concluded event reading, attested in Rioplatense Spanish, which differs from the canonical ir + gerund in that it appears to express a situation where the event denoted by the predicate is presented as complete (e.g., De todo lo que ten.a para leer, Ana iba leyendo tres libros el miércoles ‘Out of everything she had to read, Ana was reading three books on Wednesday’ →leyó tres libros ‘She read three books’). Through a series of tests, we demonstrate that this construction constitutes a progressive structure (unlike the canonical form, which conveys a durative structure). Specifically, we argue that it describes a situation in which, at a specific point in time (the reference time), certain events have already taken place, while other potential events are expected to occur. Thus, the effect of perfectivity arises from the temporal anchoring of the progressive structure: the events denoted by the predicate are anterior to the reference time. The prospective interpretation, in turn, is pragmatically derived from a scalar implicature.

Several sociolinguistic studies conducted across Yucatan Peninsula have noted the current displacement of Maya in favor of Spanish, as well as the lack of intergenerational transmission of Maya (Chi Canul 2011; Chi Pech 2016; Pfeiler 1988). Although these studies document the shift from Maya to Spanish, they do not explore the valuation and use of these two languages to explain why this shift is occurring. This study contributes to the understanding of language ideologies, and communicative practices of four Maya families in a rural community in Quintana Roo (Mexico), to understand the general pattern of the lack of intergenerational transmission of Maya. The adults interviewed show explicit attitudes in favor of learning Maya and Spanish. However, through audio and video documentation, and observation, a bias in favor of Spanish in everyday linguistic behavior has been identified. This study shows that language ideologies of bilingual speakers of Maya and Spanish are heterogeneous and dynamic (and sometimes contradictory) and must be continually negotiated. 

This paper offers a first attempt at a comparative study of two languages of the Yuman family spoken in the north of the state of Baja California, Mexico: Ko’alh and Kumiay. Both languages lack a comprehensive linguistic description and are currently at high risk of extinction. The lexical-tatistical method allows establishing that Ko’alh and Kumiay share a high percentage of their core vocabulary (87.5%), which indicates a notable phylogenetic closeness, although does not provide a clear answer to the question of their status as two languages or two dialects of the same language. In a complementary way, this paper presents additional considerations, based on selected grammatical features and sociolinguistic aspects, which point in favor of considering Ko’alh and Kumiay as two independent languages.

This paper offers an approach to the discursive functions of the discourse marker no hombre in Mexican Spanish. This marker has not been adequately described, so the main objective of this paper is to offer a first approach to the prosodic features of the discourse marker no hombre in Monterrey Spanish data. The analysis follows the postulates of the Autosegmental Metrical model and the prosodic notation system Sp_ToBI and it is based on the idea that the prosodic realization of the discourse marker is decisive for its interpretation in conversation. The results show that the discursive functions have a prosodic correlation reflected in the different tonal heights, the assignment of tonal pitch accents, and the syllable duration of the marker. This is a work that helps to characterize the variety of Monterrey Spanish in prosodic terms.

  This study examines the phonology and historical development of the labialized dorsal consonants in Seri (Cmiique Iitom), a language of northwestern Mexico. This language has a rare contrast between velar and uvular fricatives, each with labialized counterparts, forming six voiceless dorsal phonemes. It is shown that labialized consonants originated historically through the loss of round vowels in three main contexts: posttonic syllable, the third person indirect object prefix, and the emphatic realis prefix. Phonetic phenomena such as anticipatory labialization and postlexical spread are presented in detail. The study also discusses the Seri orthography, which preserves distinctions critical to the language’s structure.

Traditionally, a heterogeneous group of Classic Nahuatl (nc) morphs has been classified under the label “adverb”. In this paper, I propose to review the criteria for the ascription of this class of words, which will lead me to make a distinction between the class of adverbs and a second class that I will call operators, morphologically constituted by clitics, such as ca=, cuix=, mā=, nel=, a’zo=, mach=, quil=, at=, and ye=. I will focus on this class. I will provide arguments to observe how these operators present a particular syntax that iconically replicates the meaning relations between these elements and the clause. Finally, I will propose some consequences derived from assuming these operators’ existence in other language morphs. 

This article analyzes the role of cofradías as both religious and social institutions within the colonial Guatemalan context. It highlights their centrality in Indigenous and mestizo communal life, functioning not only as spaces of devotion but also as mechanisms of social, political, and economic organization. The study explores how cofradías became embedded in the colonial system as intermediaries between ecclesiastical and civil authorities and local communities. Although subject to clerical and state control, they maintained a degree of autonomy and institutional continuity over time, adapting to political and religious transformations, including the Bourbon Reforms and the post-independence period. The article argues that these organizations operated according to their own internal logic, articulating popular religiosity with localized forms of power. His organization delegates and sanctions through a council of stewards that he elects and appoints annually in the community. Their structure delegated authority and enforced decisions through a council of stewards (mayordomos), elected and appointed annually by the community. The analysis underscores the importance of studying cofradías as expressions of alternative institutionality, which enabled subaltern groups to negotiate their position within the colonial and postcolonial order. Far from being archaic remnants, cofradías are shown to have been dynamic spaces for the construction of citizenship and political agency. Their historical complexity and adaptability reveal their enduring relevance in the configuration of power relations in Guatemala.

This essay explores the symbolic function of dreams within traditional Guatemalan dance performances, with particular emphasis on the Baile de la Conquista (Dance of the Conquest). As a ritual enactment descended from the colonial entradas of Moors and Christians, this dance dramatizes the arrival of Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent downfall of Indigenous communities, centering on the figure of the native hero Tecum Umam. Through a choral structure interweaving text, music, costume, and choreography, the performance constructs a narrative of confrontation, defeat, and religious conversion. Central to this narrative are the prophetic dreams of Indigenous characters such as K’iqab’ and Tecum, which foreshadow the impending catastrophe and serve as pivotal elements in the dramatic arc. This essay argues that such dreams may not reflect authentically Indigenous worldviews, but rather function as discursive devices imposed to naturalize colonial domination, rendering it both inevitable and desirable. In this light, the dance operates not merely as an aesthetic expression, but as a pedagogical tool of Christian submission. Nevertheless, the continued performance of the Baile de la Conquista in contemporary festive contexts suggests a complex process of cultural re-signification. Within its ritual gestures may persist submerged memories of resistance, identity, and historical reinterpretation—revealing the dance as a contested site where hegemonic narratives and subaltern meanings coexist in tension.

The peoples, who have historically inhabited in Mesoamérica, have constantly had concerns to achieve their survival. In this concern they have achieved alternatives that have guaranteed their community life in coexistence with nature and Mother Earth. Given the great biodiversity, diverse physical and climatic conditions they have developed social paradigms of life. One of these paradigms is Good Living, which is based on their cultural, social and economic conceptions, in constant interaction with their communities and Mother Nature. The objective of this article is to analyze and discuss Good Living, as an alternative to the neoliberal, polluting and predatory conditions of modernity. Good Living in the Mayan language is translated as Utz K'aslemal, Utziläj K'aslemal, the Raxnaquil K'aslemal. For its development and viability, I identify some principles: plurinationality, complementarity, unity in diversity, interdependence, right to difference and citizenship, interculturality, community, and sustainability. The experience of the Qachuu Aloom comunity asociation is presented to achieve the Good Living in the Maya Achí of Ixim Ulew-Paxil Cayala´.