---

About Carolyn Mackay

    Carolyn J. MacKay's research focuses on documenting, describing, and analyzing the linguistic structure of two endangered indigenous languages of Mexico — Misantla Totonac and Pisaflores Tepehua.  The goal of this research is to publish grammars, texts, dictionaries, and ethnographic details associated with language use, maintenance and revitalization.  She and Frank R. Trechsel have published descriptive and theoretical articles based on the structure of Misantla Totonac and Pisaflores Tepehua, eg. reciprocal constructions, symmetrical objects, phonology, comitative constructions, etc.  She is currently working on determining the distribution and internal genetic relationships of languages within the Totonac-Tepehua area and reconstructing their ancestral language, proto-Totonac-Tepehua.

    In addition, MacKay has researched the Veneto language spoken in Chipilo, Mexico and Segusino, Italy.  She published a grammar and lexicon of the language in Italy in 1993/2002.  In 2017, she published a translation into Spanish in Mexico.  For her efforts on documenting and preserving the Veneto language in Mexico, MacKay has been made an honorary citizen of both Chipilo, Mexico, and Segusino, Italy. 

Professional Experience

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. in Linguistics. The University of Texas, Dept. of Linguistics, Austin, Texas
M.A. in Anthropology. Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Mexico
B.A. in French and Spanish. Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado

Research and Publications

Recent Research Grants

2018	Documenting Endangered Languages – NSF/NEH.  A Grammar of Pisaflores Tepehua
2015-2016	Documenting Endangered Languages – NSF/NEH.  A Dictionary of Misantla Totonac. (with Frank R. Trechsel)
2011 - 2015	Documenting Endangered Languages – NSF/NEH.  A Dictionary of Pisaflores Tepehua. (with Frank R. Trechsel)

 

Representative Publications

Books
Carolyn J. MacKay.  2017.  El véneto de Segusino y Chipilo:  gramática y léxico.  Puebla, Mexico:  Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. a translation into Spanish of Il dialetto veneto di Segusino e Chipilo (2002), Carolyn J. MacKay. pp. 432.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel.  2010.  Tepehua de Pisaflores, Veracruz.  Archivo de Lenguas Indígenas de México.  México D.F.:  El Colegio de México.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel, eds.   2009/2010.  Jon paataa'waná' qa'tíilh waalh jon pavoreál.  El Tapacamino y el Pavo Real (The Whip-poor-will and the Peacock).  (Misantla Totonac/Spanish).  Muncie:  Ball State Printing Services.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel.  2005.  El Totonaco de Misantla, Veracruz. Archivo de Lenguas Indígenas de México.  México D.F.:  Colegio de México.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel, eds.   2005/2010.  An kuchú.  La cotorra (The Parrot).  (Pisaflores Tepehua/Spanish).  Muncie, IN:  Ball State Printing Services.

Carolyn J. MacKay.  1999.  A Grammar of Misantla Totonac.  Salt Lake City:  University of Utah Press.

Articles/Chapters

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel.  2018.  An Alternative reconstruction of Proto-Totonac-Tepehua.  International Journal of American Linguistics. Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 51-92.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel. 2018. Una reconstrucción alternativa del Proto-totonaco-tepehua.  Discusiones recientes en torno a la lingüística histórica indomexicana.  In Elsa Cristina Buenrostro, Lucero Meléndez Guadarrama y Marcela San Giacomo Trinidad (eds.). México D.F.: Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.  pp. 85-123.

Carolyn J. MacKay and Frank R. Trechsel.  2015a.  Totonac-Tepehua Genetic Relationships.  In Claudine Chamoreau, ed.  Amerindia.  37(2):121-157

---