Zaniza Zapotec (Zapoteco de Santa MarÃÂa Zaniza) is an Oto-Manguean language of western Oaxaca, Mexico. It is one of several Zapotec languages called Papabuco. It has only 10% intelligibility with Texmelucan Zapotec, its closest important relative. (Speakers of the nearly extinct Elotepec Zapotec have 70% understanding of Zaniza, but it is not known if the reverse is true, so this may be a question of familiarity.)
The language is spoken in Santa MarÃÂa Zaniza, Oaxaca. As of 2003, the language had about 400 fluent speakers. It is also spoken in Santiago Textitlán.
Zaniza Zapotec has five vowels , phonemic vowel nasalization, and a distinction between modal and laryngealized vowels.
Zaniza Zapotec words contrast low, mid, and high tones on stressed syllables. Unstressed syllables, apart from a few pronominal enclitics, do not bear contrastive tone.