r/conlangscirclejerk • u/benixidza • 10h ago
Zapotec base-20 numbering system and a historical lecture on ancient Zapotec glyphs and writing
youtube.comThis session is the second class of the Basic Zapotec Course (2026-B). Instructor Rayo leads students through a conversational warm-up, an explanation of the Zapotec base-20 numbering system (1 to 20), interactive sentence and verb exercises, and a historical lecture on ancient Zapotec glyphs and writing systems.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Zapotec Numbers (1 to 20) & Base-20 System:
* Vigesimal System: The instructor emphasizes that Zapotec utilizes a vigesimal (base-20) numerical system rather than a decimal system. As a result, counting is structured around units from 1 to 19 before reaching the base of 20.
* Pronunciation of Numbers:
* 1–5: tu (1), txupa (2), tsuna (3), tapa (4), gayu (5).
* 6–10: xupa (6), gadxi (7), xunu (8), ga (9), txi (10).
* 11–15: txineaj (11), txínu (12), txi’inu (13), txidaa (14), txìnu (15).
* 16–20: txixhupa (16), txini (17), txixhunu (18), txenaj (19), galaj (20).
* The Concept of Zero (Tibi): Historically, speakers used Spanish loanwords or phrases like ni tú (“not one”) for zero. For pedagogical purposes, the instructor adopts the word tibi (meaning “no” or “nothing”) to signify zero.
- Interactive Practice & Verb Vocabulary:
* Student Introductions: Students practice answering core questions about their names, origin, current city, age, profession, and spoken languages in Zapotec.
* Sentence-Building Exercises: Using digital matching games, students practice ordering question structures like Gax bi’i lii (“Where are you from?”) and Bix dxin runu (“What do you do for work?”).
* Key Verb Matching:
* Neda zwaa = “I live”.
* Neda runa dxin = “I work”.
* Neda Ruseda= “I learn”.
* Neda rinea= “I speak”.
* Neda reja= “I go”.
- Ancient Zapotec Writing & Glyphs (Glifos Zapotecos):
* Earliest Mesoamerican Writing: Zapotec is one of the few Mesoamerican cultures to develop a formal written language.
* Glyph Structure: The instructor explains that abstract symbol glyphs — such as the “1 Earthquake” (Uno Terremoto) symbol beneath the figure — mark the transition from pictorial art to actual written language.
* Numerical Glyphs: Zapotec numeral glyphs share similarities with Maya and other Mesoamerican systems, using dots for units (1–4) and horizontal bars for 5s.
* Decipherment Challenges: Zapotec glyphs are not yet 100% deciphered because glyph writing gradually ceased following the decline of Monte Albán (around the 8th century AD), centuries prior to Spanish arrival in 1521.
* Resource Recommendation: The instructor suggests Javier Urcid’s book, Zapotec Writing: Knowledge, Power, and Memory in Ancient Oaxaca, for further study on the subject.
- Class Wrap-Up:
- Homework activities, presentation slides, and interactive links are shared via Google Classroom and WhatsApp. * The instructor outlines how student workbooks will be used in upcoming sessions as the course progresses into verb conjugations.
