Local traditions and culture in Estado de Querétaro de Arteaga

The original language from this area is Otomi, also known as Hñähñu (pronounced gnagnu, "gn" as in the French drink cognac). It is still spoken in Otomi villages and sometimes you can hear it in big cities or towns by Otomi (Hñähñu) people who go there to sell handcrafts.

I don't speak a word of it, but while studying languages at the University of Queretaro I met the best researcher and expert in Otomi, a Dutch! (shame on us). He was very kind and invited me to go with him in his trips to the Otomi communities, which I haven't done (shame on me). I promise to go and post here about the experience.

If you are also interested in languages you may go to their communities around Amealco and learn some words and their customs.

Here is an example of this language, a little text in Hñähñu, its Spanish equivalent and my translation to English:

Ar hñähño hingi ho-ntho hñä nu Maxei, sinuke 'nehe ja ya dähnini Idalgo, M'honda ne Pwebla, di ge nuya ya hñä 'bu-i yá mpöti yá hno-ni ne ar hñä nxo-ge.

El hñähñu no solamente se habla en Querétaro, sino tambien en los estados de Hidalgo, México y Puebla, entre estas hablas se encuentran variantes en cuanto al léxico y a la gramática.

Hñähñu is not only spoken in Queretaro, but also in the states of Hidalgo, Mexico and Puebla, among these dialects there are variants regarding lexicon and grammar.