The Meso-American (morpho)Phonology project (MAmP2009-2014, IUF) explores four dimensions of descriptive and theoretical linguistics: 1) computational geolinguistics and diasystemic typology; 2) documentation of endangered languages and varieties; 3) modelling grammars, through a thorough revision of available data, with a strong focus e.g. on recent theories, such as Paradigm Function Morphology; 4) geolinguistic data processing for interdisciplinary research, through dialectometry and cladistics. The MAmP project addresses these issues through the scrutiny of Amerindian languages spoken mainly in Mexico and Guatemala: two linguistic stocks (Mayan, Otomanguean) and one isolate (Huave/Ombeayiüts). Moreover, the MAmP project is strongly committed to cooperative work and training in applied linguistics with indigenous communities, in collaboration with local NGO (Non Governmental Organizations) and official institutions involved in language planning. This lecture will provide a survey of three results attained so far: 5) prototypes of linguistic atlases from etymological dictionaries and monographs; 6) modelling and disentangling inflectional classes in Mazatec, from a diasystemic standpoint; 7) implementation of databases and computational geolinguistic engineering for language planning and educational needs. As both an interdisciplinary and empirical endeavour to foster the knowledge and use of indigenous languages of Meso-America, the MAmP project has a strong potential for the benefit of under-resourced languages and for scholars involved in Meso-American studies. The goal of this lecture will be to discuss further developments and implementation of the methodology and results at hand.
