Mazaltepec Zapotec, also known as ''Etla Zapotec'', is a divergent
Zapotec language
The Zapotec languages are a group of around 50 closely related indigenous Mesoamerican languages that constitute a main branch of the Oto-Manguean language family and are spoken by the Zapotec people from the southwestern-central highlands of ...
of the
Mexican state
A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...
of
Oaxaca
Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...
. It stands apart from other varieties of Zapotec; it has only 10% intelligibility with
San Juan Guelavía Zapotec (at least with some varieties, as that may not be a single language), but zero intelligibility with other varieties of Zapotec that have been tested. The moribund
Tejalapan Zapotec may be closer.
References
Zapotec languages
{{Oto-Manguean-lang-stub