Popoluca is a Nahuatl term for various indigenous peoples of southeastern Veracruz and Oaxaca.
Others speak the unrelated Mazatecan languages, in which case the name in English and Spanish is generally spelled Popoloca.
[3] When the Spanish invaders asked their Nahuatl-speaking allies what language was spoken in a particular locality, the Nahuas would reply "popoloca" meaning in essence "not Nahuatl".
Note that the name "Popolocan" is also used by linguists to refer to these languages, which include varieties of Mazatec.
[5] Although "Popoluca" and "Popoloca" are derogatory and confusing terms, they are still being used, even in academic literature and official publications of the Mexican government.