<P> According to the 2000 census by INEGI, Nahuatl is spoken by an estimated 1.45 million people, some 198,000 (14.9%) of whom are monolingual . There are many more female than male monolinguals, and females represent nearly two thirds of the total number . The states of Guerrero and Hidalgo have the highest rates of monolingual Nahuatl speakers relative to the total Nahuatl speaking population, at 24.2% and 22.6%, respectively . For most other states the percentage of monolinguals among the speakers is less than 5% . This means that in most states more than 95% of the Nahuatl speaking population are bilingual in Spanish . </P> <P> The largest concentrations of Nahuatl speakers are found in the states of Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, and Guerrero . Significant populations are also found in the State of Mexico, Morelos, and the Federal District, with smaller communities in Michoacán and Durango . Nahuatl became extinct in the states of Jalisco and Colima during the 20th century . As a result of internal migration within the country, Nahuatl speaking communities exist in all states in Mexico . The modern influx of Mexican workers and families into the United States has resulted in the establishment of a few small Nahuatl speaking communities in that country, particularly in California, New York, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona . </P> <P> Nahuan languages are defined as a subgroup of Uto - Aztecan by having undergone a number of shared changes from the Uto - Aztecan protolanguage (PUA). The table below shows the phonemic inventory of Classical Nahuatl as an example of a typical Nahuan language . In some dialects, the / t͡ɬ / phoneme, so common in Classical Nahuatl, has changed into either / t /, as in Isthmus Nahuatl, Mexicanero and Pipil, or into / l /, as in Nahuatl of Pómaro, Michoacán . Many dialects no longer distinguish between short and long vowels . Some have introduced completely new vowel qualities to compensate, as is the case for Tetelcingo Nahuatl . Others have developed a pitch accent, such as Nahuatl of Oapan, Guerrero . Many modern dialects have also borrowed phonemes from Spanish, such as / b, d, ɡ, f / . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <Table> Classical Nahuatl Consonants <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Labial </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Alveolar </Th> <Th> Palatal </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Velar </Th> <Th> Glottal </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> central </Th> <Th> lateral </Th> <Th> plain </Th> <Th> labialized </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Nasal </Th> <Td> m </Td> <Td> n </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Plosive </Th> <Td> p </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> k </Td> <Td> kw </Td> <Td> ʔ </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Affricate </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> ts </Td> <Td> tɬ </Td> <Td> tʃ </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Continuant </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> s </Td> <Td> l </Td> <Td> ʃ </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> (h) * </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Semivowel </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> j </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> w </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> <Table> Classical Nahuatl Vowels <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Front </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Central </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Back </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> long </Th> <Th> short </Th> <Th> long </Th> <Th> short </Th> <Th> long </Th> <Th> short </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Close </Th> <Td> iː </Td> <Td> i </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> oː </Td> <Td> o </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Mid </Th> <Td> eː </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Open </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> aː </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Which of the following did not constitute a part of aztec society