Language Name
The name Otomi comes from the Nahuatl otomitl, which is possibly derived from an older word totomitl "shooter of birds". It is not an Otomi endonym; the Otomi refer to their language as Hñähñú, Hñähño, Hñotho, Hñähü, Hñätho, Hyųhų, Yųhmų, Ñųhų, Ñǫthǫ or Ñañhų depending on which dialect of Otomi they speak. Most of the variant forms are composed of two morphemes meaning "speak" and "well", respectively.
The word Otomi entered the Spanish language through Nahuatl and is used to describe the larger Otomi macroethnic group and the dialect continuum. From Spanish the word Otomi has become entrenched in the linguistic and anthropological literature. Among linguists, the suggestion has been made to change the academic designation from Otomi to Hñähñú, the endonym used by the Otomi of the Mezquital valley; however, no common endonym exists for all dialects of the language.
Read more about this topic: Otomi Language
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