The categorization of the body in the Totonac world
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37646/xihmai.v18i36.591Keywords:
Totonac, human body, body-parts morphemes, human beingAbstract
The aim of this paper is to show how the Totonacs understand their world through the categorization of parts of the body from their language. The results are meant to contribute in the comprehension of how the concept of the human body is crucial to Mesoamerican culture. In regards to this, we analyze the respective morphemes that refer to the human body, but not literally, but also with the purpose of show which parts of it are more recurrent to express abstract concepts and about the daily life through the Totonac language, also, to understand which part of the body represent the human being. The data we analyze were obtained from everyday speech, from the review of texts and through the introspective method, since the authors are part of the Totonac culture. The results show that the face, the belly, and the nose categorize the human being according to the Totonac vision of the world.
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