Otomi

American  

[oh-tuh-mee] / ˌoʊ təˈmi /

noun

Otomis, plural Otomi plural

1. a member of an Indigenous people of south-central Mexico.

2. the Oto-Manguean language of the Otomi.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Otomi or their language.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Otomi
  plural
• Otomis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Otomi

First recorded in 1780–90; from Mexican Spanish otomí from Nahuatl otomih, plural of otomitl; literal meaning unknown

Example Sentences

She grew up poor in the central state of Hidalgo, and her father was an Indigenous Otomi schoolteacher.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2023

The not-so-distant cousin of bandana print is Kente or Otomi — two cloths that communicate a record of cultural history, a collective heritage, through details.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2023

And yet another collection, by Abel Macias, a first-generation Mexican American painter, refers to Otomi embroidery and to the landscapes he saw on childhood visits to Guadalajara.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2023

Scholars believe an ancient version of the Otomi language, which is still spoken today, may have been the language spoken at Teotihuacan, the ancient metropolis near Mexico City and home to towering pyramids and temples.

From Reuters • Sep. 21, 2022

Knights of Santiago, 14; Otomi chief made member of, 39.

From The Colonization of North America 1492-1783 by Bolton, Herbert Eugene