CHAPTER X.

LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

THE FAME AND ITS DIALECTS THE MECO or GUANAJUATO AND THE SIERRA
-
GORDA THE TARASCO OF MICHOACAN AND ITS GRAMMAR THE MATLAL-
TZINCA AND ITS GRAMMAR THE OcUILTEC THE MlZTEC AND ITS DlA-
LECTS MlZTEC GRAMMAR THE AMUSGO, CHOCHO, MAZATEC, CuiCATEC,
CHATINO, TLAPANEC, CHINANTEC, AND POPOLUCA THE ZAPOTEC AND ITS
GRAMMAR THE MIJE HUE GRAMMAR AND LORD S PRAYER THE
HUAVE OF THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC HuAVE NUMERALS.

NORTH-EASTWARD of the Otomi is a language called

the Fame, 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 Potosi; and the
third in Purisima 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 diffi
cult to acquire, principally on account of the many
1
dialectic variations.
FIRST DIALECT.

Tata micagon
indis bonigemajd: indis unajagrotzta-
cuz Quii unibo Nage eu nitazd, unibo ubonigi Ur-
: : :

roze paricagon uvingui ambog6n bucon gatigi bajir

gomor,como icagon gumorbon quipicgo hicnango nena- :

1
Es mucha la dificultad del idioma, porque en treinta vecinos suele haber
cuatro y cinco lenguas distintas, y tanto, que aun despues de mucho trato no
se entienden sino las cosas muy ordiiiarias. Aleyre, Hist. Comp. de Jesus, torn.
i., p. 282.
(742)
 PAME AND MECO LORD S PRAYERS. 743

ngui nandazo pacunimd: imorgo cabonja pajanor.

Amen Jesus.
SECOND DIALECT.
Caucan xuguenan, que humiju cantau impains, ach-
scalijon gee nigiu yucant gee cumpo. Chaucat gee
quimang, ac-gi cumpo acgi cantau impain. Sente
caucan senda gun 6 yucant chine iguadcatan caucan
liumunts, ac-gipain caucan hujuadptan d caucan liu-
munts. Y
mi negenk do guaik guning cacaa yeket
vali ening, ac-ge-bo.

THIRD DIALECT.

Ttattahghuhggg ighegh ddih uhvoh hinli gghili

qquihhmissches ughgnjuhgh ttahghgihh innddisseh
:

Qquihihihh uhgguho uhghg giihihh rrehhino, Ih qquili

tighgghihghh wolillulin ttali ighschchahh, Assi ulig-
gtighh commo ub vohnnihghh. Uhnghehddi uhvra
hhvihn qquihhphpohgguhuhh, yhchihh uh vchvehh
ihghgtihohguhuhli ih qqih ill chi wchveh ihhumhurlig-
giihulili uhhohddi nuch hehohuag. Assi commo ahpc
hpahhddi ihec ahgguhuhli kuhmhuhruhhg uhonnddi
ahplipigguhiilih. Ih qquili ngnaligb nhe h r rgg iihulili
pbpabagb, Ahnahssuhqquih Imbnbebb. Mabbssehli
Uibbbrahrlir iliheligo-ububh. Ibgligobttabliebreh
Ggelissulis.
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 ob
tained it, nor does he intimate what sounds are pro
duced from this huddling of consonants. I give it
more as a curiosity than with the idea that philologists
2
will ever derive any benefit from it.
In tiie Sierra Gorda and in Guanajuato, another
language is mentioned, called the Meco, or Serrano, of
which no specimen but a Lord s Prayer exists :

Mataige gui bu majctzi, qui sundat too, da gue rit

tu ju da ne pa quecque ni moc candni, ne si dac-kad, na
moccanzu; tanto na sinfai, tengu, majetzi. Mat tumcje
2
Pimentel, Cuadro, toin. iii., p. 207; Col. Polidl6mica t J\Iex. y Oration Do-
minical, pp. 31-3.
744 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

ta, at mapa, rac-je pilla, ne si gi pungagc, rnat-oigaje,

tengu si didi pumjee, too dit-tuc-je, nello gijega je

gatac-je ratentacion; mari-aa juegaje, gat-tit-jov lla-

3
izoonfenni.
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
Yue, Yeme, Olive, Janambre, Pisone, and a general
4
one named Tamaulipeco.
The Tarasco, the principal language ot Michoacan,
can be placed almost upon an equality with the Aztec,
as being copious and well finished. It is particularly
sweet-sounding,
o and on this account has been likened
to the Italian; possessing all the letters of the alpha
bet.
Each syllable usually contains one consonant and
one vowel; the letter r is frequent. 5 From the differ
ent grammars I compile the following :

3
torn, ii., p. 267.
Pimentd, Cuadro,
4
Berlandier, Diario, p. 144; Orozco y Berra, Geografia, p. 296.
5
Mendieta, Hist. Edes., p. 552. Tarascum, quod hujus gentis proprium
erat et vulgare, concisum atque elegans. Laet, Novus Orbis, p. 267. La
Tarasca, que corre geiieralmente en las Prouincias cle Mechoacan, esta es muy
facil por toner la mesma pronunciacion que la nuestra: yassi se escriue con el
niesmo abecedario. Es muy copiosa, y elegante. Grijalua, Cron. Augustin,
fol.75; Herrera, Hist. Gen., dec. iii., lib. iii., cap. ix.; Alegre, Hist. Comp. de
Jesus, torn, i., pp. 90-1; Acosta, Hist. Nat. Ind., p. 506. La loro lingua 6
abbondante, dolce, e sonora. Adoperano spesso la R soave: le loro sillabe
constano per lo piu d una sola corisonante e d una vocale. Claviyero, Storia
Ant. del JMessico, torn, i., p. 149. Les Tarasques ____ celebres . . par 1 har-
. .

monie de leur langue riche en voyelles. HumbokU, Etsai Pol., torn, i., p. 255;
Beaumont, Crdn. de Afechoacan, p. 43; MuJilenpfordt, Mejico, torn, ii., pt. ii., p.
304; Itomero, Notidas Michoacan, p. 5; Heredla y Sarnuenfo, Sermon, p. 83;
Anales del Ministerio de Fomento, 1854, pp. 185 et seq. ; Wappcius, Geog. u.
Stat., p. Hassel, Mex. Guat., p. 152.
i>5;
Die Sprache in dieser Provinz
wirk fiir die reineste uiid zierlichste von ganz Neu-Spanien gehalteu. Dela-
*
porte, Rcisen, pp. 313-14; Voter, Mithridates, torn, iii., pt. iii., p. 125. Tarasca
een nette en korte spraek, die eigentlijk alhicr te huis hoort. Montanus,
Nieuwe Weereld, p. 256. Ward, speaking of the Tarasco, has made the
serious mistake of confounding it with the Otoinf, and seems to think that
they are both one and the same. Two languages could hardly be farther
apart than these two. Mexico, vol. ii., p. 681. Raffinesque, the indefatigable
searcher for foreign relationships with Mexican languages, claims to have
discovered an affinity between the Tarasco, Italian, Atlantic, Coptic, Pelas-
gic, Greek, and Latin languages. He writes that he was * struck with its
evident analogy with the above, and with the languages of Africa and
Europe both in words and structure, in spite of a separation of some thou
sand years. In Priest s Amer. Antiy., p. 314.
 TARASCO GRAMMAR. 745

In the alphabet there is neither /, v, nor /; 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
li 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 /; the h after p only indicates an aspiration of
the vowel which follows p-hica. Hail, third person
singular of the pronoun used in conjugations, may be
converted into ndi The p immediately following m
is converted into b.
O n are
The r and t next following-
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 formed simply by the addition of the parti
is

cle 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; tzipae, morning; hosqua, star.

DECLENSION OF THE WORD FATHER.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.
Nom. tata Norn. tata echa
Gen. tataeueri, or hilichiuiremba Gen. tata echa eueri
Dat. tata ni Dat. tata echa iii
Acus. tata iii Acus. tata echa iii
Voc. tata e Voc. tata eche e
Abl. tata id hinibo Abl. tata echa iii hinibo

CONJUGATION OF THE Vp]RB POMI, TO TOUCH.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.
ACTIVE. PASSIVE.
746 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

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. 6
Let me touch, popa Let us touch, popacuche
Touch thou, po Touch you, pane
Let him touch, poue Let them touch, pauez
I might touch, popiringa |
I might be touched, pogapiringa

LORD S PRAYER.
Tata huchaeueri thukirehaca auandaro santo arikeue
Father our thou who art heaven in holy be said

thucheueti hacangurikua uuehtsini andarenoni thuche-

thy name make us arrive thy

ueti irechekua ukeue thucheueti uekua iskire auandaro

kingdom be done thy will as in heaven in

umengahaca istu umengaue ixu echerendo Huchaeu-

it is made as it be made as earth in. Our

eri curinda anganaripakua instcuhtsini iya canhtsini ue-

bread daily give us to-day and to us

pouachetsnsta liuchaeueri hatzingakuareta iski hucha

forgive our fault as also we
ueriDouacuhuantstahaca liuchaeueri hatsingakuaecheni
forgive our debtors

ca hastsini teruhtatzemani terungutahperakua himbo.

and not us lead us temptation but - _

7
Euahpentstatsini caru casingurita himbo.
deliver us also evil of.

West of the valley of Andhuac, in the ancient king-

6
Pimentd, Ciiadro, torn, i., pp. 275-309; Gallatin, in Amer. Etlino. Soc.,
Transact., torn, i., pp. 245-52; Moxo, Cartas Mejicanas, p. 68; Vater, Mithri-
dates, torn, iii., pt. iii., p. 126; Manuel de San Juan Crisostomo Ndjera, Gram.
Tarasca, in Soc. Mex. Geog., JSoletin, 2da epoca, torn, iv., pp. 664-84.
7
Pimentel, Cuadro, torn, i., p. 304; Vater, Mithridates, torn, iii., pt. iii.,
pp. 126-7; Arawjo, Manval de los Santos Sacramcntos en el Idioma de Michua-
can.
 MATLALTZINCA GRAMMAR. 747

doin of Michoaoan, and in the district which is now

called Toluca was an independent nation, the Matlalt-
zincas, whose language, of which there are several dia
lects, 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
8
the least.
There are twenty-one letters usea in the Matlaltzinca
language :
a, b, i, Ic, m, n, o, p, q, r, t, tz,
ch, d, e, g, h,
th, u, x, y, Compounded
z. words are frequently used
and are considered very elegant kimituhoritakimin- :

dutzitzi, to look for something to eat; kituteginchimu-

thohuinikuhumbi, 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 Jcalci, I kakuehui, ka- :
;

Jcuebi, kaJcuehebi, we two kakohuiti, kakehebi, we ; ;

kahachij thou; kachehui, you two; kachohui, you; in-

thehui, he; intJiehuehui, 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 lovcst, kitutochi, or kikitutochi
He loves, kitutochi

DUAL.
We two love, kikuentutochi
You two love, kichentutochi
They two love, kikuentutochi

8
Estos tolucas, y por otro nombre Matlatzincas, no hablaban la lengua
mexidana, sino otra diferente y obscura y su lengua propia
. . . ellos, no
. <le

carece de la letra R. Sahayun, Hint. Gen., torn, iii., lib. x., p. 129; Grijalua,
Cr6n. Augustin, fol. 75; Branaeur de Boiirbounj, E^iuissasj p. 33.
748 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

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 takimitututoch.
IMPERATIVE.
Let me love, kutochi
PASSIVE.
I am loved, kitochikikaki I 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 tharehetemeyuh-
Father our thou art above in heaven sanctified be

butohui inituyuh tapue nitubeye tharetehehui inuniha-

thy name come thy kingdom do above the earth

mi inkituhenahui ipuzka hetehehui ypiytiy. Achii ri-

thy will as it is done in heaven. To-day

pahkehbi inbotumehui indahmutze dihemindikebi inbo-

give us our bread every day forgive us

tubuchochi pukuehentukabmindi indorihuebikeh nuxi-

our fault as we forgive our debtors

menkarihechi kehbi muhe dishedanita kehbi pinita

let us not fall us and deliver us from
9
inbuti.
evil.

A language spoken in Toluca, the Ocuiltec, is men

tioned by Sahagun and Grijalua, about which, except
10
ing the name only, no
information can be obtained.

Principally in the state of Oajaca, but also in parts

pp. 499-539; Guevara, Arte Doctrinal, in Soc.
9 torn.,
Pimentel, Cuadro, i.,

Mex. Gecxj., Boletin, torn, ix., pp. 197-260; Vater, Mithridates, torn, iii., pt.
iii.,p. 126.
Ocuiltecas, viven en el distrito de Toluca, en tierras y terminos suyos,
la

son de la misma vida, y costumbre de los de la Toluca, aunque su lenguage

es diferente. Sahayun, Hint. Gen., torn, iii., lib. x., p. 130. Qcuilteca, que
es lengua singular cle aquel pueblo, y de solo ocho visitas, que tenia sujetas
asi, y assi soinos solos, los que
la sabemos. Grijalua, Cr6n. Augustin, fol. 75.
 DIALECTS OF THE MIZTEC LANGUAGE. 749

of the present states of Puebla and Guerrero, the Miz-

tec language is spoken even to this day. Of this lan
guage, there are many dialects, of which the following
are mentioned as chief: the Tepuzculano, the Yan-
gtiistlan,
the Miztec bajo, the Miztec alto, the Cuix-
lahuac, 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.
11
As the Miztecs
are generally classed among the autochthones of Mex
ico, their language is considered as of great antiquity,
being spoken of in connection with that of the Ulmecs
and Xicalancas. 12 Almost all of the old missionaries
complained of the difficulty of acquiring this tongue
and its many dialects, which necessitated often a three
13
fold or fourfold study.
The Miztec may be written by means of the follow
ing letters a, ch, d, e, h, i, j, 1c, m, n, n, o, s, t, u, v, x or
:

ks gs, y, z, dz, nd, in, kh.

t
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 occur
rence. syllables each yodoyo-
I give two of seventeen :

JcavuandisasikandiyosanninahasahaUj to walk stum

bling; and yokuvuihuatinindiyotuvuihuatusindisahata, to

11
Y
aunque la lengua los haze generalmente a todos vnos en muchos
partes la ban diferenciado en sylabas, y inodo do pronunciarlas, pero todos
Be comimican, y entienden. Buryna, Gcoy. Descrip., torn, i., fol. 127, 130;
Grijcilua, Cr6n. Augustin, p. 75; J3rasseur de Bourbourg, Euquisses, pp. 34 (5;
Luet, Noixis Orbis, p. 260; Herrcra,, Hist. Gen., dec. iii., lib. iii., cap. xii.-xiii. ;
Oror.ro y Berra, Geografta, pp. 189-96; Villa-Scnor y Sanchez, T/itatro, torn,
ii., p. 137; Remesal, Hist. Chi/apa-, p. 712.
12
Torquernadd, Monarq. 2nd., torn, i., p. 32. Ein Volk, das zu den Auto-
chthonen von Mexico gcliort. IJuftchmfnin, Ortsna tnen, p. 18.
Mi-stica, cnya entera pronunciacion se vale algunas vezes de las narizes,
1:5

y tiene muchos equiuocos que la hazen de mayor diiicultad. Padilla,

J)<<vi,li

Hint. Fnnl. Mcx., p. G4. La lengua dificulfcosissima en la pronunciacion,

con notable variedad de terminos y vozes en vnos y otros Pueblos. Burgoa,
Que como craii Demonios se valian de la
t
] Jlixt., pt. i., fol. 211.
<d<>*tr<t,

maliciosa astucia de varias la vozes y vocablos en esta lengua, asi para los
Palacios de los Caziques con terminos reuerenciales, como para los Idolos con
parabolos, y tropos, que solos los satrapas los aprendiaii, y como era la a<|ui

mas corrupto. Id., G eoy. Descrip., torn, i., fol. 15G. La lengua de aquella
nacion, que es dificultosa de saberse, por la gran equiuocacion de los bocablos,
para cuya distincion es necessario vsar de ordinario del soiiido de la nariz y
aspiracion del aliento. Remesal, Hint. CJnjapa, p. 321. Ser la Lengua difi
cultosa de aprender, por las muchas equiuocaciones que tiene. J)dvdu, Ttatro
., torn, i., p. 150.
750 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

conciliate thegood graces of a person. Words are

compounded or agglutinated in five different ways:
First, without changing either of the component
words; as, yutnii, tree; and Jcuihi, fruit; yutnulcuihi,
fruit-tree. Second, one of
the component words
changes; ,as, huaha, good; and nanah a, no; nahuaha,
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; yosini-
manindi, I love or esteem.
There are many words in this language which ex
press quite different things, according to the con
nection in which they are used; as, yondaJcandi, 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; yeJcnya, 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 plu
rality is expressed by the word many, or the num
ber. Personal pronouns are I, speaking to inferiors
:

or equals, duliu, ndi; I, speaking with superiors, nad-

zana, nadza, ndza; thou, doho, ndo; them, used by
females speaking to their children, diya, nda; you, or
your honor, disi, maini, ni; he,
tay, yuJcua; she,
ta,
na (also used by women
speaking of men); he or she,
speaking respectfully, ya, iya; we, ndoo; you, doho;
they, ta, tay, yuJcua. The pronouns ndi, ndo, ta, are
affixed to the verb; and the pronouns duhu, doho, and
tai are prefixed; nadzana is
usually prefixed; nadza
or ndza, affixed ; disi and maini are generally prefixed,
ni is affixed; diya is prefixed, and na, ndoo, and ya
are affixed.

CONJUGATION OP THE VERB TO SIN.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.
I sin, yodzatevuindi I He sins, yodzatevuita
Thou sinnest, yodzatevuindo J
We sin, yodzatevuindoo
 MIZTEC GRAMMAR AND LORD S PRAYERS 751

IMPERFECT. PLUPERFECT.
I sinned, iiidzatevuiiuli |
I had sinned, saiiidzatevuiiidi
IRST FUTURE. SECOND FUTURE.
I shall sin, dzatevuintll |
I shall have sinned, sadzatevuikandi
IMPERATIVE.
Let me sin, nadzatevuiiidi Let us sin, nadzatevuindoo
Sin thou, dzatevui Sin you, chidzatevui
Let him, or them, sin, nadzatevuita

Verbal nouns are formed by prefixing the syllable

the present indicative of the verb.
sa, or sasi, to Re
garding 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 Yangiiitlan. That
of Tepuzculula is the best understood throughout the
district of Miztcca.
The Pater Xoster in the Tepuzculula dialect is as
follows :

Dzutundoo yodzikani andevui nakakunahihuahan-

Our father thou art heaven let us praise

doo, sananini nakisi santoniisini nakuvui nuunayevui

thy name come thy kingdom be done (in the) world

inini dzavuatnaha yokuvui andevui. Dzitandoo yut-

thy will as also be done (in) heaven. Our bread each

naa yutnaa tasinisindo huitno dzaandoui kuachisindoo

day give us much to-day forgive us our sins

dzavuatnaha yodzandoondoo suhani sindoo huasa ki-

as well as we forgive debtor ours not

vuiiiahani nukuitandodzondoo kuachi tavuiiiahani saiia-

lead us we will fall in sin deliver you from

huahua. Dzavua nakuvui.

evil. So be it made.

For the purpose of illustrating the difference between

the dialects, I insert two other Pater Nosters, thelirst
of Miztec bajo, and the second of the alto dialect:
Dtitundo hiadicani andivi nacuu hii na minim: na-
quixidica satonixini: nacuu ndudu mini nunahivi
yoho daguatnaha yo cuu mi andivi. Ditando ititin

nundi vichi te dandooni cuachindi dagua

itian taxinia :

tnaha dandoondi naa ni dativi nundi te maza diinani :

ntziuhu uncaguandi na dativindi: te cuneguahanindi

nuu nditaca na un^uaha.
o Duha na cuu Jesus.
 752 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO,

Dzutuyo iyoxicani anclivi nacui liii nananini. JsTa-

quixi Naciihui ndudzuinini ufiaiviyoho,

xatoniixini.
sahuatna yocuhui ini andivi. Dzitayo itian itian ta-
xini nundi vichi sandoo-ni :
cudchiyo, sahuatanha yo
sand on di nanidzativi nundi taun-sayahani nacanaca-
huandi zadzativindi. Sacacunino nahani nuu nditaca
na hunhua. Dzaa nacuu lya lesus. 14

Another language, said to be connected with the

Miztec is the Amusgo. Wedged in between the Miz-
tec and Zapotec are several tongues, of which,
except
ing 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 Zapo
tec. 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. 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 Guate

16
mala, the Pupuluca. Of these languages, I have
the following Lord s prayers:
CHOCHO OR CHUCHON.
Thanay theeningarmhi athiytnuthu y nay dithiiii
achuua dinchaxifii
ndithetat^u caguni, nchi-
atatgu
yatheetatcu ngarmhi andaatatcu sacermhi y tgama caa-
14
Pimentel, Cuadro, torn, i., pp. 41-79; Vater, MUliridatcs, torn, iii., pt.
iii., pp. 31-41; Catedsmo del P. Itipaldo, tradudda al Mtateco; Catedstno en
idioma Mixteco.
^ Chinantec con la dificultad de la
Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, p. 712.
pronunciacion, y vozes tan equiuocas que con vn niesmo termiiio mas Llando
6 mas recio dicho signiiica disonante sentido. Tor que la locucion es
entre dicntes, violenta, y con los accentos de consonarites asperas, corifusas
las vocales, sin distincion vnas de otras
que parecian braniidos, mas que
terminos de locucion. Buryoa, Geog. Descrip., torn, i., fol. 183, torn, ii.,
fol. 284, 286; Villa-Scnor
y Sanchez, Theatro, torn, ii., pp. 137, 141, 163, 187,
189, 197; Orozco y Berra, Geografia, pp. 187-97; Hakluyfa Voy., vol. iii., p.
497.
16
Sahagur Hist. Gen., torn, iii., lib. x., p. 135; Pimentel, Cuadro, torn, ii.,
p. 262.
 MAZATEC AND CUICATEC LORD S PRAYERS. 753

tuenesacalia caliau cahau atzizhuqlicc caa tuenesacaha

di enihay a taanguyheene caguni, ditheethaxengaqhine
tuenesacaha nchiyaquichuu, ditheetaanguyheene cagu-
quiehuu. .sacaha, thiytheecheexengaqhine quichuu
. .

sacalia netcanga yhathamini cixitceyasacaha yhee

cheecaamini cheecaaqhi nemini caatuenesacaha caa-
nenndinana andataazu.
Of the Mazatec there are two specimens, which do
not appear to accord, thus showing how little regard
was paid to names:
Nadmind, Naina ga tecni gahami, sandumi ili ga
tirrubanajin nanguili. Cuaha catama janimali, jacunit
die nangui cunit gahami. Nino rrajinna tey quitaha
najin; qntedchatahanajin gadchidtonajin jacunitgajin
nedchata alejin chidtaga tedtunajin. Guquimit tacun-
tuajin, tued tinajin cuacha ca tama.

Tata nahan xi nacd nihaseno; chacuca, catoma

niere; catichovd rico manimajin. Catoma cuazuare
donjara batoo cor nangui, bateco, nihasen: niotisla
najin ri
ganeihinixtin, najin dehi; nicanuhi ri
tinto
guitenajin donjara batoo, juirin ni canojin ri quiteisja-
jin, quiniquenahi najin ri danjin quis anda nongo
niqueste. Mee.

Of the Cuicatec there are also two dialects :

Chidao, chicane cheti jubi chintuico iia; cobichi, jubi

na chichii, chicobi no ns nendi na cobichi nenona.
; :
;

Duica fialidn, nahdn tando cheti jubi. Nondo necno;

chi jubi, jubi; techi ni nous: md dinenino, ni chi can-
ticono, dinen, tandonons; dieninono chi canti co nehen
nons, ata condicno; na tentac ion, ante danhi, dinenino
ni chin que he danhi.

Chida deco, chicanede vae chetingue cuivicu duchi

dende cuichi nusun dende vue chetingue cui, tundube
vedinun dende tica nafiaa, tandu vae chetingue yn
dingue deco de huehue techide deco guema yna deche-
code deco ducue ticu tica, tandu nusun riadecheco dee-
VOL. III. 48
754 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

vioducue chichati cusa yati, tumandicude cuitao vendi-

17
cuido nanguaedene ducue chiguetae.

The kingdom of Zapotecapan, in which the

ancient
from the val
Zapotec language was spoken, extended
ley of Oajaca as far as Tehuantepec. The different
dialects were
the Zaachilla, Ocotlan, Etla, Netzicho,
:

or Beni-Xono,
Serrano de Ixtepec, Serrano de Cajones
and Serrano de Miahuatlan.
18
The Zapotec is a more
harmonious language than the Miztec, and is spoken
with, considerable elegance, metaphors
and parables
19
is in some places pronounced in
Yet it
abounding.
distinctly; so much so that
Juan Cordova, 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 con
founded. The h is used only as an aspirate. The
the sounds
following letters of the alphabet represent
of the Zapotec: a, b, ch, e, g, h, i, fc, I, m, n, n, o, p, r,
/, u, y, x,
z. ill. There are also five diphthongs SB, ce, :

ei, ie, ou. The plural is expressed either by numerals

or ziani pichina, many
adjectives: pichina, deer;
by
deer. Like the Aztec, Miztec, and others, the
Zapotec has reverential terms. The personal pro
nouns are: naa, ya, a, I; lohui, loy, looy, lo, thou;
to superiors);
yobina, your honor (when speaking
nikani, nike, nikee, ni, ke, he or they yobini or yobina, ;

he (speaking respectfully) ; taono, tono, tonoo, tona, no,

9700,we; latOj to, you.
Possessi ves: xiienia, mine; xitenilo, thine; xitenini,
Inter-
his; xitenitono or xitenino, ours ; xitenito, yours.
are tuxa or tuia,
rogatives used with animate beings
:

tu or chu and with inanimate things xiikaxa, xiixa,

;
:

xii; koota is used for either

animate or inanimate
objects.
Pimentel, Cuadro, torn. ii. pp. 259-62.
17
,

18
Villa-Sefior y Sanchez, Theatro, torn, ii., pp. 190-9; Musco Mex., torn,
torn, ii., p. 186; Wappdas, Gcorj. u. Stat.,
ii., p. 554; Miihknpfordt, Mejico,
torn, ii.,
p. ^G; Orozco y Berra, Geoyrafia, p. 177; Buryoa, Geog. Descrip.,
fol. 312.
19
Su lenguage era tan metaforico, como el de los Palestmos, lo que
querian persuadir, hablaban siempre con parabolas. Bimjoa, Geoy. Descrip.,
torn, i., fol. 196. Lalangue Zapot^que est d une douceur et d une sonorite
qui rappelle 1 Italien. Brasscur de Bour tourrj, Exquisites, p. 35.
 ZAPOTEC GRAMMAR AND LORD S PRAYER. 755

There are four conjugations, which are distinguished

by the particles with which they commence. The
first uses, in the present, ta, in the past, lea, and in the
future lea; the second has te, pe, and Ice; the third, ti,
ko, lei; and if they are passives, ti, pi, ki, or ti, ko, and
lea; 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, tanaui
IMPERFECT. PERFECT.
I dug, tanatia, konatia, or konaya |
have dug,
I 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, kolakaiia
OTHER FORMS.
If I would dig, nianalayaniaka
If I have dug, zianatilaya
If I shall dig, nikanaya

The an example of the differences be

following is
tween the Child in the Zaachilla is batoo ;
dialects:
in the Ocotlan, metho; in the Etla, binnito; in the
sierra, bitao; in the tierra caliente, bato.
The Pater Noster with translation taken literal
from the Catecismo of Leonardo Levanto, reads as
follows :

Bixoozetonoohe kiicbaa nachiibalo nazitoo ziikani

Father our heaven thou who art above great has been done

laalo kellakookii xtennilo kita ziika ruarii nitiziguee-

thy name kingdom thine will come here thy will

lalo 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 kozaananaaziikalo tonoo niiani ya kezihuina: peziilla

not lead us us that we sin: deliver
756 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

zika tonoo niiaxtenni kiraa kellahuechiie. Gaga ziiga

also us of all evil. Will be doue so
20
ziika.
SO.

Between the head waters of the Rio Nexapa and

Goatzacoalco, the Mije language is spoken. It is de
scribed 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
21
without these were unable to understand each other.
The following alphabet is used by Pimentel in writing
this language :
a, 6, ch, e, h, i, k, m, n, n, 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, koo, arms teikkaa, and tinaak,
; ;

stomach. In declensions, the genitive is formed by

prefixing the letter i: xeuh, name; dios ixSuh, name
of God. The plural is formed by the terminal toch :
toix, woman; toixtoch, women.
PRONOUNS.
I otz, n, notz
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 pon
We ootz, 11

They yad
Mine notz
Thine m, mitzm
His i

Our, ours ootzn, nootz, n

20
i., pp. 321-60; Nouvelles Annales des Voy., 1841,
Pimentel, Cuadro, torn,
260 et seq.
torn, xcii., pp.
Expressa el Him Sen or Obispo de Oaxaca en su Pastoral, que en su
21

Diocesis hay una Lengua, que solo de dia se entienden bien, y que de npche
en apagandoles la luz, ya no se pueden explicar, porque con los gestos signi
ficant Lorenzana y Buitron, Cartas Pastorales, p. 96, note 1. Tambien
su idioma tiene fuera y energia. Burgoa, Geog. Descrip., torn, ii., fol. 271.
Lingua illorum, rudis et crassum quid sonaiis instar Allemanorum. Laet,
Novus Orbis, p. 262; Barnard s Tehuantepec, pp. 224-5; Villa-Senor y San-
 MIJE ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS. 757

ADVERBS, PREPOSITIONS, AND CONJUNCTIONS.

Here ya
No katii
Thence heem
Always xuma
Never kahundiin
More niik
Then hueniit
When ko
For, in, to, above, with kuxm
Of kuxmit, it
In, between hoitp
In huifi
With moot
Inside, within akuuk
Before huindui
Why, what for heekuxm
That huen
As much, so that ixtanom
Not yet katiinam
How, since ixta

THE LORD S PRAYER.

Nteitootz tzaphoitp mtzonaiphee konuikx itot mitzm
Father our in heaven who lives blessed be thy
xeuh momoikootz mitzm konkion itunot mitzm tzokn
name gives us thy kingdom be done thy will

ya naxhuiii ixta ituinu tzaphoitp. Ootzn kaik opo-

as in earth as is done in heaven. Our bread

mopomit momoikootz yoniit etz moyaknitokoikootzn

daily gives us to-day and forgive us

pokpa ixta ootz niaknitokoi ootzn yachotmaatpa etz

sin as we forgive our offender and

katii ootz ixmomatztuit heekuxm katii 66tz nkeclai

not as lead that not as let us carry

huinonii kuxn. Etz rnokohuankootz nanihum kaoiap-

temptation in. And deliver all evil
22
hee kuxmit.
from.

The language of the Huaves spoken on the isthmus

of Tehuantepec is, according to tradition, not indige
nous to the country. It is related that these people
came by water from a place down the coast, although

chez, Theatro, torn, ii., pp. 155, 199-201; MiMilenpfordt, Mcjico, torn, ii., p.
143; Mmvo
Alex., torn, ii., p. 555; Orozco ?/ Eerra, Geoyrafia, p. 17(5.
2a
Pimentel, Cuadro, torn, ii., pp. 173-88.
758 LANGUAGES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO.

the locality whence they came is not 23

I have
given.
only the following numerals as a specimen of the lan
24
guage:
One anoeth Ten agax-poax
Two izquied Eleven agax-panocthy
Three areux Twelve agax-pieuhx
Four apequrd Thirteen agax-par
Five acoquiati Fourteen agax-papeux
Six aiiaiti Fifteen agax-pacoigx
Seven ayeiri Twenty nicu maio
Eight axpecaii Thirty nieumiaomcaxpd
Nine axqueyeii One hundred anoecacocmiau
1

Y
se dixo antes, que la nacion destos Indies huabes aviaii venido de
tierras muy lexaiias, de all& de la Costa del Sur, mas cerca de la
Eclyptica
vezmdad del Peru, y segun las circunstancias de su lengua, y trato de la
Provincia 6 Reyno de Nicarahua. Buryoa, Geog. Descrip., torn, h., fol. .396.
El huave, huavi, guave, llamado tambien en un
antiguo MS. guazonteca 6
huazonteca, se habla en el Estado de Oaxaca. Los huaves son originarios de
Guatemala; unos les hacen de la filiacion de los peruanos, fuiidandose eri la
semejanza de algunas costumbres, mientras otros les suponen hermanos de los
pueblos de Nicaragua. La segunda opinion iios parece la mas acertada, y auii
iios atreveriamos a creer
que el huave pertenece a la familia maya-quiche.
Orozco y Berra, Geografia, pp. 44, 74. II parait dernoiitre, cependant,
que
la langue des Wabi a de
grandes analogies avec quelqu une de celles qu on
parlait a Nicaragua. Brasseur de JBourboury, Hist. Nat. Civ., torn, iii., p. 36.
-1
Sivers, Mittelamerika, p. 290.