Language maintenance in the meseta Purépecha region of Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

Since the conquest of Michoacan, Mexico, in the mid-1500s, the Purepecha (Tarascan) people and language have experienced significant geographic contraction due to the encroachment of Spanish. Today Purepecha speakers are found chiefly in the Meseta Purepecha region, to the exclusion of other areas in Michoacan. While Spanish has become the dominant language in the larger commercial and administrative centers, the Purepecha language remains dominant in the countryside. This research examines Spanish and Purepecha use and maintenance relative to the degree of accessibility or isolation of various towns and to the principle function (commercial, governmental, agricultural, etc.) of these towns. In regard to language use and maintenance, three main types of towns emerge, which have been mapped to show the linguistic patterns of the Meseta Purepecha.

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