Copyright by Hilaria Cruz 2014 The Dissertation Committee for Hilaria Cruz Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: LINGUISTIC POETICS AND RHETORIC OF EASTERN CHATINO OF SAN JUAN QUIAHIJE Committee: Anthony C Woodbury, Supervisor Nora C England, Co-Supervisor Joel Sherzer Patience L Epps Jeffrey Rasch Anthony K Webster LINGUISTIC POETICS AND RHETORIC OF EASTERN CHATINO OF SAN JUAN QUIAHIJE by Hilaria Cruz, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2014 Dedication To my parents Tomás Cruz Lorenzo and Isabel Cruz Baltazar, my daughter Shalui Tsyvya Klara Abeles, and niece Frida Cruz. Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the time, talent, and support of talented San Juan Quiahije speakers, advisors, friends, esteemed colleagues, and family. I'd like to modify the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child". It took the two communities of San Juan Quiahije and Cieneguilla to raise this dissertation. For most linguists the people in their area of research become friends and even family. For me, the inverse is true. I was born in Cieneguilla, and the people in these communities were in fact my friends and family well before I commenced this endeavor to become a linguist and help document and revitalize the Chatino language. My love, respect, and gratitude to my people remains constant. The process to reveal the importance of SJQ Chatino verbal art in this work took the better part of a decade of study at the University of Texas at Austin. Any omissions or imperfections in these acknowledgments are my own and have my sincere regrets. Please accept any timely "thank yous" as sincere and heartfelt. The source material, the hundreds of hours of recorded formal and everyday Chatino speech, the interviews, and their invaluable insights in this language could not have been collected without the support of the orators of San Juan Quiahije and Cieneguilla. Without these individuals this dissertation would not be a reality. They are Margarita Baltazar García, Ricardo Cruz Cruz (Mende), Gonzalo Cruz Cortés, Eligio Vásquez, Wenceslao Cortés Cruz, Lorenza Orocio, Ernestina Orocio, Paula Orocio (†), Antonia v Apolonio (†), Simón Zurita Cruz, Sotero Orocio Méndez, Anastacia Méndez, Juana Orocio (†), Martiniana Cruz Mendez, and Gilberta Cruz Méndez. I also wish to the authorities of San Juan Quiahije and Cieneguilla who open opportunities for me to record the verbal in these communities. Everyone is well aware that Chatino is endangered; they see the younger generations using Spanish increasingly. My fervent hope is that these Chatino verbal traditions continue. I have to give full credit to my advisors in guiding me through the dissertation process. Tony Woodbury was a wonderful sounding board. Much of the theory and analysis was made much better as a result of our discussions. Nora England’s eye for detail is unmatched. The two together helped make this a better (and longer) dissertation. Joel Sherzer has provided unfailing support throughout the years. His talk with my sister Emiliana in her café in Oaxaca City in December 2001 led me to come to UT two years later in 2004. He and his wife Dina Sherzer have been a source of support and encouragement through the years. Jeff Rasch is the only one on the committee to have written a dissertation on Chatino. Petronila Tavares-Rasch, Jeff’s wife was always cheering me up. Jeff’s support and presence via Skype from Japan during the defense are greatly appreciated. Tony Webster was the last member to join the committee. His insights into verbal art and enthusiasm breathed a second wind into this marathon. Pattie Epps’s critical insights helped bring clarity to some murky parts. However any errors in this dissertation are my responsibility alone. vi I am equally grateful to my friends and colleagues from The Chatino Language Documentation Project: Emiliana Cruz, Ryan Sullivant, Justin McIntosh, Kate Mesh, Lynn Hou, Eric Campbell, and Stéphanie Villard. They edited many drafts of this dissertation. I am especially thankful to Emiliana, Ryan, and Kate. They read and commented on this dissertation over and over again. I look forward to continue collaborating and working on joint future projects with them. I could not have gone through this program without the help and support from the friends I made at the university of Texas at Austin and elsewhere. Vivian Newdick, Elaine Schele, Pablo Postigo Olsson, Zazil Reyes, Tania Camacho Azofeifa, Adan F. Pascual, Olga Hernández, Dr. Brian Stross (†), Angela Nonaka, María García, Jogendro Singh, Natalia Bermudez, Jaime Pérez, Heather Teague , Leah Velleman, Aimee Lawrence, Adam J Tallman, Meghan Rubenstein and Jonathan Dankenbring. Many thanks also to Roula Zangana, Nancy Farriss, Lucía Golluscio, Ana Lopez, Luis Maria Landaluze, Jason Wallach, David Hartley, Larry Mosqueda, Paul Ortiz and Sheila Payne, Daniel Suslak, Michael Olson, and John Preston. It is worth mentioning that Roula was praying for me to finish this dissertation from Greece. Thank you Roula. I have been fortunate to attend many linguistic conferences and workshops and communicate with linguists through social media. These newfound friends have been incredibly supportive. We’ve begun to collaborate on papers and research; a trend I hope to continue in the years to come with Aaron Broadwell, Brook Danielle Lillehaugen, Rosemary Beam de Azcona, B’alam Mateo and Telma Can, Gabriela Caballero, vii Gabriela Pérez Baez, Harriet Klein, John Kingston, Conor Quinn, Christian DiCanio, James Fox, and Judith Aissen. My travels between the United States and Mexico have allowed me to maintain contact with friends in Mexico throughout the years. Some are new friends forged with a common interest in the study of linguistics, while others are lifelong friends. Among them are Miguel Torres, Aurea López Cruz, Nestor H. Green, Oscar López, Hector Hugo Rodríguez Toledo, Rosa María Rojas Torres, Yasnayuujk Elena Aguilar Gil, Tajëëw DíazRobles, Gibran Morales Carranza, Isa de Los Santo, Rosita Mendoza, Perla Jiménez Santos, Michael Swanton, Pedro Hernández, Victor Cata, and Roberto Zavala. Emiliana and I have a profound appreciation for Thom Smith-Stark’s (†) genius and his efforts early on in our research. We are also very fortunate to have Thom’s lovely family in our lives Ana Smith, Sandra Smith, and María Smith. Thom’s generosity, humor, and compassion are sorely missed. His willingness to give his time to the two of us will not be forgotten. Frequent trips to see siblings in the Los Angeles area have allowed me to count on a circle of friends there. Their creative talents have enriched this dissertation. They include Robin Urevich, Jerome Manet, María González y Joao Nicolau, Francesca Pérez, Rafael Vicente Velázquez. My family has been a source of strength during this long journey. Their love and support has been unwavering throughout the years. They are my daughter Shalui Tsyvya Klara Abeles; my parents: Isabel Cruz and Tomás Cruz Lorenzo (†); my siblings viii Emiliana Cruz, Yolanda Cruz, Liaa Raquel Cruz, Tomás Cruz, and Carlos Cruz, and also my sisters- and brother-in-law Flor Cruz, Anabel Herrera, and Daniel Pérez. I also thank my niece Frida Cruz. A special thanks to Jorge Sánchez Ramírez who is an adopted member of our family. A special appreciation and love for Peter and Donna Abramov, and Dr. Wayne and Judith Thorburn. Also a big thanks to the Abeles family David Abeles, Dr. Benjamin Abeles, Ann Abeles, and Susan Abeles. I am indebted to the many editors: Conor Jensen, Abbie Joffrain, and Augie Faller. English is not my first language, and writing fluently and fluidly with the same grace as the Chatino orators is a challenge for me. The editors’ patience and artistry to turn my words into something readable is deeply appreciated by me. I did receive financial and logistical support during my studies from many institutions. I wish to thank the Linguistics Department at the University of Texas. Big thanks to Ben Rapstine, the Linguistic graduate coordinator, and Leslie Crooks, the administrator of the Linguistics Department at UT. I wish to acknowledge the following institutions for their assistance during this research. I received a University of Texas Research Internship in the department of Linguistics, 2004-2005. In 2008-2009 I also received the E. D. Farmer International Scholarship from the Mexican Center at the University of Texas. I also received a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 2005-2008. I was also a recipient of a research assistantship supported by an ELDP Grant MDP0153 to the University of Texas at Austin from The Hans Rausing Endangered ix Language Project (School of Oriental and African Languages) University of London, England. Last but not least, I wish to express my deepest love and gratitude to my boyfriend Michael Abramov. Michael’s generosity, support, and love made this project possible. Michael helped me edit, research, and format the many pages of this dissertation. From laundry services, to preparing meals, to venturing out on a cold January day to make copies of a handout, to carrying pottery on his back during a Oaxacan monsoon, he has been there for me. x LINGUISTIC POETICS AND RHETORIC OF EASTERN CHATINO OF SAN JUAN QUIAHIJE Hilaria Cruz, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2014 Supervisor: Anthony C Woodbury Verbal art plays a crucial role in the culture and traditions of Chatino communities, which is in the mountains of southern Oaxaca, Mexico. This study examines verbal art in the SJQ variety of Eastern Chatino, a language which belongs to the Chatino group in the Zapotecan branch of the Otomanguean stock.