There are three declensions; two for nouns, and the third for

adjectives. To the first belong those words which end in a vowel, and

also the participles ending with _me_ and _u_; to the second, those

ending with a consonant. Nouns ending with a vowel, and adjectives,

form the plural by appending an _m_ to the singular;--_tabu_, rabbit;

_tabum_, rabbits. Those ending with a consonant affix _im_, and those

ending with _t_ affix _zim_;--_paros_, hare; _parosim_, hares;

_uikit_, bird; _uikitzim_, birds. The personal pronouns are: _inopo_,

_neheriua_, _neheri_, _nehe_, _ne_, I; _itopo_, _iteriua_, _itee_,

_te_, we; _empo_, _eheriua_, _eheri_, _ehee_, _e_, thou; _empom_,

_emeriua_, _emeri_, _emee_, _em_, you; _uahaa_, _uahariua_, _uahari_,

he; _uameriua_, _uameri_, _uamee_, _im_, they.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO LOVE.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I love, ne eria | We love, te eria

Thou lovest, e eria | You love, em eria

He loves, eria | They love, im eria

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I loved, ne eriai | I have loved, ne eriak

PLUPERFECT. FIRST FUTURE.

I had loved, ne eriakai | I shall love, ne erianake

SECOND FUTURE.

I shall have loved, ne eriasunake

IMPERATIVE.

Love thou, e eria, or e eriama

Let him love, eria, or eriama

Love you, em eriabu, or em eriamabu

Let them love, im eriabu, or im eriamabu

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE.

If I love, ne eriauaua, or eriana

OPTATIVE.

O that I may love, netziyo eriayo

PRESENT PARTICIPLE.

Loving, eriakari, eriayo, eriako, or eriakako

INFINITIVE PASSIVE.

To be loved, erianaketeka, or erianakekari

He who loves, eriame | He who was loved, eriau

He who has loved, eriakame | He who had loved, eriakau

He who will love, erianakeme |

Of the many prepositions I only insert the following:--

To ui Below vetukuni, tukuni

In tzi Toward venukutzi, patiua

With ye For vetziu

Before uepatzi, patzi Within uahiua

Above vepa Whence kuni, uni

CONJUNCTIONS.

Also vetzi, suri, As if siua

huneri, soko

Although mautzi Thus huleni

But vitzi, tepa Besides ioentoksoko, ientoik

Not even tepesan If sok

The dialectic differences between the Mayo, Yaqui, and Tehueco are as

follows;--the Yaquis and Mayos use the letter _h_, where the Tehuecos

use _s_ when it occurs in the middle of a word, and is followed by a

consonant;--_tuhta_, by the Tehuecos is pronounced _tusta_. Other

words also, by some are pronounced short, while others pronounce them

long. The interjection of the vocative is with some _hiua_, and with

others _me_. The pronoun _nepo_, the Yaquis use instead of _inopo_.

The Mayos use the imperfect as before given; the Tehuecos end it with

_t_, and the Yaquis with _n_. The pluperfect of the Tehuecos ends with

_k_; that of the Yaquis with _kam_; that of the Maya with _kai_.

To illustrate dialectic differences, I insert a short comparative

vocabulary, made up from a dictionary, a doctrina, and from words of

the Mayo and two Yaqui dialects:

DICTIONARY. DOCTRINA. MAYO. YAQUI. YAQUI.

Father achai atzai hechai achay achai

Our itom itom itom itom itom

Be katek katek katek katek katek

Respected aioiore ioiori llori llori iori

Thine em em em em em

Name tehua tehuam tegam teguam teguam

Bread buahuame buaieu buanakem buailem buaye

Daily matzukve makhukve makehut matehui machuk

Give amaka amika amika amika mika

To day ieni ieni hene ian hien

Of vetana betana betana betana betana

The Lord's Prayer in the Cahita:

Itom atzai teuekapo katekame emtehuam checheuasu

Our father heaven in he who is thy name very much

ioioriua, itom ipeisana emiauraua emuarepo imbuiapo

be respected, to us that he may come thy kingdom thy will earth in

anua aman teuekapo anua eueni. Makhukve itom

let it be done also heaven in is done as. Each day our

buaieu ieni itom amika, itome sok alulutiria itom

bread to-day to us give, to us also forgive us

kaalanekau itome sok alulutiria eueni itom beherim

sins we also we forgive as our enemies

kate sok itom butia huena kutekom uoti: emposi

not and to us lead fall temptation in: thou

aman itom ioretua katuri betana.

also us save no good (bad) of.

The Lord's Prayer in the Yaqui dialect:

Ytoma chay teque canca tecame emteguam cheheguasullorima yem

iton llejosama. Emllauragua embalepo ynim buiajo angua. Aman

teguecapo anguaben matehui itom buallem yan sitoma mica. Sor y

toma a hitaria cala ytom á hitaria y topo á litariame ytom

begerim catuise ytom bulilae contegotiama, ca juena cuchi

emposu juchi aman ytom lloretuane caturim betana. Amen

Jesus.[VIII'-5]

[Sidenote: GRAMMAR OF THE TARAHUMARA LANGUAGE.]

East of the Cahita, in the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Durango,

an uncivilized and barbarous people inhabit the Sierra Madre, who

speak the Tarahumara tongue, which contains the same Aztec element as

the Cahita, but is otherwise, as previously stated, a distinct

language. The principal dialects are the Varogio, Guazapare and

Pachera.[VIII'-6] The Tarahumara is a rather difficult language to

acquire, mainly owing to its pronunciation. The final syllables of

words are frequently omitted or swallowed, and sometimes even the

first syllables or letters. The accentuation also differs much, nouns

generally being accentuated on the penultimate, and verbs on the

ultimate. The alphabet consists of the following letters: _a_, _b_,

_ch_, _e_, _g_, _i_, _j_, _k_, _l_, _m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _r_, _s_, _t_,

_u_, _v_, _y_. These letters, and also the following grammatical

remarks refer specially to the language as spoken in Chinipas. Other

dialects have the letter _h_ in place of _j_ or _r_, and _z_ for _s_.

The plural of nouns is formed by duplicating a syllable;--_mukí_,

woman; _mumukí_, women; or, in some cases an adverb, indicating the

plural, is appended. Patronymics form the plural, by duplicating the

last syllable. The particle _gua_ also indicates the plural. The

possessive case is formed by annexing the syllable _ra_ to the thing

possessed;--_Pedro bukúra_, house of Pedro. Comparatives are expressed

by adding the terminal _be_;--_gara_, good; _garabé_, better; and

superlatives by simply putting a heavier accent on the comparative

terminal;--_reré_, low; _rerebé_, lower; _rerebéé_, lowest. Personal

pronouns are: _nejé_, I; _mujé_, thou; _senú_, he; _tamujé_ or

_ramujé_, we; _emejé_ or _emé_, you; _güepuná_, they.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO COUNT.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I count, nejé tará | We count, ramujé tará

Thou countest, mujé tará | You count, emejé tará

He counts, senú tará | They count, guepuná tará

PERFECT. PLUPERFECT.

I have counted, nejé taráca | I had counted, nejé tarayéque

FIRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.

I shall count, nejé tarára | I shall have counted, nejé taragópera

IMPERATIVE.

Count thou, tará | Let them count, tarára

Count you, tarási | Do not count, caté tarási

Let us count, tarayéque |

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE.

If I count, sonecá tarára | If we count, sotamenecá tarára

If thou count, somucá tarára | If they count, sopucá tarára

If he count, sosenucá tarára |

IMPERFECT.

If I did count, sonecá tarareyéque

He who counts, tarayámeque | They who have to count, taraméri

Counting, taroyó | He who has to count, tarabéri

Having counted, taraságo | [VIII'-7]

Of the different dialects there are five specimens, all Lord's

Prayers, a comparison of which will show their variations. The first

is from Father Steffel:

Tamí Nonó, mamú reguí guamí gatíkí, tamí noinéruje mú reguá

seliméa rekíjena, tamí neguáruje mú jelalikí henná guetschikí,

mapú hatschíbe réguega quamí. Tamí nutútuje hipelâ, tamí

guecáuje tamí guikelikí, matamé hatschíbe réguega tamí

guecáuje putsé tamí guikejámeke, ké tá tamí sátuje,

telegatígameke mechcá hulá. Amen.

The second is from Tellechea, who lived in Chinipas and at Zapópan:

Tamú nonó repá regiiegáchi atígameque muteguárarí santo

níreboa, mu semárarí regiiegáchi atigá, tamú jurá muyerarí

jenagiiichíqui mapú regiiegá eguarígua repá regiiegáchi.

Sesenú ragiiê tamú nitugára, jipe ragiiê tamí nejá, tami

cheligiie tamucheína yorí yomá matameregiiegiá, cheligué tamú

ayoriguámeque uché mapú requí chàti ju mecá mu jurá, mapú tamí

tayoràbua quéco.

The third is in the dialect spoken in the district of Mina:

Taminonó tehuastiqui tehuara santi riboa razihuachi tamuperá

arimihuymira nahuichi chumiricá tehuanehuario teamonetellá

sinerahué hiperahuí tamenejá. Seoriqui cahuillé chumaricá

cahuillé quiamoqué tarubé chimerá chiniariqui mastí

nahuchimoba. Amen Jesus.

[Sidenote: TARAHUMARA LORD'S PRAYERS.]

For the next two no localities are given:

Tami nono guami repá reguegachi atiame: tá cheiquichi ju, màpu

müreg uéga repá asagá mu atiqui: Jená ibi, guichimòba quima

neogarae mu naguára; mu llelá litae guichimòba mü llolára

guali mü cii mollenara, mi, repá reguegachi. Amen Jesus.

Hono tami niguëga matu ati crepa: guebrucá nilrera que

mubreguá. Tami nagüibra que munetebrichi, nilrelra que mu el

rabrichi gená güichimoba: mapu breguegal repa. Brami goguáme

epilri bragüe brame jipeyá, brami güecagüe. Mata igui güicá

mapu bregüega bramegé. Güecagüe mapu brami güique ta nobri

brami guichavari que chitichi natabrichi. Habri brami guaini

mane brisiga equimé. Amen Isuis.[VIII'-8]

Although in possession of Tellechea's grammar, Gallatin denies the

connection between the Tarahumara and the Aztec.[VIII'-9] I give here

some of their grammatical resemblances. These are, the incorporation

of the noun with the verb in some cases; the combination of two verbs,

the dropping of the original end-syllables when joining or

incorporating several words together, the formation of the plural by

duplication, and the traces of a reverential end syllable. All these

are important points, and combined with the similarity--in some cases

even identity--of a great number of words, they make the relationship

or traces of the Aztec language in the Tarahumara

incontestable.[VIII'-10]

* * * * *

Passing to the north-eastern part of Mexico I enter a totally unknown

region, of whose languages mention is made, but nothing more. Neither

vocabularies, nor grammars, nor any other specimens of them exist, and

in most cases it is even difficult to fix the exact geographical

location of the people who are reported to have spoken them. Of these

I name first the Concho, which language is reported to have been a

dialect of the Aztec, but this is denied by Hervás, who had his

information from the missionary Palacios, although the latter admits

that the people spoke the Aztec. Their location is stated to have been

near the Rio Concho.[VIII'-11] In the Bolson de Mapimi, the Toboso

language is named. This people are reported to have understood the

language of the Zacatecs and the Aztecs; and furthermore, to have had

their own distinct tongue.[VIII'-12] Other idioms mentioned near the

same region are the Hualahuise, Julime, Piro, Suma, and

Chinarra.[VIII'-13] Of the Piro I find the following Lord's Prayer:

Quitatác nasaul e yapolhua tol húy quiamgiana mi quiamnarinú.

Jaquie mugilley nasamagui hikiey quiamsamaé, mukiataxám,

hikiey, hiquiquiamo quia inaé, huskilley nafoleguey, gimoréy,

y apol y ahuléy, quialiey, nasan e pomo llekey, quiale

mahimnague yo sé mahi kaná rrohoy, se teman quiennatehui

mukilley, nani, nani emolley quinaroy zetasi, nasan

quianatehuey pemcihipompo y, qui solakuey quifollohipuca. Kuey

maihua atellan, folliquitey. Amen.

The Irritila, which was spoken by a number of tribes, called by the

Spaniards the Laguneros, inhabiting the country near the Missions of

Parras, is another extinct tongue.[VIII'-14] In Coahuila, the Tejano or

Coahuiltec language is found. A short manual for the use of the

priests was written in this language by Father García, and from it a

few grammatical observations have been drawn by Pimentel.

[Sidenote: EXTRACT FROM THE COAHUILTEC GRAMMAR.]

The letters used are _a_, _c_, _ch_, _e_, _g_, _h_, _i_, _j_, _l_,

_m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _q_, _s_, _t_, _u_, _y_, _tz_. The pronunciation

is similar to that of some of the people who inhabit the Northwest

Coast, as the Nootkas, Thlinkeets, and others. A kind of clicking

sound produced with the tongue, which García designates by an

apostrophe, thus--_c'_, _q'_, _t'_, _p'_, _l'_. The _c'_, and _q'_, are

pronounced with a rasping sound from the root of the tongue; _t'_ with

a click with the point of the tongue against the teeth, etc. There is

no plural in the language except such as is expressed by the words

many, all, and some. Pronouns are _tzin_, I; _jamin_, or _am_, thou;

_nami_, mine; _ja_, thine; _jami_, ours. Interrogation is expressed by

the letter _e_ after the verb;--_japtû pôé?_ are you a father? _po_

being the verb. Negation is expressed by _ojua_, if it stands for 'no'

alone, but if it is joined to a verb it is expressed by _ajâm_

following the verb, and if the verb ends with a vowel, by _yajâm_. The

Tejano is divided into several dialects which vary chiefly in the

different pronunciation of some words: as for _che_ they say _chi_, or

_so_ for _se_, _cue_ instead of _co_, etc. The following soul-winning

dogma with the translation is given as a specimen of the language.

Mej t' oajâm pitucuêj pînta pilapâm chojâi pilchê guatzamôjuajâmaté,

pilâpajuáj sauj chojai: Mej t' oajâm pitucuêj pilapôujpacô san paj

guajátam atê; talôm apnán pan t' oajâm tucuet apcué tucué apajái

sanché guasáyajám: sajpám pinapsá pitachîjô, mai cuân tzam aguajtá,

namo, namo t' oajâm tucuém mâisájâc mem; t' ájacat mem jatâlam ajam é?

And there in hell there is nothing to eat, nor any sleep, nor rest;

there is no getting out of hell; the great fire of hell will never be

finished. If thou hadst died with those sins, thou wouldst be already

there in hell; then, why art thou not afraid?[VIII'-15]

The Tubar is another idiom which was spoken near the head-waters of

the Rio Sinaloa. Ribas affirms that two totally distinct languages

are spoken by this people. From a Lord's Prayer preserved in this

tongue Mr Buschmann after careful comparison has concluded that the

Tubar is another member of the Aztec-Sonora group, showing, as it

does, unmistakeable Aztec traces. I insert the Lord's Prayer with

translation.

Ite cañar tegmuecarichin catemat imit tegmuarat

Our father heaven in art thy name

militurabà teochigualac; imit huegmica carin iti

be praised; thy kingdom us to

bacachinassisaguin, imit avamunarir echu nañigualac imo cuigan

come, thy will here be done as well as

amo nachic tegmuecarichin; ite cokuatarit essemer taniguarit

there is done heaven; our bread daily

iabba ite micam; ite tatacoli ikiri atzomua ikirirain

to-day us give; our sins forgive as we forgive

ite bacachin cale kuegmua nañiguacantem caisa

us against evil previously have done not

ite nosam baca tatacoli bacachin ackirò muetzerac ite.[VIII'-16]

us lead in sin of evil deliver us.

The following is a Lord's Prayer of the Tubar dialect spoken in the

district of Mina in Chihuahua.

Hite cañac temo calichin catema himite muhará huiturabá

santoñetará himitemoh acarí hay sesahui hitebacachin hitaramaré

hechinemolac amo cuira pan amotemo calichin hítecocohatari éseme

tan huaric. Llava hitemicahin tatacoli higuíli hite nachi

higuiriray hitebacach in calquihuan nehun conten hitehohui

caltehue cheraca tatacol bacachin hiqu ipó calquihuá ñahuité

baquit ebacachin calaserac. Amen Jesus.[VIII'-17]

[Sidenote: TEPEHUANA GRAMMAR.]

In the state of Durango and extending into parts of Jalisco,

Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora, is spoken the Tepehuana

language.[VIII'-18] Like the Tarahumara it is guttural and pronounced

in a rather sputtering manner. The Tepehuanes speak very fast, and

often leave off or swallow the end syllables, which occasioned much

trouble to the missionaries, who on that account could not easily

understand them. Another difficulty is the accentuation, as the

slightest variation of accent will change the meaning of a

word.[VIII'-19] The following alphabet is used to represent the sound

of the Tephuana, _a_, _b_, _ch_, _d_, _e_, _g_, _h_, _i_, _j_, _k_,

_l_, _m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _q_, _r_, _s_, _sc_, _t_, _u_, _v_, _y_. In

the formation of words many vowels are frequently combined, as, _ooo_,

bone; _iiuie_, to drink. Long words are of frequent occurrence

as--_soigulidadatudadamo_, difficult; _meit

sciuguidodadaguitodadamoe_, continually. The letter _d_ appears to be

very frequently used, as in the word--_toddascidaraga_, or

_doadidamodaraga_, fright. To form the plural of words, the first

syllable is duplicated. Personal pronouns are;--_aneane_, or _ane_, I;

_api_, thou; _eggue_, he; _atum_, we; _apum_, you; _eggama_, they;

_in_, mine; _u_, thine; _di_, or _de_, his; _ut_, ours; _um_, yours.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SAY.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I say, aneane aguidi | We say, atum aguidi

Thou sayest, api aguidi | You say, apum aguidi

He says, eggue aguidi | They say, eggam aguidi

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I said, aneane aguiditade | I have said, aguidianta or

| aneaneanta aguidi

FIRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.

I shall say, aneane aguidiague | I shall have said,

aneane aquidiamokue

IMPERATIVE.

Let me say, aguidiana ane

Say thou, aguidiani, or aguidiana api

Let him say, aguidiana eggue

Let us say, aguiuiana atum

Say you, aguidiana apum, or aguidavoramoe

Let them say, aguidiana eggam

I may say, aneane aguidana

I should say, aneane aguidaguitade

I should have said, aneane aguidaguijatade

If I should say, aneane aguidaguiague

PARTICIPLE.

Saying, aguidimi

He is saying, aguidimijatade

Having said, aguidati

In some places the ending of the imperfect indicative is _kade_

instead of _tade_.

CONJUNCTIONS.

And amider

As if appia na

Also jattika, kat

And for that ikaidiatut

Or sciupu

Although tumasci, tume

For which ukaidi

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Utogga atemo tubaggue dama santusikamoe uggue

Our father who in heaven above sanctified be he

ututugaraga duviana uguiere api odduna gutuguitodaraga

thy name come thy kingdom thou do thy will

tami dubur dama tubaggue. Udguaddaga ud

as well earth above heaven. Our food to us

makane scibi ud joigudane ud sceadoadaraga addukate

give to-day to us forgive our sins as

joigude jut jaddune maitague daguito ud.[VIII'-20]

we forgive our debtors not tempt us.

The roughest and most inaccessible part of the Sierra Madre, in the

state of Durango, is the seat of the Acaxee language, which from this

centre spreads, under different names and dialects, into the

neighboring states. Among these dialects are mentioned the Topia,

Sabaibo, Xixime, Hume, Mediotaquel and Tebaca.[VIII'-21] Some writers

claim that the Acaxee with all its differences is related to the

Mexican, while others, among them Balbi, make it a distinct tongue. As

neither vocabularies nor other specimens of it exist, the real fact

cannot be ascertained. The missionaries say that the Aztec language

was spoken and understood in these parts. In Zacatecas is mentioned as

the prevailing tongue the Zacatec, besides which some authors speak of

the Cazcane as a distinct idiom, while others aver that the Cazcanes

and Zacatecs were one people. Besides these there are adjoining them

the Mazapile, Huitcole, and Guachichile, of none of which do I find

any specimens or vocabularies.[VIII'-22] I also find mentioned in

Zacatecas the Colotlan, and in Jalisco the Tlaxomulteca, Tecuexe, and

Tepecano.[VIII'-23]

* * * * *

[Sidenote: THE CORA LANGUAGE AND ITS DIALECTS.]

In that portion of the state of Jalisco which is known by the name of

Nayarit, the Cora language is spoken. It is divided into three

dialects; the Muutzicat, spoken in the heart of the mountains; the

Teacuaeitzica, on the mountain slopes; and the Cora, or Ateacari, near

the mouth of the Rio Nayarit, or Jesus María.[VIII'-24] The Aztec

element, which is stronger and more apparent in the Cora than in any

other of the three Aztec-Sonora languages, has been recognized by many

of the earliest writers.[VIII'-25] The Cora language is intricate and

rather difficult to learn, as indeed are the other three.[VIII'-26]

Following are a few grammatical notes taken from Ortega's vocabulary.

The letters of the alphabet are _a_, _b_, _ch_, _e_, _h_, _i_, _k_,

_m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _r_, _t_, _u_, _v_, _x_, _y_, _z_, _tz_. The

pronunciation is hard; there is no established way of expressing the

gender. The names of animated beings, as well as inanimate objects

form the plural by the affixes _te_, _eri_ or _ri_, _tzi_ or _zi_, and

also with the preposition _mea_, although there are some exceptions to

this rule; for example;--_zearate_, bee; _zearateri_, bees; _kanax_,

sheep; _kanexeri_, sheep; _ukubihuame_, orator; _ukubihuametzi_,

orators; _teatzahuateakame_, he who is obedient, of which the plural

is _teatzahuateakametzi_; _kurute_, crane; _kurutzi_, cranes;

_teaxka_, scorpion; _teaxkate_, scorpions. Verbal nouns designating a

person who performs an action, are formed by affixing to the verb the

syllable _kame_, or _huame_;--_hukabihuame_, advocate (he who pleads);

_timuacheakame_, lover, (he who loves); _tichuikame_, singer, (he who

sings).

[Sidenote: CORA GRAMMAR AND LORD'S PRAYER.]

Personal pronouns are;--_neapue_, _nea_, I; _apue_, _ap_, thou;

_aehpu_, _aehp_, he; _iteammo_, _itean_, we; _ammo_, _an_, you;

_aehmo_, _aehm_, they; but in conjugating the following are

used:--_ne_, I; _pe_ or _pa_, thou; _te_, we; _ze_, you; _me_, they.

Of the conjugation of the verb, it is only stated that there is no

infinitive, and the following example of the present indicative is

given:

I love, nemuache

Thou lovest, pemuache

He loves, muache

We love, te muache

You love, ze muache

They love, me muache

There are plural and singular verbs;--_tachuite_, to give a long

thing; _taihte_, to give long things.

Prepositions are:--_hetze_, _tzahta_, in; _keme_, with, for; _apoan_,

above; _tihauze_, before. The peculiarity of the Muutzicat dialect is

the frequent use of the letter _r_, which is either appended, or

placed in the middle of the word at pleasure;--for _huihma_, they say

_ruihma_; for _earit_, _erarit_. The Teakuaeitzicai dialect has many

distinct words not used in any of the others, so that at times they

are not at all understood by those speaking the other dialects. As a

specimen I insert the Lord's Prayer:

Tayaoppa tahapoa petehbe cherihuaca eiia teaguarira;

Our father heaven be sanctified be thy name;

chemeahaubeni tahemi eiia chianaca cheaguasteni eiia

come to us thy world done be thy

jevira iye chianakatapoan tup up tahapoa. Ta hamuit

will as earth as heaven. Our bread

huima tahetze rujeve ihic ta taa; huatauniraca

always us by wanting to-day us give; forgive

ta xanacat tetup iteahmo tatahuatauni titaxanakante ta

our sin as we we forgive our debtors us

vaehre teatkai havobereni xanakat hetze huavaehreaka

help that not let us fall sin in help

tecai tahemi rutahuaja tehai eu ene che enhuata

that not us reach not what good so be it.

hua.[VIII'-27]

FOOTNOTES:

[VIII'-1] Mocorito, Petatlan and Ocoroni are 'gentes de varias lenguas.'

_Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 34. Ahome are 'gente de

diferente lengua llamada Zoe.' Zoes 'son de la misma lengua con los

Guaçaues.' _Id._, p. 145. 'Comoporis los quales aunque eran de la

misma lengua de los mansos Ahomes.' _Id._, p. 153. 'Huites de

diferente lengua' from the Cinaloas. _Id._, p. 207. Zuaques and

Tehuecos 'ser todos de una misma lengua.' Batuca 'de una lengua no

dificil, y parecida mucho á la de Ocoroiri.' _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de

Jesus_, tom. ii., pp. 10, 186. 'La lengua es ore.' 'Varogia y segun se

ha reconocido es lo mismo que la taura, aunque varia algo

principalmente en la gramática.' 'La lengua es particular macoyahui

con que son tres las lenguas de este partido.' In San Andres de

Conicari 'la lengua es particular y distinta de la de los demas

pueblos si bien todos los demas de ellos entienden la lengua tepave, y

aun la caita aunque no la hablan.' 'La lengua es particular que llaman

troes.' 'La gente en su idioma es guazave.' 'La lengua es distinta y

particular que llaman nio.' 'Conversan entre sí distintas las lenguas

de cahuimetos y ohueras.' 'Lenguas que hablan entre sí y son chicurata

y basopa.' San Miguel de Mocorito 'de cuatro parcialidades y distintas

lenguas.' _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom.

iii., pp. 363-409. 'Los misioneros ... colocaban en las misiones de la

lengua cahita á los sinaloas, hichucios, zuaques, biaras, matapanes y

tehuecos.' 'El ahome y el comopori son dialectos muy diversos ó

lenguas hermanas del guazave.' _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 35;

_Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 154-7; _Hassel_, _Mex.

Guat._, p. 175.

[VIII'-2] 'La nacion Hiaqui y por consecuencia la Mayo y del Fuerte, ...

que en la sustancia son una misma y de una propia lengua.' _Cancio_,

in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. ii., p. 246. Mayo and Yaqui: 'Su

idioma por consiguìente es el mismo, con la diferencia de unas cuantas

voces.' _Velasco_, _Noticias de Sonora_, p. 82. Mayo 'su lengua es la

misma que corre en los rios de Çuaque y Hiaqui.' Yaqui 'que es la mas

general de Cinaloa.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, pp. 237, 287;

_Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, p. 286. 'La lengua cahita es dividida en tres

dialectos principales, el mayo, yaqui y tehueco; ademas hay otros

secundarios.' _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 485. 'Tres dialectos

principales, el zuaque, la maya y el yaqui.' _Balbi_, in _Orozco y

Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 35; _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Esquisses_, p.

31.

[VIII'-3] 'Su idioma es muy franco, nada dificil de aprenderse, y

susceptible de reducirse á las reglas gramaticales de cualquiera

nacion civilizada.' _Velasco_, _Noticias de Sonora_, p. 75.

[VIII'-4] 'En hablar alto, y con brio singulares, y grandemente

arrogantes.' 'No vès que soy Hiaqui: y dezianlo, porque essa palabra,

y nombre, significa, el que habla a gritos.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los

Triumphos_, p. 285.

[VIII'-5] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., pp. 456-91, _Hervás_, in _Vater_,

_Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 157-8; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der

Aztek. Spr._, pp. 211-18; _Ternaux-Compans_, in _Nouvelles Annales des

Voy._, 1841, tom. xcii., pp. 260-87; _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion

Dominical_, p. 49.

[VIII'-6] 'Varogia y segun se ha reconocido es lo mismo que la taura

aunque varia algo principalmente en la gramática.' Guazapare 'la

lengua es la misma aunque ya mas parecida á la de los taraumares.'

_Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp.

388, 390, 334, et seq.; _Steffel_, in _Murr_, _Nachrichten_, pp.

296-300; _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 592; _Pimentel_,

_Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 363; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 34.

[VIII'-7] _Tellechea_, _Compendio Gram. del Idioma Tarahumar_, pp. 2-3.

[VIII'-8] _Tellechea_, _Compendio Gram. del Idioma Tarahumar_; also in

_Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. iv., pp. 145-68, and in _Pimentel_,

_Cuadro_, tom. i., pp. 366-400; _Steffel_, _Tarahumarisches

Wörterbuch_, in _Murr_, _Nachrichten_, pp. 296-374; _Ternaux-Compans_,

in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1841, tom. xcii., pp. 260-287;

_Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 144-54; _Col.

Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, pp. 40-43.

[VIII'-9] 'Have no resemblance with the Mexican.' _Gallatin_, in _Amer.

Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol. i., p. 4. 'This (the Tarahumara) has not

in its words any affinity with the Mexican; and the people who speak

it have a decimal arithmetic.' _Id._, p. 203. 'Ihre Aehnlichkeit mit

dem Mexikanischen ... ist doch gross genug.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_,

tom. iii., pt iii., p. 143; _Wilhelm von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_,

_Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 46-50.

[VIII'-10] _Wilhelm von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek.

Spr._, pp. 50.

[VIII'-11] _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. ii., p. 58; _Orozco

y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 324-5; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek.

Spr._, p. 172.

[VIII'-12] _Villa-Señor y Sanchez_, _Theatro_, tom. ii., p. 348;

_Pascual_, in _Hist. Doc. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., p. 201;

_Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 172; _Orozco y Berra_,

_Geografía_, pp. 308-9.

[VIII'-13] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 309, 327; _Col.

Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, p. 36.

[VIII'-14] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 309.

[VIII'-15] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 409-413.

[VIII'-16] 'Tienen estos indios dos lenguas totalmente distintas: la una,

y que mas corre entre ellos, y demas gente, es de las que yo tengo en

este partido, con que les hablo, y me entienden ... la otra es

totalmente distinta.' _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 320. _Ribas_,

_Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 118; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii.,

pt iii., p. 139. 'Zwar voll von Fremdheit und sehr für sich dasteht,

aber doch als ein wirkliches sonorisches Glied, bei bestimmten

Gemeinschaften mit den anderen und als vorzugsweise reich an

aztekischen Stoff ausgestattet.... Ihre Ähnlichkeiten neigen

abwechselnd gegen die _Cora_, _Tarahumara_, und _Cahita_, besonders

gegen die beiden letzten, auch _Hiaqui_; der _Tepeguana_ bleibt sie

mehr fremd.' _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 164, 170-1.

[VIII'-17] _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, p. 47.

[VIII'-18] _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 673; _Alegre_, _Hist.

Comp. de Jesus_, tom. i., p. 319; _Museo Mex._, tom. iii., p. 269;

_Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp.

310-315; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 34, 320; _Vater_,

_Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p. 138; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom.

ii., p. 43; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 162; _Hervás_,

_Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 327.

[VIII'-19] 'La pronunciacion es muy gutural y basta el mas ligero cambio

en ella para que cambien de sentido las palabras.' _Rinaldini_,

_Gramatica_, in _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., p. 46; _Buschmann_,

_Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 36.

[VIII'-20] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 46-68.

[VIII'-21] Sabaibos 'eran de la misma lengua y Nacion Acaxee.' _Ribas_,

_Hist. de los Trivmphos_, pp. 471, 491. Sabaibos 'distinta nacion,

aunque del mismo idioma'--Acaxee. _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_,

tom. i., p. 422. 'Humes, nacion distinta de los xiximes aunque tienen

una misma lengua.' _Alonso del Valle_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série

iv., tom. iii., p. 96. 'Me parece que tienen afinidad las lenguas

_topia_, _acajee_ y _tepehuana_, las quales, como tambien la de

Parras, son dialectos de la _Zacateca_.' _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom.

i., p. 327. 'Im Norden von Tepehuana enthält die gebirgige Provinz

Topia um den 25° N. Br. ausser der lingua _Topia_ und der damit

verwandten _Acaxee_, noch im Norden der letzteren die _Xixime_,

_Sicuraba_, _Hina_ und _Iluime_ als Sprachen ebenso vieler

verschiedener in der Nähe der Topia und Acaxee wohnenden

Völkerschaften.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp.

138-9. Castañeda mentions in these regions the Tahus, Pacasas, and

Acaxas languages, in _Ternaux-Compans_, _Voy._, série i., tom. ix.,

pp. 150-3; _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom.

iii., pp. 415-17; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 12-13, 319-20;

_Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 173-4.

[VIII'-22] 'Indios cascanes que son los Zacatecas.' 'Xuchipila que

entendian la lengua de los Zacatecos.' _Padilla_, _Conq. N. Galicia_,

MS., p. 234; _Bernardez_, _Descrip. Zacatecas_, p. 23. '_Cazcanes_,

qui ad fines _Zacatecarum_ degunt, lingua moribusque á caeteris

diversi: _Guachachiles_ itidem idiomate differentes; Denique

_Guamaroe_, quorum idioma supra modum concisum, difficilime

addiscitur.' _Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, p. 281. 'La lengua mexicana que es

la generica de toda la Provincia.' _Arlegui_, _Chrón. Zacatecas_, p.

52. 'Sobre el Cascon ó Zacateco, no creo que hubiera sido ni aun

dialecto del mexicano, sino que era el mismo mexicano hablado por unos

rústicos que estropeaban las palabras y que les daban distínto

acento.' Huacbichiles, Tejuejue and Tlajomolteco 'Sobre estos idiomas,

ó si les considera dialectos, juzgo que no existieron.' _Romero Gil_,

in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. viii., p. 499; _Ribas_, _Hist.

de los Triumphos_, p. 676; _Hassel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 159.

[VIII'-23] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 61.

[VIII'-24] _Apostólicos Afanes_, cap. vii., p. 56. 'Dentro de Reyno de la

Galicia quedaron algunos otras Naciones como son los Cocas, Tequexes,

Choras, Tecualmes y Nayaritas, y otras que despues de pacíficada la

tierra han dejado de hablarse por que ya reducidos los de la lengua

Azteca, que era la major nacion se han mixturado de suerte que ya

todos las mas hablan solo una lengua en toda la Galicia excepta en la

Provincia del Nayarit.' _Padilla_, _Conq. N. Galicia_, MS., p. 8. 'La

lengua Cora, que es la del Nayar.' _Arricivita_, _Crónica Seráfica_,

p. 89; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 39, 281-2; _Vater_,

_Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 131-2.

[VIII'-25] 'La lengua mas comun del pais es la _chota_ aunque muy

interpolada y confundida hoy con la Mexicana.' _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp.

de Jesus_, tom. iii., p. 197. 'Muchos vocablos de la lengua mexicana,

y algunos de la castellana, los han corisado hacièndolos propios de su

idioma tan antiguamente; que ya hoy en dia corren, y se tienen por

Coras.' _Ortega_, in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. viii., p. 563.

'No carezco totalmente de datos para creer que los indios nayares son

pimas, ó al menos descendientes de ellos.' _Orozco y Berra_,

_Geografía_, p. 39. 'Es idioma hermano del azteca, tal vez fundado en

algunas palabras que tienen la forma ó las raices del mexicano;

nosotros creemos que estas semejanzas no provienen de comunidad de

orígen de las dos lenguas, sino de las relaciones que esas tribus

mantuvieron por espacio de mucho tiempo.' _Id._, p. 282. 'La core

offrent très-peu d'affinité avec les autres langues américaines.'

_Malte-Brun_, _Précis de la Géog._, tom. vi., p. 449. 'Die Cora ...

bewährt ihre Verwandtschaft vornehmlich durch die unverkennbare

Gleichheit einer nur diesen beiden Sprachen gemeinschaftlichen

Formations-Weise des Verbum in seinen Personen und die Bezeichnung ihrer

Beziehung auf ein leidendes Object, wie die Vergleichung des

grammatischen Charakters beyder Sprachen deutlich zeigen wird.'

_Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 87, 89. 'Für verwandte

Sprachen, wie sie allerdings scheinen, haben die Cora und die

mexicanische grosse Verschiedenheiten in ihrem Lautsystem.' _Wilhelm

von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 48-9.

[VIII'-26] 'La lengua Cora ... es tan dificil, que si no se está entre

ellos muchos años, no se puede aprender y tiene de particular, que no

se asemeja á otra de las naciones que tiene vecinas.' _Cavo_, _Tres

Siglos_, tom. ii., p. 117.

[VIII'-27] _Ortega_, _Vocabulario_, in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom.

viii., pp. 561-602; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 71-88;

_Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 131-8; _Buschmann_,

_Die Lautveränderung Aztek. Wörter in den Sonor. Spr._; _Id._, _Gram.

der Sonor. Spr._

CHAPTER IX.

THE AZTEC AND OTOMÍ LANGUAGES.

NAHUA OR AZTEC, CHICHIMEC, AND TOLTEC LANGUAGES IDENTICAL --

ANÁHUAC THE ABORIGINAL SEAT OF THE AZTEC TONGUE -- THE AZTEC

THE OLDEST LANGUAGE IN ANÁHUAC -- BEAUTY AND RICHNESS OF THE

AZTEC -- TESTIMONY OF THE MISSIONARIES AND EARLY WRITERS IN ITS

FAVOR -- SPECIMEN FROM PAREDES' MANUAL -- GRAMMAR OF THE AZTEC

LANGUAGE -- AZTEC LORD'S PRAYER -- THE OTOMÍ A MONOSYLLABIC

LANGUAGE OF ANÁHUAC -- RELATIONSHIP CLAIMED WITH THE CHINESE

AND CHEROKEE -- OTOMÍ GRAMMAR -- OTOMÍ LORD'S PRAYER IN

DIFFERENT DIALECTS.

The Nahua, Aztec, or Mexican, is the language of Mexican civilization,

spoken throughout the greater part of Montezuma's empire, extending

from the plateau of Anáhuac, or valley of Mexico, as a centre,

eastward to the gulf of Mexico, and along its shores from above Vera

Cruz east to the Rio Goatzacoalcos; westward to the Pacific, and upon

its border from about the twenty-sixth to the sixteenth parallel, thus

forming an irregular but continuous linguistic line from the gulf of

California south-east, across the Mexican plateau to the gulf of

Mexico, of more than four hundred leagues in extent. Again, it is

found on the coast of Salvador, and in the interior of Nicaragua, and

we have before seen its connection with the nations of the north.

Within the limits of the ancient Mexican empire many other languages

besides the Aztec were spoken, as for instance the Otomí, Huastec,

Totonac, Zapotec, Miztec, and Tarasco, about twenty in all. It has

been claimed by some that the languages of the Toltecs and Chichimecs

were different from each other, and from the Aztec; it has even been

intimated that traces of a language more ancient than any of these

have been found. Pedro de los Rios mentions two words of a song used

in the religious ceremonies at Cholula, _tulanian hululaez_--which he

says belong to a language not understood by the Mexicans, and

Alexander von Humboldt thinks they may be the remains of some

pre-Mexican language.[IX'-1] Others, and among them the Abbé Brasseur de

Bourbourg, claim greater antiquity for the Maya, affirming that it was

spoken in Mexico before the Nahua-speaking people reached that

country.

From a careful examination of the early authorities, I can but

entertain the opinion that the Toltec, Chichimec, and Aztec languages

are one, that the Nahua, or Aztec, is the oldest known language of

Anáhuac, and that contrary conclusions arrived at by certain later

writers are merely speculative. All of the many different peoples

mentioned as aboriginal in ancient Anáhuac are said to have spoken the

Aztec, as the Ulmecs, Xicalancas, Tecpanecs, Colhuas, Acolhuas,

Nahuas, etc. Ixtlilxochitl, the native Tezcucan historian, relates

that by order of the ruler, Techotlalatzin, the Chichimecs dropped

their own tongue and adopted that of the Aztecs.[IX'-2]

[Sidenote: ORIGINALITY OF THE AZTEC TONGUE.]

Furthermore, internal evidence is all in favor of the originality of

the Aztec tongue. Throughout the great empire of Anáhuac it was the

dominant stock language. Towards the north, as we have seen,

sprinklings of it are found in many places, but nowhere does it appear

in that direction as a base. Far to the south, in Nicaragua, it is

again found as the stock tongue, yet with a dialectic rather than an

aboriginal appearance, so that the testimony of language is all in

favor of the plateau of Anáhuac having been the primal centre of the

Aztec tongue, rather than its having been introduced within any

measurable epoch by immigration.

That the Mexican nation did its utmost to extend the language is

certain. It was the court language of American civilization, the Latin

of medieval and the French of modern times; it was used as the means

of holding intercourse with non-Aztec speaking people, also by all

ambassadors, and in all official communications; in all newly acquired

and conquered territories it was immediately introduced as the

official language, and the people were ordered to learn it. It, or its

kindred dialects, can be said to have been the common vernacular in

the whole interior of Anáhuac, and over a large part of the Aztec

plateau, although within these limits other tongues were in vogue.

Southward, it again appears along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. It

was spoken as far as Guatemala, in the interior of which it appeared

in the shape of various dialects more or less corrupted. It can also

be traced into Tabasco, and even into Yucatan on the Atlantic coast.

It is again encountered in the gulf of Amatique, whence lines extend

connecting with the branches of the Aztec in Guatemala, Honduras, and

Nicaragua. It is also possible that it may at one time have been used

even east of the Mississippi, as will appear from the following

statements of Acosta and Sahagun. The latter says that the Apalaches

living east of the Mississippi extended their expeditions and colonies

far into Mexico, and were proud to show to the first conquerors of

their country the great highways on which they traveled. Acosta

affirms that the Mexicans called these Apalaches, Tlatuices or

mountaineers. Sahagun, speaking of them, says "they are Nahoas, and

speak the Mexican language."[IX'-3] This is by no means improbable, as

the Aztec is found eastward in the present states of Tamaulipas and

Coahuila, and thence the distance to the Mississippi is not so very

far.[IX'-4]

[Sidenote: THE AZTEC LANGUAGE EAST OF MEXICO.]

Of all the languages spoken on the American continent, the Aztec is

the most perfect and finished, approaching in this respect the tongues

of Europe and Asia, and actually surpassing many of them by its

elegance of expression. Although wanting the six consonants, _b_,

_d_, _f_, _r_, _g_, _s_, it may still be called full and rich. Of its

copiousness the Natural History of Dr Hernandez gives evidence, in

which are described twelve hundred different species of Mexican

plants, two hundred or more species of birds, and a large number of

quadrupeds, reptiles, insects, and metals, each of which is given its

proper name in the Mexican language.[IX'-5] Mendieta says that it is not

excelled in beauty by the Latin, displaying even more art in its

construction, and abounding in tropes and metaphors. Camargo calls it

the richest of the whole land, and the purest, being mixed with no

foreign barbaric element; Gomara says it is the best, most copious,

and most extended in all New Spain; Dávila Padilla, that it is very

elegant and graceful, although it contains many metaphors which make

it difficult; Lorenzana, that it is very elegant, sweet, and complete;

Clavigero, that it is copious, polite, and expressive; Brasseur de

Bourbourg, that from the most sublime heights it descends to common

things with a sonorousness and richness of expression peculiar only to

itself. The missionaries found it ample for their purpose, as in it

and without the aid of foreign words they could express all the shades

of their dogmas, from the thunderings and anathemas of Sinai to the

sublime teachings of the Christ.

Although the Spaniards usually employed the word Dios for God, the

Aztecs offered one as fit, their Teotl, and Tloque Nahuaque,

signifying invisible supreme being. The many written Aztec sermons,

catechisms, and rituals also attest the copiousness of the

tongue.[IX'-6] The Mexican, like the Hebrew and French, does not

possess superlative nouns, and like the Hebrew and most of the living

European languages, it has no comparatives, their place being supplied

by certain particles. The Aztec contains more diminutives and

augmentatives than the Italian, and is probably richer than any other

tongue in the world in verbal nouns and abstracts, there being hardly

a verb from which verbal nouns cannot be formed, or a substantive or

adjective of which abstracts are not made. It is equally rich in

verbs, for every verb is the root from which others of different

meanings spring. Agglutination or aggregation is carried to its widest

extent, and words of inordinate length are not uncommon. In

agglutinating, end-syllables or letters are usually dropped,

principally for the sake of euphony. A prayer to the Virgin of

Guadalupe, which is to be found in the _Promptuario Manual_ of

Paredes, I insert here as a curious specimen of long words:

* * * * *

[Sidenote: SPECIMEN OF LONG AZTEC WORDS.]

Tlahuemmanaliztli; ic momoztlê tictocemmacazque in Tlâtocacihuapilli

Santa Maria de Guadalupe. Tlâtocacihuapillê, Notlazomahuiznantzinê,

Santa Mariae, nican mixpantzinco ninomayahui, ninocnotlaza, ihuan

mochi Noyollotica, Nanimatica nimitzhohuêcapanilhuia,

nimitznomahuiztililia, nimitznotlazotilia, ihuan

nimitznotlazocamachitia ipampa in nepapan in motetlaocolilitzin; ic in

Tehuâtzin otinechmomacahuililitzino. Auh ocyecenca ipampa ca

Tehuâtzin, Notzopelicanantziné, otinechmopiltzintitzino, ihuan,

otinechmoconetitzinô. Auh ic ipampa in axcan ihuan yê mochipa

nimitznocemmacatzinoa, Notetlaocolicanantzinê, inic in Tehuâtzin

nimitznotlazotiliz, ihuan inic áic nimitznoyoltequipaehilhuiz. Auh in

Tehuâtzin, nimitznotlátlauhtilia: in ma in nonemian, ihuan in

nomiquian xinechmopalchuili, ma xinechmochimalcaltili, ihuan ma in

motetlaocolilizcuexantzinco xinechmocalaquili; inic qualli ic ninemiz,

ihuan nimiquiz; inic çatepan nimitznomahuizalhuiz, in ompa in

Ilhuicac; in ompa in Dios Itlâtocatecpanchantzinco in Gloria.

Amen.[IX'-7]

* * * * *

A word of sixteen syllables, the name of a plant, occurs in

Hernandez--_mihuiittilmoyoiccuitlatonpicixochitl_.[IX'-8] Though the

Aztecs made verses, no specimens of their poetry have been preserved

except in a translated form. One, composed by the great Tezcucan, King

Nezahualcoyotl, translated in full in the preceding volume, gives us

an exalted idea of the advanced state of the language.[IX'-9]

The Mexican language employs the following letters: _a_, _ç_, _ch_,

_e_, _h_, _i_, _k_, _l_, _m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _q_, _t_, _tl_, _tz_,

_u_, _v_, _x_, _y_, _z_. The pronunciation is soft and musical, and

free from nasal sound. The _a_ is clear; _ch_ before a vowel is

pronounced as in Spanish; but before a consonant, or when a terminal,

it differs somewhat; _e_ is clear; _h_ is an aspirate, in general

soft, being strong only when it precedes _u_. No word commences with

the letter _l_; _ll_ is pronounced as in English. The _t_ is sometimes

silent, but not when it comes between two _l's_; _tl_ in the middle of

a word is soft, as in Spanish, but as a terminal it is pronounced

_tle_, the _e_ half mute; _tz_ is similar to the Spanish _s_, but a

little stronger; the _v_ is by the women pronounced as in Spanish, but

men give it a sound very similar to _hu_ in Spanish; _x_ is soft, like

_sh_ in English; _z_ is like _s_ in Spanish, but less hissing.

[Sidenote: AGGLUTINATION IN THE AZTEC LANGUAGE.]

By compounding, the Mexicans make many long words, some even of

sixteen syllables; but there are also some non-compounded words that

are very long. Words are compounded by uniting a number of whole

words, and not alone by simple juxtaposition, since, with much

attention to brevity and euphony, letters and syllables are frequently

omitted. For instance;--_tlazotli_, loved; _mahuiztik_; honorable, or

reverend; _teopixqui_, priest; _tatli_, father; _no_, mine; of which

is composed _notlazomahuizteopixcatzin_, that is to say, my very

esteemed father and reverend priest. This also presents an example of

the ending _tzin_, which simply signifies respect. _Teopixqui_ is

composed of _teotl_, God, and _pia_, to guard. There are two particles

which may be appropriately called ligatures, as they serve to unite

words in certain cases; they are _ca_ and _ti_. _Kualani_, to

irritate, to anger; _itta_, consider, reflect; _nikualanicaitta_, to

observe with anger, angrily.

By reason of these compounded words, the meaning of a whole sentence

is often contained in a single word, as;--_tlalnepantla_, in the

middle of the earth, or, situated in the middle; _popocatepetl_,

smoking mountain; _atzcaputzalli_, ant-hill, or, place where there are

many people moving--alluding to a dense population; _cuauhnahuac_,

(Cuernavaca) near to the trees; _atlixco_, above the water;

_tepetitlan_, above the mountain, etc.

There are several ways of expressing the plural. As a rule, plurals

are applied only to animate objects. Inanimate objects seldom change

in the plural, as;--_ce tetl_, one stone; _yei tetl_, three stones;

_miec tetl_, many stones. In exceptional cases the plural of inanimate

objects is expressed by terminals. One of these exceptions is when the

object is connected with persons, as;--_zoquitl_, mud; _tizoquime_, we

are earth; but there are again exceptions to this rule, as for

instance;--_ilhuicame_, the heavens; _tepeme_, mountains; _zitlaltin_,

stars. Sometimes inanimate things also form the plural by doubling the

first syllable;--_tetla_, place full of stones; _tetetla_, places full

of stones; _calli_, house; cacalli, houses. These various terminations

may be reduced to the following rules. Primitive words have the plural

in _me_, _tin_, or _que_, as;--_ichcatl_, a sheep; _ichcame_, sheep;

_zolin_, a quail, _zoltin_, quail; _cocoxqui_, sick; _cocoxque_, sick

(plural); _topile_, constable; _topileque_, constables. Derivatives

form the plural as follows: those called reverentials, ending with

_tzintli_, have in the plural _tzitzintin_. Diminutives, ending in

_tontli_, have in the plural _totontin_, and diminutives ending in

_ton_ and _pil_, augmentatives in _pol_, and reverentials in _tzin_,

double the terminal, as;--_tlacatzintli_, person; _tlacatzitzintin_,

persons; _ichcatontli_, a lamb; _ichcatatontin_, lambs; _ichcapil_,

lamb; _ichcapipil_, lambs; _chichiton_, a little dog; _chichitoton_,

little dogs; _huehuetzin_, old man; _huehuetzitzin_, old men.

Words into whose composition the possessive pronoun enters,

whether primitive or derivative, have for the plural _van_ or

_huan_;--_noichcahuan_, my sheep; _noichcatotonhuan_, my little sheep.

The words _tlcatl_, man, _ciuatl_, woman, and those which imply an

official or professional position, form the plural simply by leaving

off the last letters, as;--_mexicatl_, plural, _mexicá_; in which

case, however, the ultimate syllable is accented. Some words, to form

the plural, double the first syllable, and also use terminals,

as;--_teotl_, God; _teteo_, gods; _zolin_, quail; _zozoltin_, quails;

_zitli_, hare; _ziziltin_, hares. _Telpochtli_ and _ichpochtli_,

double the syllable _po_.

Some adjectives have several plurals, as;--_miec_, much; plural,

_miectin_, _miecintin_, or _miecin_. Gender is expressed by adding the

words _oquichtli_ or _ciuatl_, male and female, except in such words

as in themselves indicate the gender. A father speaking of his son

says, _nopiltzin_, and a mother of her daughter, _noconeuh_.

[Sidenote: AZTEC GRAMMAR.]

There are no regular declensions; in the vocative case, an _e_ is

added to the nominative, or words ending in _tli_ or _li_, change the

_i_ into _e_. Those ending in _tzin_ may change to _tze_ or add an

_e_, but the latter is only used by males. The genitive is denoted by

the possessive pronoun or by the juxtaposition of the words,

as;--_teotl_, God; _tenahuatilli_, emanating; _teotenahuatilli_, precept

of God. The dative is indicated by verbs called applicatives; the

accusative, by certain particles which accompany the verb, or by

juxtaposition; as;--_chihua_, to have; _tlaxcalli_, bread;

_nitlaxcalchihua_, I have bread. The ablative is indicated by certain

particles and prepositions. Diminutives are formed by the terminals

_tontli_ and _ton_, as;--_chichi_, dog; _chichiton_, small dog;

_calli_, house; _cacontli_, small house. Augmentatives take the

syllable _pol_. The terminals _tla_, and _la_, serve as collectives;

--_xochitl_, flower; _xochitla_, flower-bed. Words ending with _otl_

are abstracts, as;--_qualli_, good; _qualotl_, goodness. Those ending

with _va_ (_hua_) and _e_ indicate possession;--_ilhuicatl_, heaven;

_ilhuicahua_, master of heaven, (applied to God). Comparatives and

superlatives have no particular terminations, but their place is

supplied by adverbs, as;--_achi_, _ocachi_, etc., which mean 'more.'

Pedro is better than Juan, _ocachiqualli in Pedro ihuan amo Juan_;

here the adverb is connected with _quallo_, good. Words derived from

active, neuter, passive, reflective and impersonal verbs, having

various significations, terminate in _ni_, _oni_, _ya_, _ia_, _yan_,

_can_, _yau_, _ian_, _tli_, _li_, _liztli_, _oca_, _ca_, _o_, _tl_;

as;--_cochini_, he who sleeps; _tlaxcalchihuani_, he who has bread;

_motlaloani_, he who runs; _chihualoni_, practicable; _neitoniloni_,

something producing perspiration; _notlachiuaya_, my instrument;

_amotlanequia_, our will; _tlacualoyan_, eater; _micoayan_, place to

sleep; _itepatiayan_, hospital; _tlachihualli_, created, produced;

_tetlazotlatiztli_, love; _nachihualoka_, creation.

Personal pronouns are;--_nehuatl_, _nehua_, _ne_, I; _tehuatl_,

_tehua_, _te_, thou; _yehuatl_, _yehua_, _ye_, he or somebody;

_tehuantin_, _tehua_, we; _amehuantin_, _amehuan_, you; _yehuantin_,

_yehuan_, they. Possessives;--_no_, mine; _mo_, thine; _i_, his; _to_,

ours; _amo_, yours; _in_ or _im_, theirs; _te_, belonging to others.

The above-mentioned possessives are used in compounded words, and

change the final syllable of the word to which they are

joined;--_teotl_, God; _noteuh_, my God; _huehuetl_, old man;

_amohuehuetcauh_, our old man.

The verb has indicative, imperative, optative, and subjunctive

moods--present, imperfect, perfect, pluperfect, and future tenses.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TEMICTIA, TO KILL.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I kill, nitemictia | We kill, titemictiâ

Thou killest, titemictia | You kill, antemictiâ

He kills, temictia | They kill, temictiâ

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I killed, nitemictiaya | I have killed, onitemicti

| We have killed, otitemictiquê

PLUPERFECT.

I had killed, onitemictica

FIRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.

I shall kill, nitemictiz | I shall have killed, yeonitemictli

We shall kill, titemictizquê |

IMPERATIVE.

Kill thou, maxictemicti | Kill you, maxitemictican

OPTATIVE.

Would that I might kill, manitemictiani

PASSIVE FORMS.

I am killed, nimictilo

I was killed, onimictiloya

PASSIVE FORMS.

I have been killed, onimictiloc

I had been killed, onimitiloca

I shall be killed, nimictiloz

I shall have been killed, ye onimictiloc

O that I may be killed, manimictilo

O that I had been killed, manimictiloni

I ought to be killed, nimictilozquia

He who is killed, inmictilo

OTHER FORMS.

If I had killed, intlaonitcmictiani

If I had not killed, intlacamo onitemictiani

If I should kill, intlanitemictiz

He who kills, intemictia

I come to kill, onitemictico

I will come to kill, nitemictiquiuh

May I come to kill, manitemictiqui

I went to kill, onitemictito

I will go to kill, nitemictiuh

May I go to kill, manitemiciti

[Sidenote: AZTEC IRREGULAR VERBS.]

There are but few irregular verbs in the Aztec language and the

following are all that Pimentel could find;--_ka_ and _mani_, to be;

_icac_, to be on foot; _onoc_, to be lying down; _yauh_, to go;

_huallauh_ and _huitz_, to come; _mazehualti_, _icnopilti_, and

_ilhuilti_, to obtain a benefit.

The following words are always used as affixes:

For pal, pampa Of, from tech

Behind icampa, tepotzco, Toward huic

cuitlapan Between tzalan

With huan, pa, copa, ca In the midst nepantla

Belonging to tloc Together nahuac

Within co, c Above icpac

On the other side nalko, nal Before ixco, ixpan,

ixtlan, ixtla

Underneath tlan Inside itic, itec

Under tzintlan

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Totatzine ynilhuicac timoyeztica, mayectenehualo

Our revered father who heaven in art, be praised

inmotocatzin, mahualauh inmotlatocayotzin machihualo

thy name, may come thy kingdom be done

intlalticpac inmotlanequilitzin, inyuhchichihualo inilhuicac,

earth above thy will as is done heaven in,

intotlaxcalmomoztlac totech monequi maaxcan

our bread every day to us is necessary to-day

xitechmomaquili, maxitechmetlapopohuili intotlatlacol,

give us, forgive us our sins,

iniuh tiquintlapopolhuia intechtlatla calhuia,

as we forgive those who us offend,

macamoxitechmomacahuili inicamo ipan tihuetzizque

thou not us lead that not in we fall

inteneyeyecoltiliztli: çanye xitechmomaquixtili inyhuicpa

in temptation: but deliver us against

inamoqualli. Maiuhmochihua.[IX'-10]

from not good.

Many comparisons between the Aztec and the tongues of Asia and Europe

have been made, and relationship claimed with almost every prominent

language, but under analysis all these fancied affinities vanish.

Similarities in words, in common with all tongues, are found between

the Aztec and others, but at best they can be called only accidental.

Still, a few remarkable word-analogies have been noticed, among the

chief of which are the following. The Aztec like the Greek and

Sanskrit, uses the privative preposition _a_, which in the Celtic has

been changed to _an_, in Latin to _in_, or _im_, and in the German to

_un_;--Greek, athanatos; Aztec, _amiquini_, immortal. Further, in the

perfect tense, and sometimes in the imperfect, _o_ is used in the

Aztec, like the Sanskrit _a_, and the Greek _e_. But the most

remarkable coincidence is the word _teotl_, which is as near as

possible to the Greek _Théos_. Kingsborough and Mrs Simon see in the

Aztec the language of the Jews; Jones that of the ancient Tyrians;

Lang, that of the Polynesians. García makes comparisons with the

Hebrew, Spanish, Phœnician, Egyptian, Japanese, and German, and for a

relationship with these and many others he finds claimants. Until

further light is thrown upon American philology, the Aztec must stand

alone, as one of the independent languages of the world.[IX'-11]

* * * * *

The Otomí, held to be next to the Aztec the most widely extended

language in Mexico, was spoken by a rough and barbarous people who

inhabit the mountains encircling the valley of Anáhuac, but more

particularly those towards the north-west. Thence it extended into the

present state of San Luis Potosí, was spoken throughout Querétaro and

the larger part of Guanajuato, and in places in Michoacan, Vera Cruz,

and Puebla.[IX'-12] From the Journal and Proceedings of the fourth

Provincial Council, held in Mexico in the year 1771, it appears that

the language was spoken in four dialects, varying so much that it was

only with the greatest difficulty that the several tribes could hold

intercourse.[IX'-13] The only dialect of which particular notice has

been taken is the Mazahua, spoken in the ancient province of

Mazahuacan. Of the others the only specimens are a few Lord's Prayers.

[Sidenote: HYPOTHETICAL OTOMÍ AND CHINESE RELATIONSHIP.]

The Otomí claims attention in one particular; it is the only true

monosyllabic language found in the Pacific States, and this alone has

led many to claim relationship between it and the Chinese.

This Chinese relationship has been mainly advocated by Señor Nájera, a

native Otomí, who in furtherance of his peculiar views wrote an

excellent Otomí grammar, in an appendix to which he gives an extensive

comparison between the two idioms. But, taking up the words which he

declares to be similar, we are at once struck with important omissions

on his part. The first is that he has not at all taken into

consideration the difficulty of comparing monosyllabic languages, in

which a word frequently has ten or more significations,

distinguishable only by pronunciation and accentuation, and at times

having scarcely these distinguishing features. Secondly, the words

which he adduces to be similar, are wanting in the very essentials

that constitute a relationship, for in most instances they are not

even similar in sound, a requisite to which more attention ought to be

paid in monosyllabic languages than in those which are polysyllabic.

The few words that in reality are similar are probably only accidental

resemblances, and the question of relationship between the Otomí and

Chinese cannot be said to have been established as yet.[IX'-14]

Mr Bringier branches out in another direction in search of a

relationship, and fancies he finds it in the Cherokee, basing his

whole argument on a hypothetical resemblance of perhaps half a dozen

words, which in fact do not resemble each other at all.[IX'-15]

Like other monosyllabic tongues the Otomí is rather difficult to

acquire, its pronunciation being rough, guttural, with frequently

occurring nasals and aspirates.[IX'-16]

[Sidenote: OTOMÍ GRAMMAR.]

As before stated, many words having distinct meanings, are

distinguished only by various sounds, or intonations of the same

vowel; many words even having the same sound and intonations have

different meanings. The words of this language are of one or two

syllables; a few of them have three. In words compounded of more than

one syllable, each syllable preserves its original meaning. The words

whether noun or verb, are inflexible. Neither substantive nor

adjective nouns have any gender. The same word may be a substantive,

adjective, verb, and adverb, as in the following sentence;--_na nho

nho ye na nho he nho_, which means, the goodness of man is good and

becomes him well. Nouns have neither declension nor gender, which are

expressed either by distinct words, or by _ta_, or _tza_, male, and

_nsu_ or _nxu_, female;--_tayo_, the dog; _nxuyo_, slut. The particle

_na_ has the property of the article and, prefixed to the noun,

distinguishes the singular. In the plural, _ya_ affixed, or _e_

prefixed, is substituted. Adjectives are always placed before

substantives;--_ka ye_, holy man. Comparatives are expressed by the

words _nra_, more, and _chu_, less;--_nho_, good; _nra nho_, better.

Superlatives are in like manner shown by the word _tza_, or _tze_,

prefixed, meaning very much, excessively, exceedingly;--_tza nho_,

best; _tze ntzo_, worst, or very bad. The particle _ztzi_, or _ztzu_,

prefixed, marks a diminutive;--_ztzi hensi_, a small paper. In

abstract nouns of quality the prefix _na_ is changed into _sa_;--_na

nho yeh_, a good man; _sa nho_, that which is good. Personal pronouns

are;--_nuga_, _nugaga_, _nugui_, I; _gui_, _ki_, me, for me; _nugué_,

_nûy_, thou; _y_, _hi_, to thee, for thee; _nunu_, he; _bi_, _ba_,

_ki_, him, for him, to him; _nugahé_, _nugagahé_, _nuguihé_, we, or

us; _nuguégúi_, _nuguehu_, _nûygúi_, _nûyhu_, you, to you; _nuyu_,

they; _ma_, mine; _ni_, thine; _na_, his.

Verbs are conjugated with the assistance of particles, which designate

tense and person. Every tense has three persons, also a singular, and

a plural. The plural is always designated by the syllable _hé_, we;

_wi_, _gúi_, or _hu_, you; _yu_, they. All nouns may also be verbs,

for the Otomís, unable to segregate the abstract idea of existence

from the thing existing, confound both and have no substantive

verb;--_nho_, good; _di nho_, I good, or I am good.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB NEE, I WILL.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I will, di nee | We will, di nee hé

Thou willest, gui nee | You will, gui nee gúi

He wills, y nee | They will, y nee yu

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I willed, di nee hma | I have willed, xta nee, or da nee

PLUPERFECT.

I had willed, xta nee hma

FIRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.

I shall will, ga nee | I shall have willed, gua xte nee

IMPERATIVE.

Will thou, nee | Will you, nee gúi nee hu[IX'-17]

[Sidenote: OTOMÍ AND MAZAHUA LORD'S PRAYERS.]

LORD'S PRAYER.

Ma tà he ni bùy mahetsi da ne ansu ni huhu

My father we thou house heaven call holy thy name name

da ehe ga he ni bùy da kha ni hnee ngù

thy will come towards us thy house thy will do thy will as

gua na hày te ngù mahètsi ma hme he ta nà pa

here the earth as also heaven the bread us every day

rà he nar a pa ya ha, puni he ma dupatè he

give us one day new and forgive us our debts

tengù di puni he u ma ndupatè he ha yo gui he he

as we forgive now debtors ours and avoid the permit us

ga he kha na tzò cadi ma na pehe he hin nhò.

do us in bad action but save us no good.

Do kha.

Thy will do.

The same in another dialect. Still another version of the same.

Go ma ta he | Ma tà ki he

To guí bùy | Gue gui bùy

Hé tsi | Kha hetsi

Da ma ka ni hu | Kha ni hu

Na di ni hne | Da di hnec

Hày he heisi | Bi kho na hày

Ma hme he ta pa | Ba ña kha mahetsi

Sa da ke ni | Da da sê he

Ha pu ní ma thày he | Ma hme he

Ngù y pu ma thày tè he | Yo ga zo he gee tzò di.

Ha yo he |

He ga zà tzò di. |

The grammar of the Mazahua dialect is very nearly the same as that of

the Otomí, and I therefore insert the Lord's Prayer only to illustrate

the connection between the two languages.

Mi yho me ki obuihui ahezi tanereho ni chuu ta ehe

Our father is heaven sanctified thy name come

ni nahmuu ta cha axoñihomue cho ni nane makhe

thou kingdom do earth ? thy will as

anzi ocha ahezi. Ti yak me mi bech me choyazmue,

also is done heaven. Give us our bread every day,

ti chotkhe me mo huezok me makhe anzi tigattotpue

forgive us our faults as also we forgive

me mache i zokhegue me pêkhecho gueguetme tezoxkhemeyo

those who offend us not us must lead in

huezok hi tipe yeziz one macho yoñene macho

sins deliver us from all

tenxi higaho.[IX'-18]

evil.

FOOTNOTES:

[IX'-1] 'Les Cholulains chantoient dans leur fêtes en dansant autour du

téocalli, et que ce cantique commençoit par les mots _Tulanian

hululaez_, qui ne sont d'aucune langue actuelle du Mexique. Dans tous

les parties du globe, sur le dos des Cordillères, comme à l'île de

Samothrace, dans la mer Egée, des fragmens de langues primitives se

sont conservés dans les rites religieux.' _Humboldt_, _Vues_, tom. i.,

p. 115.

[IX'-2] 'Les Culhuas, les Tecpanèques, les Aculhuaques, les Chalmecas,

les Ulmecas les Xicalancas ... parlaient la même langue, quoique dans

chaque province avec un autre dialecte; la principale différence

consistait dans la prononciation.' _Camargo_, _Hist. Tlax._, in

_Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1843, tom. xcviii., p. 138. 'Les

Ulmecas, les Xicalancas et les Zacatecas ... avaient les mêmes

moeurs et la même langue.' _Id._, p. 137. 'Car la langue de ce pays

(Xalisco) est le chichimeque, et Marina parlait mexicain. On se

servait, à la verité, aussi dans ce pays d'un Mexicain grossier et

barbare, tandis que Marina le parlait avec beaucoup d'élégance.'

_Id._, tom. xcix., p. 143. Techotlalatzin 'fue el primero que usó

hablar la lengua nahua, que ahora se llama Mexicana, porque sus

pasados nunca la usaron; y asi mandó que todos los de la nacion

Chichimeca la hablasen, en especial todos los que tuviesen oficio y

cargos de republica.' _Ixtlilxochitl_, _Hist. Chich._, in

_Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq._, vol. ix., p. 217. 'Los Mexicanos ... son

de los mismos de Colhua ... por ser la lengua toda una.' _Motolinia_,

_Hist. Indios_, in _Icazbalceta_, _Col. de Doc._, tom. i., p. 5. 'La

lengua de los Mexicanos es la de los Nahuales.' _Id._, p. 187. 'La

principal lengua de la Nueva España que es de nahuatl.' _Id._, p. 231;

see also pp. 10-11. 'Los Tetzcucanos (llamados Aculhuaques) y los

Mexicanos, ... eran de vn Lenguage.' 'La propia, y antigua Lengua, de

los Chichimecas Antiguos ... es esta que aora corre, con comun Nombre

de Mexicana.' _Torquemada_, _Monarq. Ind._, tom. i., pp. 31, 33, 44.

Tecpaneca, Otomí y Acolhua. 'El lenguage de estas tres naciones era

diverso, no lo era rigorosamente hablando el de la tecpaneca y

aculhua, ni pueden llamarse tales y distintos de la lengua nahuatl ó

mejicana, sino solamente en el dialecto y frasimos, al modo que el

portuguez respecto del castellana. La Otomi se diferencia mas de la

nahuatl.' _Veytia_, _Hist. Ant. Mej._, tom. ii., p. 44. Ulmecs; 'su

lengua era la Nahuatl que hoy llaman mejicana, y se tiene por madre; y

esta fué de la nacion tolteca, y he oido decir á personas bien

instruidas en este idioma, que en algunos pueblos que aun subsisten en

nuestros dias conocidas por de la nacion ulmeca.' _Id._, tom. i., p.

154. 'Los _Nahoas_, eran los que hablaban la lengua mexicana, aunque

no la pronunciaban tan clara, como los perfectos mexicanos; y estos

_Nahoas_ tambien se llamaban _Chichimecas_.' 'De estos _Chichimecas_

unos habia que se decian _Nahuazchichimecas_ llamándose de _Nahóas_ y

de _Chichimecas_ porque hablaban algo la lengua de los _Nahóas_ ó

Mexicanos y la suya propia Chichimeca.' _Sahagun_, _Hist. Gen._, tom.

iii., lib. x., pp. 120, 130, 147. 'Lengua _Nàhuatl_ ... se entiende

ser en lengua Mexicàna; aunque la que al presente hablan y hablaron en

la Gentilidad los Mexicànos no es suya, sino aprehendida de las otras

antecedentes Naciones, y mas bien se debia llamar Tultèca, porque esta

Nacion la traxo desde su peregrinacion, haviendola perfeccionado en la

tercera Edad.' _Boturini_, _Catálogo_, p. 95. 'Los tlaxcaltecos, que

tienen la mesma lengua nahual de México y Tezcuco.' _Mendieta_, _Hist.

Ecles._, p. 147. 'Le nahuatl est sans nul doute une langue déjà

ancienne dans l'Amérique centrale, et plus ancienne même que l'empire

dont Montézuma fut le chef.' _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Lettre_, in

_Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1855, tom. cxlvii., pp. 154, 153. 'Io

però non dubito, che la lingua propria dei Cicimechi antichi fosse la

medesima degli Acolhui, e Nahuatlachi, cioe messicana.' _Clavigero_,

_Storia Ant. del Messico_, tom. i., p. 153. 'Los Mexicanos, ó por

mejor decir Aztlanecas, no es su natural lengua la que hablan ahora,

... es la que aprendieron en Tezcuco.' _Ixtlilxochitl_, _Relaciones_,

in _Kingsborough's Mex. Antiq._, vol. ix., p. 345. 'Que el lenguage

mexicano se usó por las antiquísimas naciones de los _Toltecas_ y

_Chichimecas_.' _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 298. 'Xochimilcas,

Chalqueños, Tepanecas, Colhuas, Tlahuicas, Tlazcaltecas y Mexicanos

... todas hablan un mismo idioma.' _Heredia y Sarmiento_, _Sermon_, p.

86. 'Mehr oder minder zahlreiche Sprachreste aus dem Mexikanischen

Sprachstamme ... sind Zeugen von der ehemaligen Verbreitung der

Tolteken im Süden.' _Müller_, _Amerikanische Urreligionen_, p. 525.

'Chichimecs ... same family with the Toltecs, whose language they

appear to have spoken.' _Prescott's Mex._, vol. i., p. 14. 'Die

Chichimeken welche aztekisch reden.' _Mühlenpfordt_, _Mejico_, tom.

ii., pt ii., p. 364; _Wappäus_, _Geog. u. Stat._, pp. 34-5. 'Dass sie

Eines Ursprunges mit den Tolteken, ... waren, beweist die allen

gemeinschaftliche Sprache, welche noch die aztekische heisst.'

_Buschmann_, _Ortsnamen_, p. 6. 'The Aztecs, Acolhuas, and other

kindred tribes ... were of the same language ... as the Toltecs.'

_Gallatin_, in _Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol. i., p. 203.

'Lengua mexicana, llamada tolteca.' _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p.

86. 'Toltecas y las siete tribus nahuatlacas tenian un mismo orígen y

hablaban la misma lengua, que era el mexicano, nahuatl ó azteca; pero

de ninguna manera succede esto respecto á los chichimecas, aunque

hasta hoy por un error muy comun se cree lo contrario.' _Pimentel_,

_Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 154; _Grijalua_, _Crón. Augustin_, fol. 32. 'Les

rares traditions qui nous sont restées de l'empire des Votanides,

antérieurement à l'arrivée des Nahoas, ne donnent aucune lumière sur

les populations qui habitaient, à cette époque, les provinces

intérieures du Mexique.... Ce que nous pensons, toutefois, pouvoir

avancer avec une conviction plus entière, c'est que la majeure partie

des nations qui en dépendaient parlaient une seule et même langue.'

'Cette langue était suivant toute apparence le _Maya_ ou Yucatèque.'

_Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat. Civ._, tom. i., p. 102; _Heller_,

_Reisen_, p. 379, et seq.

[IX'-3] Acosta, _Hist. Nat. Ind._, p. 600; _Sahagun_, _Hist. Gen._, tom.

iii., lib. ix., cap. 9; _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Palenqué_, p. 39.

[IX'-4] _Herrera_, _Hist. Gen._, dec. ii., lib. v., cap. v., lib. vi.,

cap. xii., dec. iii., lib. iii., cap. ix., lib. iv., cap. vii., dec.

iv., lib. ix., cap. xiii.; _Dávila Padilla_, _Hist. Fvnd. Mex._, p.

64. 'Nicaragua sea y esté poblada de Nahuales, que son de la lengua de

México.' _Motolinia_, _Hist. Indios_, in _Icazbalceta_, _Col. de

Doc._, tom. i., pp. 10-11, 231; _Oviedo_, _Hist. Gen._, tom. iii., p.

103, tom. iv., pp. 35-37, 108; _Solis_, _Hist. Conq. Mex._, tom. i.,

p. 118. 'Seine Herrschafft, Lands-Sprach, und Glaubens-Sect

erstreckten sich einer seits biss zu dem Markflecken Tecoantepec, das

ist zweyhundert, anderseits biss gehn Guatimala dass ist dreyhundert

Meil sehr von der Statt Mexico.' _Hazart_, _Kirchengeschichte_, tom.

ii., p. 499. 'Esta lengua mexicana es la general que corre por todas

las provincias de esta Nueva España, puesto que en ella hay muy muchas

y differentes lenguas particulares, de cada provincia, y en partes de

cada pueblo, porque son innumerables.' _Mendieta_, _Hist. Ecles._, p.

552. 'Sie haben viererley Sprach darinnen, unter welchen der Mexicaner

am lieblichsten vnd gebräuchlichsten (in Nicaragua).' _West und

Ost-Indischer Lustgart_, p. 390; _Grijalua_, _Crón. Augustin_, p. 12.

'La lengua general del pais, que era la Mejicana.' _Beaumont_, _Crón.

Mechoacan_, MS., p. 89; _Arnaya_, _Carta_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série

iv., tom. iii., p. 67. 'Celui de Mexico est regardé comme le dialecte

original.' _Camargo_, _Hist. Tlax._, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._,

1843, tom. xcviii., p. 138; _Burgoa_, _Geog. Descrip._, tom. ii., fol.

341; _Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, p. 252; _Gottfried_, _Newe Welt_, p. 285;

_Juarros_, _Hist. Guat._, p. 224; _Chevalier_, _Mex. Ancien et Mod._,

p. 160; _Museo Mex._, tom. iii., p. 269; _Palacio_, _Carta_, p. 20;

_Squier_, in _Id._, note iii., p. 100; _Squier's Monograph of

Authors_, p. ix.; _Id._, _Cent. Amer._, pp. 320, 327-9, 339, 413;

_Stephens' Cent. Amer._, vol. ii., p. 190; _Froebel_, _Aus Amerika_,

tom. i., p. 285; _Conder's Mex. Guat._, vol. ii., p. 178; _Romero_,

_Noticias para formar la Historia de Michoacan_, p. 5; _Alegre_,

_Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. i., pp. 89-90; _Baril_, _Mexique_, p.

212; _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Id._, _Esquisses_, p. 24; _Gallatin_,

in _Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol. i., pp. 3, 8; _Orozco y

Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 54-5; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt

iii., p. 85; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 158; _Anales del

Ministerio de Fomento_, 1854, tom. i.; _Acosta_, _Hist. Nat. Ind._, p.

584; _Id._, _Hist. de las Ynd._, p. 530.

[IX'-5] _Hernandez_, _Nova Plant_.

[IX'-6] See _Juan de la Anunciacion_, _Doctrina Christiana muy cumplida,

donde se contiene la exposicion de todo lo necessario para doctrinar a

los Indios y administralles los Sanctos Sacramentos. Compuesta en

lengua Castellana y Mexicana_. Mex., 1575. _Juan de la Anunciacion_,

_Sermonario en lengua Mexicana_. Mex., 1577. _Joan Baptista_,

_Advertencias para los Confesores de los Naturales_. Mex., 1600.

_Rosales_, _Loa en Obsequio de la Aparicion de Nuestra Señora de

Guadalupe, Poem_, 1582. _Ioan de Mijango_, _Espejo Diuino, en lengua

Mexicana_. Mex., 1607. _Martin de Leon_, _Camino del Cielo, en lengua

Mexicana_. Mex., 1611. _Martin de Leon_, _Manual breve y forma de

administrar los Santos Sacramentos á los Indios_. Mex., 1640. _Carlos

Celedonio Velasquez de Cardenas y Leon_, _Breve Practica, y Regimen

del Confessionario de Indios en Mexicano_. Mex., 1661. _Ignacio de

Paredes_, _Promptuario Manual Mexicano_. Mex., 1759. _Francisco de

Avila_, _Platica para hazer a los Indios_. Mex., 1717. _Antonio

Vasquez Gastelu_, _Confessionario Breve en lengua Mexicana, Catecismo

Breve_. Puebla, 1716, and 2d edition, 1826, 1838, also 1860.

_Lecciones Espirituales para las Tandas de Ejercicios._ Puebla, 1841.

_Pequeno Catecismo en el idioma Mex._ Puebla, 1819. _Juan Romualdo

Amaro_, _Doctrina_. Mex. 1840.

[IX'-7] _Paredes_, _Promptuario Manual Mexicano_, p. xc.

[IX'-8] _Buschmann_, _Ortsnamen_, p. 24.

[IX'-9] 'La mexicana no es menos galana y curiosa que la latina, y aun

pienso que mas artizada en composicion y derivacion de vocablos, y en

metáforas, cuya inteligencia y uso se ha perdido.' _Mendieta_, _Hist.

Ecles._, p. 552. 'La langue mexicaine est la plus riche de toute

contrée: elle est aussi la plus pure, car elle n'est pas mélangée

d'aucun mot étranger.' _Camargo_, _Hist. Tlax._, in _Nouvelles Annales

des Voy._, 1843, tom. xcix., p. 136. 'Lengua Mexicana y Nahuatl, que

es la mejor, mas copiosa y mas estendida que ay en la nueva España.'

_Gomara_, _Conq. Mex._, fol. 293; _Purchas his Pilgrimes_, vol. iv.,

fol. 1135. 'La lengua Mexicana, que aunque es muy elegante y graciosa,

tiene por su artificio y agudeza muchas metaforas, que la hazen

dificultosa.' _Dávila Padilla_, _Hist. Fvnd. Mex._, p. 31. 'Malgrado

la mancanza di quelle sei consonanti é una lingua copiosissima, assai

pulita, e sommamente espressiva.' _Clavigero_, _Storia Ant. del

Messico_, tom. ii., p. 171. 'Es muy elegante este idioma, dulce, y muy

abundante de Frases, y composiciones.' _Cortés_, _Hist. Nueva España_,

p. 5; _Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, pp. 240-1; _Carbajal Espinosa_, _Hist.

Mex._, tom. i., p. 635; _Müller_, _Reisen_, tom. iii., pp. 105-8. 'Su

lengua es la mejor y mas polida.' (Tezcuco.) _Herrera_, _Hist. Gen._,

dec. iii., lib. ii., cap. x. 'La mas elegante la Tezcucana como la

Castellana en Toledo.' _Vetancvrt_, _Teatro Mex._, pt ii., p. 14;

_Boturini_, _Idea_, p. 142; _Humboldt_, _Vues_, tom. ii., pp. 382-3.

'Esta lengua mas elegante y expressiva que la Latina, y dulce que la

Toscana.' _Granados y Galves_, _Tardes Amer._, p. 401. 'La langue

mexicaine est riche comme les autres langues indiennes; mais, comme

elles, elle est matérielle et n'abonde pas en mots significatifs

d'idées abstraites; comme elles, elle est synthétique dans sa

structure, et n'en diffère, quant à ses formes, que par les détails

qui n'affectent point son génie et son caractère. Elle abonde en

particules intercalées,' _Du Ponceau_, _Mémoire_, p. 255;

_Sonneschmid_, _Remarks on Mex. and the Mex. Lang._, in _Amer. Monthly

Mag._, vol. iii., p. 118; _Lang's Polynesian Nat._, pp. 95-7. 'The

Mexican tongue abounded in expressions of reverence and courtesy. The

style and appellations used in the intercourse between equals, would

have been so unbecoming in the mouth of one in a lower sphere, when he

accosted a person in higher rank, as to be deemed an insult.'

_Robertson's Hist. Amer._, vol. ii., pp. 278-9. 'The low guttural

pronunciation of the Mexican, or Aztec.' _Ward's Mex._, vol. i., p.

31; _Galicia Chimalpopocatl_, _Dissertacion_, in _Museo Mex._, tom.

iv., p. 517, et seq.; _Heller_, _Reisen_, p. 377. 'Des hauteurs les

plus sublimes, de la métaphysique, elle descend aux choses les plus

vulgaires; avec une sonorité et une richesse d'expression qui

n'appartiennent qu'à elle.' _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat.

Civ._, tom. i., p. 103; _Prescott's Mex._, vol. i., p. 108, vol. iii.,

p. 395. 'The language of the Mexicans is to our apprehension harsh in

the extreme.' _Helps' Span. Conq._, vol. i., p. 288.

[IX'-10] _Pedro de Arenas_, _Vocabulario Manual de las Lenguas Castellana

y Mexicana_. Mex., 1583. _Manuel Perez_, _Arte del Idioma Mexicano_.

Mex., 1713. _Antonio Vasquez Gastelu_, _Arte de la Lengua Mexicana_.

Puebla, 1716, and 2d edition, 1838. _Francisco de Avila_, _Arte de la

Lengua Mexicana_. Mex., 1717. _Carlos de Tapia Zenteno_, _Arte

Novissima de Lengua Mexicana_. Mex., 1753. _Horacio Carochi_,

_Compendio del Arte de la Lengua Mexicana_. Mex., 1759. _Molina_,

_Vocabulario_. Mex., 1571. _Rafael Sandoval_, _Arte de la Lengua

Mexicana_. Mex., 1810. _Pedro de Arenas_, _Guide de la Conversation_.

Paris, 1862. _Gallatin_, in _Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol. i.,

pp. 214-245; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, vol. i., pp. 164-216; _Vater_,

_Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 85-106; _Buschmann_,

_Ortsnamen_, pp. 20-37.

[IX'-11] 'Es ist nicht möglich von einer Verwandtschaft der mexicanischen

Sprache mit den Sprachen anderer Erdtheile zu reden.' _Buschmann_,

_Ortsnamen_, p. 20; _Garcia_, _Origen de los Ind._, pp. 118-21, 187,

232-5, 241, 269; _Jones' Hist. Anc. Amer._; _Simon's Ten Tribes_, pp.

163, 173; _Lang's Polynesian Nat._, pp. 96-8, et seq; _Quarterly

Review_, 1816, p. 415; _Humboldt_, _Vues_, tom. ii., p. 229, et seq.

[IX'-12] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 17; _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de

Jesus_, tom. i., p. 282; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 118;

_Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p. 113.

[IX'-13] 'Concòrdandose en que no se entienden los mismos Otomites de

diversos Pueblos, aun Vecinos, de que diò una prueba concluyente el

Obispo de Puebla, con el hecho de haver juntado quatro Curas

estindantes de su sierra Otomì los que mutuamente se improbaban por

hereticas, a disparatadòs sus esplicaciones de los Mysterios de nrã

Religion.' _Concilio Provincial Mexicano_, iv., 1771, Julio 31, MS.

[IX'-14] _Naxera_, _Dis. sobre la lengua Othomí_; _Warden_, _Recherches_,

in _Antiq. Mex._, pp. 125-9.

[IX'-15] _Bringier_, _Lettre_, in _Silliman's Jour._, vol. iii., pp.

35-6.

[IX'-16] 'La Otomí, lengua bárbara cuasi enteramente gutural, y que á

pénas cede al estudio y á la mas séria aplicacion.' _Alegre_, _Hist.

Comp. de Jesus_, tom. i., p. 90. 'La Otomi, que se dilata casi tanto

como la Mexicana, y en la difficultad, y obscuridad le haze grandes

ventajas.' _Grijalua_, _Crón. Augustin_, fol. 74. 'Loro linguaggio è

assai difficile, e pieno d'aspirazioni, che fanno parte nella gola, e

parte nel naso ma peraltro è abbastanza copioso ed espressivo.'

_Clavigero_, _Storia Ant. del Messico_, tom. i., p. 148. 'Une langue

pleine d'aspirations nasales et gutturales.' _Humboldt_, _Essai Pol._,

tom. i., p. 255. 'Die Sprache der Othomi zeichnet sich durch die

Einsylbigkeit oder wenigstens Kürze ihrer meisten Wörter, durch Härte

und Aspiration aus.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p.

114. 'Leur langue, rude comme eux, est monosyllabique: embrassant à la

fois tous les sons, mais dénuée d'ornements, elle montre, néanmoins,

dans sa simplicité quelque chose de majestueux qui rappelle les temps

antiques.' _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Hist. Nat. Civ._, tom. i., p.

157. 'Es dura, seca, ingrata á la lengua y mal al oido: todo lo de

ella es rústico, vasto, sin pulidez.' _Naxera_, _Dis. sobre la lengua

Othomí_, p. 23. 'Su lenguage es muy duro y corte.' _Herrera_, _Hist.

Gen._, dec. iii., lib. v., cap. xix.; _Duponceau_, _Mémoire_, pp.

68-71; _Torquemada_, _Monarq. Ind._, tom. i., p. 33, tom. ii., p. 82;

_Müller_, _Reisen_, tom. iii., p. 45; _Hassel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 152;

_Mühlenpfordt_, _Mejico_, tom. ii., pt ii., p. 364; _Conder's Mex.

Guat._, vol. ii., p. 119.

[IX'-17] _Yoaquin Lopez Yepes_, _Catecismo y Declaracion de la Doctrina

Cristiana, en lengua Otomí_. _Francisco Perez_, _Catecismo de la

Doctrina Cristiana, en lengua Otomí_. _Naxera_, _Disertacion sobre la

lengua Othomi_. _Gallatin_, in _Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol.

i., pp. 286-98; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp.

115-24; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, vol. i., pp. 120-50; _Antonio Guadalupe

Ramirez_, _Breve Compendio ... Dispuesto en lengua Othomí_. See also

_Lond. Geog. Soc., Jour._, vol. iii., p. 355; _Luis de Neve y Molina_,

_Grammatica Della Lingua Otomí_.

[IX'-18] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 194-201.

CHAPTER X.

LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

THE PAME AND ITS DIALECTS -- THE MECO OF GUANAJUATO AND THE

SIERRA GORDA -- THE TARASCO OF MICHOACAN AND ITS GRAMMAR -- THE

MATLALTZINCA AND ITS GRAMMAR -- THE OCUILTEC -- THE MIZTEC AND

ITS DIALECTS -- MIZTEC GRAMMAR -- THE AMUSGO, CHOCHO, MAZATEC,

CUICATEC, CHATINO, TLAPANEC, CHINANTEC, AND POPOLUCA -- THE

ZAPOTEC AND ITS GRAMMAR -- THE MIJE -- MIJE GRAMMAR AND LORD'S

PRAYER -- THE HUAVE OF THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC -- HUAVE

NUMERALS.

North-eastward of the Otomí, is a language called the Pame, spoken in

three distinct dialects; the first in San Luis de la Paz, in the

Sierra Gorda; the second, near the city of Maiz, in San Luis Potosí;

and the third in Purísima Concepcion de Arnedo, and also in the Sierra

Gorda. I have at hand only the Lord's Prayer in three dialects; nor

can I find mention of any vocabulary or grammar. It is described as

difficult to acquire, principally on account of the many dialectic

variations.[X'-1]

[Sidenote: PAME AND MECO LORD'S PRAYER.]

FIRST DIALECT.

Tata mícagon indis bonigemajá: indis unajá grotztacuz: Quii

unibó: Nage eu nitazá, unibó ubonigí: Urroze paricagon uvinguí

ambogón bucon gatigí bajir gomór, como icagon gumorbon

quipicgo hicnangó: nenanguí nandazó pacunimá: imorgo cabonjá

pajanor. Amen Jesus.

SECOND DIALECT.

Caucan xugüenan, que humiju cantau impains, achscalijon gee

nigiu yucant gee cumpó. Chaucat gee quimang, ac-gi cumpó acgi

cantau impain. Senté caucan senda gunó yucant chiné iguadcatan

caucan humunts, ac-gipain caucan hujuadptan á caucan humunts.

Y mi negenk do guaik guning cacaa yeket vali ening, ac-ge-bo.

THIRD DIALECT.

Ttattahghuhggg ighegh ddih uhvoh hinh gghih qquihhmissches:

ughgnjuhgh ttahghgihh innddisseh Qquihihihh uhggúho uhghg

gühihh rrehhino, Ih qquih üghgghihghh wohlluhn ttáh

ighschchahh, Assi uhggüghh commo ub vóhnnihghh. Uhnghehddi

uhvrá hhvíhn qquihhphpohggühuhh, yhchihh uh vehvéhh

ihghgühohgühuhh ih qqih ih chi wchveh ihhumhurhggühuhh

uhhohddi nuch hêhôhuág. Assi commo ahpe hpâhhddi ihec

âhggühuhh kuhmhûhrûhhg uhonnddi ahphpiggühúhh. Ih

qquihngnahghnhêhrrggühuhh phpahagh, Ahnâhssuhqquih huhnhéhh.

Mahhsséhh Uihbbráhrhr ihhehggühuhh. Ihghgôhttahhehrêh

Ggéhssúhs.

It will be observed that the third dialect displays a most singular

combination of letters. It is a manifest absurdity. Pimentel does not

mention where he obtained it, nor does he intimate what sounds are

produced from this huddling of consonants. I give it more as a

curiosity than with the idea that philologists will ever derive any

benefit from it.[X'-2]

In the Sierra Gorda and in Guanajuato, another language is mentioned,

called the Meco, or Serrano, of which no specimen but a Lord's Prayer

exists:

Mataíge gui bu majetzi, qui sundat too, da guê rit tû jû da ne

pa quecque ni moc canáni, ne si dac-kaá na moccanzû; tanto na

sinfai, tengû, majetzi. Mat tumeje tá, át mapa, rac-je pilla,

ne si gi pungagé, mat-oigajé, tengû si didi pumjéé, too

dit-tuc-je, nello gijega je gatac-je ratentacion; man-aa

juêgaje, gat-tit-jov llaizoonfenni.[X'-3]

Still less is said concerning the languages spoken in the state of

Tamaulipas; of them nothing is known but the names, and it cannot be

ascertained whether they are correctly classified or not, as no

specimens exist. The languages which I find spoken of are the Yuê,

Yemé, Olive, Janambre, Pisone, and a general one named Tamaulipeco.[X'-4]

The Tarasco, the principal language of Michoacan, can be placed almost

upon an equality with the Aztec, as being copious and well finished.

It is particularly sweet-sounding, and on this account has been

likened to the Italian; possessing all the letters of the alphabet.

Each syllable usually contains one consonant and one vowel; the letter

_r_ is frequent.[X'-5] From the different grammars I compile the

following:

[Sidenote: TARASCO GRAMMAR.]

In the alphabet there is neither _f_, _v_, nor _l_; no words begin

with the letters _b_, _d_, _g_, and _r_; _k_, has a sound distinct

from that of _c_, being pronounced stronger. The letter _s_ is often

intercalated for euphony; it must be inserted between _h_ and _i_,

when a word ends with _h_, and the next begins with _i_. At the end of

a word it signifies same, or self; _hi_, I; _his_, I myself. When a

word ends in _s_ and the next begins with _h_, the letter _x_ is

substituted for both. The letter _x_ at the end of a word indicates

the plural. _Ph_ is never pronounced like _f_; the _h_ after _p_ only

indicates an aspiration of the vowel which follows:--_p-hica_. _Hati_,

third person singular of the pronoun used in conjugations, may be

converted into _ndi_. The _p_ immediately following _m_ is converted

into _b_. The _r_ and _t_ next following _n_ are converted into _d_;

and _e_ and _q_ next following _n_ are converted into _g_. There are

three kinds of nouns--rational, irrational, and inanimate. The last

two are indeclinable in the singular. The plural of irrational animals

is formed simply by the addition of the particle _echa_. Two other

particles are used to express the plural of inanimate things;--_uan_,

and _harandeti_, many, much. Five words of this species use, however,

the particle _echa_ in the plural; _uata_, mountain; _ambocuta_,

street; _ahchiuri_, night; _tzipaé_, morning; _hosqua_, star.

DECLENSION OF THE WORD FATHER.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. tata | Nom. tata ecba

Gen. tataeueri, or hihchiuiremba | Gen. tata echa eueri

Dat. tata ni | Dat. tata echa ni

Acus. tata ni | Acus. tsta echa ni

Voc. tata e | Voc. tata eche e

Abl. tata ni himbo | Abl. tata echa ni himbo

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB POMI, TO TOUCH.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

Active. Passive.

I touch, pohaca | I am touched, pogahaca

Thou touchest, pohacare | Thou art touched, pogahacare

He touches, pohati | He is touched, pogahati

We touch, pohacachuchi | We are touched, pogahacachuchi

You touch, pohacarechuchi | You are touched, pogahacuchuchi

They touch, potix | They are touched, pogatix

IMPERFECT.

I touched, pohambihca | I was touched, pogahambihca

PERFECT.

I have touched, poca | I was touched, pogaca

PLUPERFECT.

I had touched, pophihca | I had been touched, pogaphica

FIRST FUTURE.

I shall touch, pouaca | I shall be touched, pagauaca

SECOND FUTURE.

I shall have touched, thuvin pouaca

I shall have been touched, thuvin pogauaca

IMPERATIVE.

Let me touch, popa | Let us touch, popacuche

Touch thou, po | Touch you, paue

Let him touch, poue | Let them touch, pauez

I might touch, popiringa | I might be touched, pogapiringa[X'-6]

LORD'S PRAYER.

Tata huchaeueri thukirehaca auándaro santo arikeue

Father our thou who art heaven in holy be said

thucheueti hacangurikua uuehtsini andarenoni thucheueti

thy name make us arrive thy

irechekua ukeue thucheueti uekua iskire auándaro

kingdom be done thy will as in heaven in

umengahaca istu umengaue ixu echerendo. Huchaeueri

it is made as it be made as earth in. Our

curinda anganaripakua instcuhtsini iya canhtsini uepouachetsnsta

bread daily give us to-day and to us forgive

huchaeueri hatzingakuareta iski hucha uehpouacuhuantstahaca

our fault as also we forgive

huchaeueri hatsingakuaecheni ca hastsini teruhtatzemani

our debtors and not us lead us

terungutahperakua himbo. Euahpentstatsini caru casingurita

temptation but deliver us also evil

himbo.[X'-7]

of.

[Sidenote: MATLALTZINCA GRAMMAR.]

West of the valley of Anáhuac, in the ancient kingdom of Michoacan,

and in the district which is now called Toluca, was an independent

nation, the Matlaltzincas, whose language, of which there are several

dialects, notwithstanding the assertion of some writers that it was

connected with or related to the Tarasco, must still stand as an

individual and distinct tongue. Comparisons may develop a few phonetic

similarities, but otherwise the two do not approach one another in the

least.[X'-8]

There are twenty-one letters used in the Matlaltzinca language:--_a_,

_b_, _ch_, _d_, _e_, _g_, _h_, _i_, _k_, _m_, _n_, _o_, _p_, _q_, _r_,

_t_, _tz_, _th_, _u_, _x_, _y_, _z_. Compounded words are frequently

used and are considered very elegant;--_kimituhoritakimindutzitzi_, to

look for something to eat; _kituteginchimuthohuinikuhumbi_, I give a

good example. Gender is expressed and there is also a declension.

There is a singular, a dual, and a plural; the dual is designated by

the preposition _the_;--_huema_, the man; _thema_, the two men. The

plural is designated by the preposition _ne_;--_nema_, the men; but

there are some inanimate substantives with which this latter

preposition is not used.

The personal pronouns are:--_kaki_, I; _kakuehui_, _kakuebi_,

_kakuehebi_, we two; _kakohuiti_, _kakehebi_, we; _kahachi_, thou;

_kachehui_, you two; _kachohui_, you; _inthehui_, he; _inthehuehui_,

they two; _inthehue_, they. Possessives:--_niteyeh_, mine; _kaxniyeh_,

thine; _niyeh inthehui_, his.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO LOVE.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

SINGULAR.

I love, kitututochi

Thou lovest, kitutochi, or kikitutochi

He loves, kitutochi

DUAL.

We two love, kikuentutochi

You two love, kichentutochi

They two love, kikuentutochi

PLURAL.

We love, kikuchentutochi

You love, kichehentutochi

They love, kirontutochi

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I loved, kimitututochi | I have loved, kitabutochi

FUTURE.

I shall love, kirutochi, or takimitututochi

IMPERATIVE.

Let me love, kutochi

PASSIVE.

I am loved, kitochikikaki | We are loved, kitochikakehebi

We two are loved, kitochihuehuikakuebi|

REFLEXIVE.

I love myself, kitutecochi

He who loves, inmututochi | He who will love, inkakatutochi

LORD'S PRAYER.

Kabotuntanki kizhechori ypiytiy tharehetemeyuhbutohui

Father our thou art above in heaven sanctified be

inituyuh tapue nitubeye tharetehehui inunihami

thy name come thy kingdom do above the earth

inkituhenahui ipuzka hetehehui ypiytiy. Achii ripahkehbi

thy will as it is done in heaven. To-day give us

inbotumehui indahmutze dihemindikebi inbotubuchochi

our bread every day forgive us our fault

pukuehentukahmindi indorihuebikeh nuximenkarihechi

as we forgive our debtors let us not fall

kehbi muhe dishedanita kehbi pinita

us and deliver us from

inbuti.[X'-9]

evil.

A language spoken in Toluca, the Ocuiltec, is mentioned by Sahagun and

Grijalua, about which, excepting the name only, no information can be

obtained.[X'-10]

* * * * *

[Sidenote: DIALECTS OF THE MIZTEC LANGUAGE.]

Principally in the state of Oajaca, but also in parts of the present

states of Puebla and Guerrero, the Miztec language is spoken even to

this day. Of this language there are many dialects, of which the

following are mentioned as chief;--the Tepuzculano, the Yangüistlan,

the Miztec bajo, the Miztec alto, the Cuixlahuac, the Tlaxiaco, the

Cuilapa, the Mictlantongo, the Tamazulapa, the Xaltepec, and the

Nochiztlan. As related to the Miztec, the Chocho, or Chuchon, also an

Oajaca idiom, is mentioned.[X'-11] As the Miztecs are generally classed

among the autochthones of Mexico, their language is considered as of

great antiquity, being spoken of in connection with that of the Ulmecs

and Xicalancas.[X'-12] Almost all of the old missionaries complained of

the difficulty of acquiring this tongue and its many dialects, which

necessitated often a threefold or fourfold study.[X'-13]

The Miztec may be written by means of the following letters:--_a_,

_ch_, _d_, _e_, _h_, _i_, _j_, _k_, _m_, _n_, _ñ_, _o_, _s_, _t_,

_u_, _v_, _x_ or _ks_, _gs_, _y_, _z_, _dz_, _nd_, _tn_, _kh_.

The pronunciation is very clear; the _h_ is aspirated; _v_ is as

in English; _kh_, _nd_, and _tn_, are nasal. Long words are of

frequent occurence. I give two of seventeen syllables each;--

_yodoyokavuandisasikandiyosanninahasahan_, to walk stumbling; and

_yokuvuihuatinindiyotuvuihuatusindisahata_, to conciliate the good

graces of a person. Words are compounded or agglutinated in five

different ways;--First, without changing either of the component

words, as;--_yutnù_, tree; and _kuihi_, fruit; _yutnukuihi_,

fruit-tree. Second, one of the component words changes, as;--_huaha_,

good, and _ñaha_, no; _ñahuaha_, bad. Third, words which are first

divided and cut up, are afterward, so to say, patched together again.

Fourth, one word is intercalated with another; as;--_yosinindi_, I

know; _mani_, an estimable thing; _yosinimanindi_, I love or esteem.

There are many words in this language which express quite different

things, according to the connection in which they are used,

as;--_yondakandi_, I accompany somebody, means also I ask;

_yoyuhuindi_, I counsel, signifies also, I go to receive somebody on

the road; also, let us go; etc. Reverential terms are of frequent

occurrence, necessitating almost a separate language when addressing

superiors. For instance;--_noho_, teeth; _yeknya yuchixa_, teeth of a

lord; _dzitui_, nose; _dutuya_, nose of a lord; _dzoho_, ears;

_tnahaya_, ears of a lord. There is no regular plural, but plurality

is expressed by the word 'many,' or the number. Personal pronouns

are;--I, speaking to inferiors or equals, _duhu_, _ndi_; I, speaking

with superiors, _ñadzaña_, _ñadza_, _ñdza_; thou, _doho_, _ndo_; thou,

used by females speaking to their children, _diya_, _nda_; you, or

your honor, _disi_, _maini_, _ni_; he, _ta_, _tay_, _yukua_; she,

_ña_, (also used by women speaking of men); he or she, speaking

respectfully, _ya_, _iya_; we, _ndoo_; you, _doho_; they, _ta_, _tay_,

_yukua_. The pronouns, _ndi_, _ndo_, _ta_, are affixed to the verb;

and the pronouns, _duhu_, _doho_, and _tai_, are prefixed; _ñadzaña_,

is usually prefixed; _ñadza_ or _ndza_, affixed; _disi_, and _maini_,

are generally prefixed, _ni_ is affixed; _diya_, is prefixed and _ña_,

_ndoo_, and _ya_, are affixed.

[Sidenote: MIZTEC GRAMMAR AND LORD'S PRAYERS.]

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SIN.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I sin, yodzatevuindi | He sins, yodzatevuita

Thou sinnest, yodzatevuindo | We sin, yodzatevuindoo

IMPERFECT. PLUPERFECT.

I sinned, nidzatevuindi | I had sinned, sanidzatevuindi

FIRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.

I shall sin, dzatevuindi | I shall have sinned, sadzatevuikandi

IMPERATIVE.

Let me sin, nadzatevuindi | Let us sin, nadzatevuindoo

Sin thou, dzatevui | Sin you, chidzatevui

Let him, or them sin, nadzatevuita

Verbal nouns are formed by prefixing the syllable _sa_, or _sasi_, to

the present indicative of the verb. Regarding the dialects of the

Miztec, Pimentel quotes the following from Father Reyes' grammar. All

the dialects may be grouped into two principal languages, which are

those of Tepuzculula and Yangüitlan. That of Tepuzculula is the best

understood throughout the district of Mizteca.

The Pater Noster in the Tepuzculula dialect is as follows.

Dzutundoo yodzikani andevui nakakunahihuahandoo,

Our father thou art heaven let us praise,

sananini nakisi santoniisini nakuvui ñuuñayevui inini

thy name come thy kingdom be done (in the) world thy will

dzavuatnaha yokuvui andevui. Dzitandoo yutnaa yutnaa

as also be done (in) heaven. Our bread each day

tasinisindo huitno dzaandoui kuachisindoo dzavuatnaha

give us much to-day forgive us our sins as well as

yodzandoondoo suhani sindoo huasa kivuiñahani nukuitandodzondoo

we forgive debtor ours not lead us we will fall

kuachi tavuiñahani sañahuahua. Dzavua

in sin deliver you from evil. So

nakuvui.

be it made.

For the purpose of illustrating the difference between the dialects, I

insert two other Pater Nosters, the first of Miztec bajo, and the

second of the alto dialect:

Dútundo hiadícani andívi ñacùú hii ña nániní: naquíxidíca satónixiní:

nacúu ndúdu ínìní ñunahívi yóhò daguatnaha yo cúu ini andivi. Ditàndo

itián itían taxinia nundi vichi: te dandooni cuachindi dagua tnaha

dandoondi naa ni dativi nundi: te maza dáñani ntziuhu uncaguandi ña

dativindi: te cuneguahanindi nuu nditaca ña unguaha. Duha na cuu

Jesus.

Dzutuyo iyoxicani andivi nacui hii ñanánini. Naquixi xatòniixini.

Nacúhui ndudzuinìni uñaiviyóhò, sahuatna yocúhui ini andivi. Dzitàyo

itian itian taxini nundi vichi: sandoo-ni cuáchiyo, sahuatanha yo

sandondi nanidzativi nundi taun-sayáhani ñacanacahuandi zadzativindi.

Sacacunino ñahani nuu nditaca ña hunhua. Dzaa nacuu Iya Iesus.[X'-14]

Another language, said to be connected with the Miztec is the Amusgo.

Wedged in between the Miztec and Zapotec are several tongues, of

which, excepting a few Lord's Prayers, I find nothing mentioned but

the names; it is not improbable that some of them were only dialects

of either the Miztec or Zapotec. These are the Mazatec, Cuicatec, and

Chinantec, which latter is described as a very guttural tongue, with a

rather indistinct pronunciation, so that it is difficult to

distinguish the vowels; further there are mentioned the Chatino,

Tlapanec, and Popoluca.[X'-15] Orozco y Berra declares that the

following names designate the Popoluca in different states. Thus the

Chocho, Chochona, or Chuchon, is said by him to have been called--in

Puebla, the Popoluca; in Guerrero, the Tlapanec; in Michoacan, the

Teco; and in Guatemala, the Pupuluca.[X'-16] Of these languages I have

the following Lord's Prayers:

CHOCHO OR CHUCHON.

Thañay theeñingarmhi athiytnuthu y ñay dithiñi achuua

dinchaxiñi atatçu ndithetatçu caguñi, nchiyatheetatçu

ngarmhi andaatatçu saçermhi y tçama caatuenesacaha cahau

atzizhuqhee caa tuënesacaha di ëñihay a taanguyheene cagüñi,

ditheethaxengaqhine tuënesacaha nchiyaquichuu,

ditheetaanguyheene cagüquichuu ... sacaha,

thiytheecheëxengaqhine quichuu sacaha netçanga yhathamiñi

çixitçeyasacaha yhee cheecaamiñi cheecaaqhi nemiñi

caatuënesacaha caanenndiñaña andataazu.

[Sidenote: MAZATEC AND CUICATEC LORD'S PRAYERS.]

Of the Mazatec there are two specimens, which do not appear to accord,

thus showing how little regard was paid to names:

Nadminá Nainá ga tecni gahami, sandumí ili ga tirrubanajin

nanguili. Cuaha catama janimali, jacunit dic nangui cunit

gahami. Niño rrajinna tey quitaha najin; qntedchatahanajin

gadchidtonajin jacunitgajin nedchata alejin chidtaga

tedtunajin. Guquimit tacuntuajin, tued tinajin cuacha ca tama.

* * * * *

Tata nahan xi nacá nihaseno: chacuca, catoma ñieré; catichová

rico manimajin. Catoma cuazuare, donjara batoó cor nanguí,

bateco, nihasen: niotisla najin ri ganeihinixtin, tinto najin

dehi; nicanuhi ri guitenajin donjara batoo, juirin ni canojin

ri quiteisjajin, quiniquenahi najin ri danjin quis anda nongo

niqueste. Meé.

* * * * *

Of the Cuicatec there are also two dialects:

Chidao, chicane cheti jubí chintuico ña; cobichi, jubi ña;

chichií, chicobi no ns: ñendi ña; cobichi ñenoña. Duica ñahán,

ñahán tando cheti jubi. Nondo ñecno; chi jubi, jubi; techi ni

nons: má dinenino, ni chi canticono, dinen, tandonons;

dineninono chi canti co ñehen nons, ata condicno; na tentac

ioñ, ante danhi, dinenino ni chin que hé danhi.

* * * * *

Chida deco, chicanede vae chetingue cuivicu duchi dende cuichi

nusun dende vue chetingue cui, tundube vedinun dende tica

nañaa, tandu vae chetingue yn dingue deco de huehue techide

deco guema yna dechecode deco ducue ticu tica, tandu nusun

nadecheco deevioducue chichati cusa yati, tumandicude cuitao

vendicuido nanguaedene ducue chiguetae.[X'-17]

* * * * *

[Sidenote: ZAPOTEC GRAMMAR AND LORD'S PRAYER.]

The ancient kingdom of Zapotecapan, in which the Zapotec language was

spoken, extended from the valley of Oajaca as far as Tehuantepec. The

different dialects were, the Zaachilla, Ocotlan, Etla, Netzicho,

Serrano de Ixtepec, Serrano de Cajones or Beni-Xono, and Serrano de

Miahuatlan.[X'-18] The Zapotec is a more harmonious language than the

Miztec, and is spoken with considerable elegance, metaphors and

parables abounding.[X'-19] Yet it is in some places pronounced

indistinctly; so much so that Juan Córdova, the author of a grammar,

complains that the letters _a_ and _o_, _e_, _y_, and _i_, _o_ and

_u_, _b_ and _p_, and _t_ and _r_, are often confounded. The _h_ is

used only as an aspirate. The following letters of the alphabet

represent the sounds of the Zapotec: _a_, _b_, _ch_, _e_, _g_, _h_,

_i_, _k_, _l_, _m_, _n_, _ñ_, _o_, _p_, _r_, _t_, _u_, _y_, _x_, _z_,

_th_. There are also five diphthongs: _æ_, _oe_, _ei_, _ie_, _ou_.

The plural is expressed either by numerals or by adjectives;--_pichina_,

deer; _ziani pichina_, many deer. Like the Aztec, Miztec, and others,

the Zapotec has reverential terms. The personal pronouns are;--_naa_,

_ya_, _a_, I; _lohui_, _loy_, _looy_, _lo_, thou; _yobina_, your honor

(when speaking to superiors); _nikani_, _nike_, _nikee_, _ni_, _ke_,

he or they; _yobini_ or _yobina_, he, (speaking respectfully);

_taono_, _tono_, _tonoo_, _tona_, _no_, _noo_, we; _lato_, _to_, you.

Possessives;--_xitenia_, mine; _xitenilo_, thine; _xitenini_, his;

_xitenitono_ or _xitenino_, ours; _xitenito_, yours. Interrogatives

used with animate beings, are;--_tuxa_ or _tuia_, _tu_ or _chu_; and

with inanimate things: _xiikaxa_, _xiixa_, _xii_; _koota_ is used for

either animate or inanimate objects.

There are four conjugations, which are distinguished by the particles

with which they commence. The first uses, in the present, _ta_, in the

past, _ka_, and in the future, _ka_; the second has _te_, _pe_, and

_ke_; the third, _ti_, _ko_, _ki_; and if they are passives, _ti_,

_pi_, _ki_, or _ti_, _ko_, and _ka_; the fourth uses _to_, _pe_, and

_ko_.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO DIG.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I dig, tanaya | We dig, tieenano

Thou diggest, tanalo | You dig, tanato

He digs, or they dig, tanani |

IMPERFECT. PERFECT.

I dug, tanatia, konatia, or konaya | I have dug, zianaya

PLUPERFECT.

I had dug, huayanaya, konakalaya, zianakalaya,

or, huayanakalaya

FIRST FUTURE.

I shall dig, kanaya

IMPERATIVE.

Dig thou, kona

Let us dig, lakeyanano, or kolakieenano

Dig you, kolakana

OTHER FORMS.

If I would dig, nianalayaniaka

If I have dug, zianatilaya

If I shall dig, nikanaya

The following is an example of the differences between the dialects.

Child in the Zaachilla is _batoo_; in the Ocotlan, _metho_; in the

Etla, _binnito_; in the sierra, _bitao_; in the tierra caliente,

_bato_.

The Pater Noster with literal translation taken from the _Catecismo_

of Leonardo Levanto, reads as follows.

Bixoozetonoohe kiiebaa nachiibalo nazitoo ziikani

Father our heaven thou who art above great has been done

laalo kellakookii xtennilo kita ziika ruarii nitizigueelalo

thy name kingdom thine will come here thy will

ziika raka kiaa, kiiebaa laaniziika gaka ruarii

as is done above, heaven as be done here

layoo. Xikonina kixee kixee peneche ziika anna chela

earth. The bread of all us to-morrow give also to-day and

a kozaanañaaziikalo tonoo niiani ya kezihuina: peziilla

not lead us us that we sin: deliver

zika tonoo niiaxtenni kiraa kellahuechiie. Gaga ziiga

also us of all evil. Will be done so

ziika.[X'-20]

so.

Between the head waters of the Rio Nexapa and Goatzacoalco the Mije

language is spoken. It is described as guttural and rough, and by some

as poor in words, necessitating auxiliary gestures. The bishop of

Oajaca, to whose diocese they belonged, in a letter to Archbishop

Lorenzana stated that he had a people under him, who could only

converse during daylight, for at night they could not see their

gestures and without these were unable to understand each other.[X'-21]

The following alphabet is used by Pimentel in writing this

language;--_a_, _b_, _ch_, _e_, _h_, _i_, _k_, _m_, _n_, _ñ_, _o_,

_p_, _t_, _u_, _v_, _x_, _y_, _tz_. Two and more consonants frequently

follow one another in the same syllable, as;--_akx_, _epx_, _itzp_,

_otzk_, _mma_, _mne_, _mpi_, _mto_, _mxu_, etc. Vowels are also

frequently double, as;--_kôô_, arms; _teikkaa_, and _tinaak_, stomach.

In declensions the genitive is formed by prefixing the letter

_i_;--_xêuh_, name; _dios ixêuh_, name of God. The plural is formed by

the terminal _toch_;--_toix_, woman; _toixtoch_, women.

PRONOUNS.

I ôtz, n, nôtz

Thou ix, mitz, mi, mim, n

Thou, speaking with reverence mih

He t, i

He, or they who hudiiphee, hudii

He, or they who (affixed) phee, hee

This, these phee, hee, yaat

Who pôn

We ôôtz, n

They yâó

Mine nôtz

Thine m, mitzm

His i

Our, ours ôôtzn, nôôtz, n

[Sidenote: MIJE ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS.]

ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS.