Nahuatl word “Huaxyacac” [waːʃ.ˈja.kak] was transliterated as “Oaxaca” using Medieval Spanish orthography, in which the x represented the voiceless postalveolar fricative ([ʃ], the equivalent of English sh in “shop”), making “Oaxaca” pronounced as [waˈʃaka]. However, during the sixteenth century the voiceless fricative sound evolved into a voiceless velar fricative ([x], like the ch in Scottish “loch”), and Oaxaca began to be pronounced [waˈxaka].
In present-day Spanish, Oaxaca is pronounced [waˈxaka] or [waˈhaka], the latter pronunciation used mostly in dialects of southern Mexico, the Caribbean, much of Central America, some places in South America, and the Canary Islands and western Andalusia in Spain where [x] has become a voiceless glottal fricative ([h]).
The last part explains the different pronunciation of X from what you’re saying.
zeppo@lemmy.world 2 years ago
“Literally” as in… what is that supposed to mean? In Spain? Nobody pronounces it like that.
Diprount_Tomato@lemmy.world 2 years ago
It doesn’t mean anything in Spanish because it’s not a Spanish word in origin, idiot
zeppo@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Here, as a scholar you’ll appreciate this.
The last part explains the different pronunciation of X from what you’re saying.
zeppo@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Huh? Nobody said anything about a meaning. Thanks for the tips.