Zapotec

noun

Za·​po·​tec ˌzä-pə-ˈtek How to pronounce Zapotec (audio)
ˌsä-,
ˌza-;
ˈzä-pə-ˌtek,
ˈsä-,
ˈza-
plural Zapotec or Zapotecs
: a member of an Indigenous people of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico

Examples of Zapotec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
My grandfather spoke Zapotec but never taught my mom because there is a lot of discrimination toward Indigenous people. Damaly Gonzalez, refinery29.com, 3 Apr. 2024 This rural town, home to a community of Indigenous Zapotec weavers and dyers, also happened to be the birthplace and home of our guide, Edgar Mendoza Martinez. Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024 Among other uses, this can help detect any underground cavities—like those the Zapotec reportedly used in rituals connected with the cult of the dead—or buried objects and/or archaeological structures. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 July 2023 Also missing was any means of classifying ethnic or tribal groups—Maya, Zapotec, Xinca, Lenca, Afro-Colombian, and so on. Ananda Rose, Scientific American, 1 June 2015

Word History

Etymology

Spanish zapoteca, from Nahuatl tzapotēcah, plural of tzapotēcatl, literally, person of (the land of) sapodillas, from tzapotl sapodilla fruit + -tēcatl person (from)

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Zapotec was in 1814

Dictionary Entries Near Zapotec

Cite this Entry

“Zapotec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Zapotec. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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