Volume 3 — CHAPTER XII. LANGUAGES OF HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, AND THE ISTHMUS OF DARIEN.

The Carib an Imported Language—The Mosquito Language—The Poya, Towka, Seco, Valiente, Rama, Cookra, Woolwa, and other Languages in Honduras—The Chontal—Mosquito Grammar—Love Song in the Mosquito Language—Comparative Vocabulary of Honduras Tongues—The Coribici, Chorotega, Chontal and Orotiña in Nicaragua—Grammar of the Orotiña or Nagradan—Comparison between the Orotiña and Chorotega—The Chiriquí, Guatuso, Tiribi, and others in Costa Rica—Talamanca Vocabulary—Diversity of Speech on the Isthmus of Darien—Enumeration of Languages—Comparative Vocabulary.

In Honduras there is a long list of tribal names, to each of which is attributed a distinct tongue. Vocabularies have been taken of three or four only, and one, spoken on the Mosquito coast, has had its grammatical structure reduced to writing. It is therefore impossible to make comparisons and therefrom to determine how far their number might be reduced by classification. The first which I introduce is generally conceded to have been imported. It is the Carib, spoken on the shores of the bay of Honduras and on the adjacent islands, and has been proven to be almost identically the same as the one spoken on the West India Islands. From Cape Honduras to the Rio San Juan, and extending inland as far as Black River, the Mosquito language is in general use. Of it I shall insert a few grammatical remarks. In the Poya Mountains a like-named tongue is spoken; on the headwaters of the Patook River is the Towka, and on the Rio Secos, the Seco. Further in the mountains, near the boundary of Nicaragua, and extending into that state are the Valiente and Rama, said to be both separate tongues; and in the interior of the state there are the Cookra and Woolwa, the latter spoken in the province of Chontales. Others mentioned are the Tonglas, the Lenca, the Smoo, the Teguaca, the Albatuina, the Jara, the Taa, the Gaula, the Motuca, the Fantasma, and the Sambo. Of these nothing but the names can be given. The oldest authorities mention, as a principal language the Chontal, the name of a people and language met in many variations in almost every state from Mexico to Nicaragua. As there are no specimens of this language existing, it is impossible to say whether one people and language extended through all this territory or whether certain wild tribes were designated by this general name, as, according to Molina's Mexican dictionary, chontalli means stranger or foreigner; and popoluca, which seems to be also used like chontalli, is defined as barbarian, or man of another nation and language. I am therefore of the opinion that no such nations as Chontals or Popolucas exist, but that these names were employed by the more civilized nations to designate people speaking other and barbarous tongues.[XII'-1]

MOSQUITO ADJECTIVES AND DECLENSIONS.

Of the Mosquito language, which is understood throughout the whole Mosquito Coast, and of which I here give a few grammatical remarks, Mr Squier remarks that "it is not deficient in euphony, although defective in grammatical power."[XII'-2] There is but one article, the numeral adjective kumi, one, used also for a and an. The adjectives are few in number, having no uniform termination, and are discovered only by their signification, except when participles, when they always terminate in ra or n. Adjectives form the comparative by adding kara to the positive and the superlative by adding poli except in two words, uia and silpe, which have distinct words for each degree of comparison, thus;—silpe, small; uria, smaller; katara, smallest; uia, much; kara, more; poli, most. Comparison is usually formed in the manner following;—yamne, good; yamne kara, better; yamne poli, best; konra, strong; konra kara, stronger; konra poli, strongest.

In composition, to express excess or diminution, comparison is sometimes formed in this manner;—Jan almuk, Samuel almuk apia: John is old, Samuel is not old.

ADJECTIVES.

Old almuk Bad saura

Every bane Green sane

Tight, close bitne Black sixa

Spotted bulne Small silpe

Greedy slabla Transparent slilong

Dull dimdim Slippery swokswaka

Circular iwit Sour swane

Less kausa Damp tauske

More kara Great tara

Hot lapta Thin, flat tanta

Rich lela-kera Thick twotne

Round marbra Poor umpira

Sharp mata Much uia

White pine Smaller uria

Red paune Weary wet

Most, very poli Heavy wira

Grey, light blue etc. popotne Chief wita

New raiaka Good yamne

THE PERFECT TENSE USED AS AN ADJECTIVE.

Dry lawan Angry palan, or luan

Lazy shringwan Fearful sibrin

Slack, loose langwan Sore latwan

Wet buswan Sick, troubled warban

Dirty klaklan Dead pruan

Generous kupia-pine

The gender is commonly marked by adding waikna for the male and mairen for the female, or, for beasts, wainatka for the male, and mairen, as before, for the female. Thus;—lupia waikna, a son; lupia mairen, a daughter; bip wainatka, a bull; bip mairen, a cow. In nouns relating to the human species the plural is formed by adding nani to the singular; as;—waikna, a man; waikna nani, men; yapte, mother; yapte nani, mothers. Other nouns have the plural the same as the singular, although sometimes a plural is formed by adding ra to the singular;—inska, a fish; inskara, fishes.

There are four cases, distinguished by their terminations, the nominative, dative, accusative, and ablative.

DECLENSION OF THE WORD AIZE, FATHER.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. Father aize Fathers aize-nani

Dat. To father aizera To fathers aize-nanira

Acc. Father aize Fathers aize-nani

Abl. With father aize-ne With fathers aize-ne-nani

WITH AFFIX KE.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. My father aize-ke My fathers aizeke-nani

Dat. To my father aizekra To my fathers aizeke-nanira

Acc. My father aizeke My fathers aizeke-nani

Abl. With my father aize-ke-ne With my fathers aizeke ne nani

WITH AFFIX KAM.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. Thy father aizekam Thy fathers aizekam-nani

Dat. To thy father aizekamra To thy fathers aizekam-nanira

Acc. Thy father aizekam Thy fathers aizekam-nani

Abl. With thy father aizekam-ne With thy fathers aizekam ne nani

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. His people ai upla Their people ai upla-nani

Dat. To his people ai uplara To their people ai upla-nanira

Acc. His people ai upla Their people ai upla-nani

Abl. With his people ai uplane With their people ai uplane-nani

To form the possessive case of nouns, the word dukia, signifying 'belonging', is added. The word, being subject to a declension peculiar to itself, is on that account not put as an affix in the usual declension of nouns.

DECLENSION OF THE WORD DUKIA, BELONGING, POSSESSION.

Belonging, possession dukia

Belonging to him, to them ai dukiara

Belonging to thee, to you ai dukiamra

In my possession, belonging to me dukia-ne

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Of me, mine yung dukia Of us, ours yung-nani dukia

Of thee, thine man dukia Of you, yours man-nani dukia

Of him, his, hers, its wetin dukia Of them, theirs wetin nani dukia

There are twelve pronouns, mostly declinable. Six of them are personal.

I yung Self bui

Thou man Our wan

He wetin He, his, her, hers, I, me, etc. ai

Three are relative, and three adjective.

ADJECTIVE. RELATIVE.

This baha What naki

That naha Which ansa

Other wala Who dia

The first three are declined alike; thus

DECLENSION OF THE WORD YUNG, I

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. I yung We yung-nani

Dat. To me yungra To us yung-nanira,

Acc. Me yung Us yung-nani

Abl. In me yung-ne With us yung-nani kera

DECLENSION OF THE WORD MAN, THOU.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. Thou man You man nani

Dat. To thee manra To you man-nanira

Acc. Thee man You man-nani

Abl. In thee man-ne With you man-nani-kera

DECLENSION OF THE WORD WETIN, HE.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

Nom. He wetin They wetin-nani

Dat. To him wetinra To them wetin-nanira

Acc. Him wetin Them wetin nani

Abl. In him wetin-ne With them wetin-nani kera

Affixes are also joined to pronouns to increase, vary, or change their signification, such as sa, ne, ra, am, and others, as well as prepositions and adverbs.

There are but three interjections: alai! alas! kais! lo! and alakai! O dear!

MOSQUITO ADVERBS AND PREPOSITIONS.

Adverbs are numerous, and admit of certain variations in their signification by the use of affixes, thus;—nara, here; narasa, here it is; lama, near; lamara, nearer.

Quickly ane Never tara

When ankia Where ansera

Every bane Together aika-aika

Yesterday, the eua-wala There bara

other day There it is barasa

Presently kanara Yonder bukra

When kanka Near lama

Again kli Nearer, close lamara

Soon mit Further liwara

To-day naiua Here nara

Next, by and by naika Here it is narasa

Already put No more yulakane

Immediately tiske Yes au

To-morrow yunka Anything deradera

After to-morrow yawanka Sweetly dumdum

No, not apia Exactly kut

Only baman Strangely pale

For nothing barke Very, truly poli

Not, never para Enough sipse

Not sip Truly kosak

It is not sipsa

There are twenty-eight prepositions. Some of them are also used as conjunctions; and some, like the adverb, admit of a variation.

At, near, about baila For mata

To, there bara Beneath maira

In bela Below monunta

Into, within belara Under monuntara

Against dara Behind ninara

Beyond kau After ninka

With kera Without, destitute para

Through krauan Over, upon pura

With, together kuki Upon, above purara

In front lalma Before, anterior pus

Opposite, before lalmara Without, exterior skera

Unto, close lama Among tilara

Without, outside latara With wal

Between, centre lilapos From, out of wina

CONJUNCTIONS.

Then baha Until kut

Since baha-wina Now mek

Like bako How naki

Because, for bamna Next naika

So thus bun But sekuna

So it is bunsa Lest sia

If kaka And, also sin

Yet kau And wal

Still kause

CONJUGATION OF THE VEEB KAIA, TO BE.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I am, yung ne The same, only placing nani after

Thou art, man kam the pronouns.

He is, wetin

PERFECT. FUTURE.

I have been, kare I shall be, kamne

Thou hast been, karum Thou wilt be, kama

He has been, He will be, kabia

IMPERATIVE.

Be thou, kama Let us be, kape

Let him be, kabia Be ye, man-nani-kama

Let them be, wetin nani kabia

OTHER FORMS.

I have not been, kerus

Thou hast not been, kerum

He has not been, keruiskan

I shall not be, kamue-apia

Thou wilt not be, kama-apia

He shall not be, kabia-apia

We shall not be, yung-nani kamne-apia

Ye shall not be, man-nani kama-apia

They shall not be, wetin-nani kabia-apia

Shall I not be? kamne-apiake

Wilt thou not be? kama-apiake

Shall he not be? kabia-apiake

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB DAUKAIA, TO MAKE.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

I make, daukisne We make, yung-nani daukisne

Thou makest, daukisma You make, man-nani daukisma

He makes, daukisa, or danki They make, wetin-nani dauki, or dankisa

IMPERFECT.

I did make, daukatne

Thou didst make, daukatma

He did make, daukata

In the same way every tense forms the plural, having no difference in the terminations.

PERFECT. FUTURE.

I have made, dankre I shall make, daukamne

Thou hast made, daukrum Thou wilt make, daukama

He has made, daukan He will make, daukbia

IMPERATIVE.

Make, daux Let us make, daukpe

Let him make, daukbia, or dautbiasika Make ye, man nani daux

Let them make, wetin nani daukbia or daukbiasika

OTHER FORMS.

I make not, daukrusne

I did not make, daukruskatne

I have not made, yung daukrus

I shall not make, daukamme-apia

Make not, daukparama, or man daukpara

Let him not make, daukiera, or wetin daukbiera

Let us not make, yung nani daukbiera

Make ye not, man nani daukpara, or daukparama

Let them not make, wetin nani daukbiera

I may or can make, yung shep daukisne

I should make, daukaiakatne

I may have made, yung shep daukre

I might have made, yung daukatnekrane

I shall have made, daukaiakamne

Do I make? daukisneke

Do I not make? daukrusneke

Dost thou not make, or makest thou not? daukrusmake

Does he not make? daukruske

Shall I not make? daukamne apiake

If I make, yung daukikaka

If I had not made, yung daukruskaka[XII'-3]

MOSQUITO LOVE SONG.

As a specimen of this language I have the following love song:

Keker miren náne, warwar páser yamne krouekan. Coope nárer mi koolkun I doukser. Dear máne kuker cle wol proue. I sabbeáne wal moonter moppara. Keker misére yapte winegan. Koker sombolo barnar lippun, lippun, lippunke. Koolunker punater bin biwegan. Coope nárer tánes I doukser. Coope nárer mi koolkun I doukser.

Of this the translation is given as follows:

Dear girl, I am going far from thee. When shall we meet again to wander together on the sea-side? I feel the sweet sea-breeze blow its welcome on my cheek. I hear the distant rolling of the mournful thunder. I see the lightning flashing on the mountain's top, and illuminating all things below, but thou art not near me. My heart is sad and sorrowful; farewell! dear girl, without thee I am desolate.[XII'-4]

Following is a comparative vocabulary of some of the other languages.[XII'-5]

LENCA.

GUAJIQUERO. OPATORO. INTIBUCAT. SIMILATION. WOOLWA. XICAQUE. CARIB.

Man taho amaske all jomé

Woman move napu mab yall pitmé

Head toro tohoro cagasí toro tunni laipuco waichie

Face amptiga amptiga tije

Ear yang yan yangaga yoan fora

Eye saing saringla saring saarim miniktaka non

Nose napse napseh nepton nepse nágnitak meguin

House tahü taoo tahu u chef

Sun gasi gashi gashi maa behapoy wello

Fire uga ua yuga yuca cukh iqueamoos wat

Water guass uash guash güas uass sur dunna

Stone caa coa tupan pai

Dog shui shui shushu sui sulo soyo

White shogo shogo shogo sae

Black sihiri sihiri seriga tiltique

To eat coorta gorkin gormal ulanta tecuting

To drink supatch talgui talmal

One ita ita itaska eta alaslach pani abama

Two naa pé muyebu matis biama

Three lagua lágua muyebas contis irwa

Four aria eslea muyarunca urupau biamburi

Five saihe saihe sai muyesinca casanpani abanawajap

Ten isis siis isis muyhasluy camaspus sunwajp

OROTIÑA CONJUGATIONS.

Besides the Aztec, which I have already spoken of in a previous chapter, there were four distinct languages spoken in Nicaragua:—The Coribici, Chorotega, Chontal, and Orotiña.[XII'-6] Of the Orotiña, which Mr Squier calls the Nagrandan, I have the following grammatical notes.

Neither articles nor prepositions are expressed. The plural is formed by the affix nu;—ruscu, bird; ruscunu, birds. Comparatives and superlatives are expressed by mah, better or more, and pooru or puru, best or most;—meheña, good; ma-meheña, better; puru-meheña, best. Diminutives, or deficiency, are expressed by ai or mai;—ai-meheña or mai-meheña, bad or lacking good.

PRONOUNS.

I icu

We, masc. hechelu

We, fem. hecheri

Thou ica

You, m. hechela

You, f. hechelai

He icau

She icagui

They, m. icanu

They, f. icagunu

That cagui

Those caguinu

This, m. cala

This, f. hala

These, m. cadchinulu

These, f. cadchici

Mine, m. cugani

Mine, f. icagani

Yours, m. cutani

Yours, f. icatani

His cagani

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB SA, TO BE.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

I am, sá We are, so

Thou art, sá You are, soa

He is, sá They are, sula

IMPERFECT.

I was, caná We were, cananá

Thou wast, caná You were, cananoá

He was, caná They were, lacananá

PERFECT.

I have been, sá cá We have been, sá cuá

Thou hast been, sachu You have been, sá cnahi

He has been, sacá They have been, sa gahu

PLUPERFECT.

I had been, mucasini Plural the same

Thou hadst been, mucanasini

He had been, mucanasadini

FIRST FUTURE.

I shall be, lamanambi We shall be, lamananna

SECOND FUTURE.

I shall have been, malamana We shall have been, lamana

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB AIHA, TIHA, AHIHA, TO COME.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

I come, icunaha We come, hechelunagubi

IMPERFECT.

I came, incunahalu We came, hechelunagubalú

PERFECT.

I have come, icusanaha We have come, hechelusagualalu

PLUPERFECT.

I had come, icuschisalu We had come, hechelunigualalu

FIRST FUTURE.

I shall come, icugaha We shall come, hecheluguha

SECOND FUTURE.

I shall have come, icuvihiluniha We shall have come, hechehivihiluingualalu

IMPERATIVE.

Come, ahiyaica Let us come, ahiyohecheu

I should come, icugahalu We should come, hechelugualalu

If I had come, icumahaluvihilu If we had come, hechelumainueamaguíha[XII'-7]

Of the Orotiña and Chorotega I also insert a short vocabulary.

OROTIÑA. CHOROTEGA. OROTIÑA. CHOROTEGA.

Man rahpa nuho Water eeia nimbu

Woman rapaku nahseyomo Stone esee, or esenu nugo

Head a'cu, or edi goochemo Wood bara nanguima

Face enu grote To drink mahuia boprima

Ear nau nuhme To go aiyu, or icu paya

Eye setu nahte Dead ganganu gagame

Nose ta'co mungoo White mesha andirume

Arm pa'pu deno I icu saho

House gua nahngu Thou, he ica sumusheta

Sun ahca numbu We hechelu semehmu[XII'-8]

Fire ahku nahu

NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA VOCABULARIES.

More scanty still is the information regarding the tongues of Costa Rica. Only one vocabulary is at hand of the languages spoken by the Blancos, Valientes, and Talamancas, who inhabit the east coast between the Rio Zent and the Boca del Toro. Besides these there are mentioned, as speaking separate tongues, the Chiripos, Guatusos, and Tiribis. Of the language of the Talamancas I give a few words.

Man signa-kirinema Water dí-tzítá

Woman signa-arágre Stone ák

Head sa-za-kú Wood u-ruk

Face sa-kar-kú Dog tschi-tschi

Ear su-kú-ke Good buisi

Eye su-wu-ákétéi Bad be-so-i

Nose su-tshu-ko-tó I be-hé

Hand sa-fra-tzin-sek Thou tschi-si

House suhú He se-dé

Sun kan-hué We sa-ta-war-ke

Moon tu-lu You se-hetsch-te

Fire tschú-ko They be-zo[XII'-9]

CHOLO, TULE, AND DARIEN LANGUAGES.

On the isthmus of Darien there is nothing to be mentioned but the names of tongues said to have been spoken there, and of specimens nothing but a few scanty vocabularies exist. Oviedo, speaking of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the ancient province of Tierra Firme, thinks there were as many as seventy-two distinct tongues spoken in that region. He specially mentions the Coiba, the Burica, and the Paris.[XII'-10] Andagoya speaks of a distinct language in the province of Acla; another called the Cueva as spoken in the provinces of Comogre and Biruqueta, on Pearl Island, about the gulf of San Miguel, and in the province of Coiba; at Nombre de Dios the Chuchura; to each of the provinces of Tobreytrota, Nata, Chiru, Chame, Paris, Escoria, Chicacotra, Sangana, and Guarara, a distinct language is assigned.[XII'-11] Another tongue spoken of by an old writer is that of the Simerones.[XII'-12] To the different surveying and exploring expeditions of later years we are indebted for a few notes on the languages spoken in Darien at this day. The Tules, Dariens, Cholos, Dorachos, Savanerics, Cunas, and Bayamos, are new names not mentioned by any of the older writers; of some of them vocabularies have been taken, but otherwise we are left in darkness.[XII'-13]

CHOLO. TULE. WAFER'S DARIEN VOCAB.

Water payto tee doola

Fire tuboor cho

Sun pesea ipé

Moon hedecho nee nee

Tree pachru chowala (pl.)

House dhé neka

Man mochina mastola

Woman wuèna pundola poonah

Thunder pá marra

Dog achu

Ear uwa

Eye ibia

Nose an uchuu

Mouth kagya

Father tautah

Mother naunah

Brother roopah

Go chaunah

Sleep cotchah

Fine mamaubah

One quenchaqua hean

Two pocoa dìv

Three pagwa tree

Four pakegua caher

Five aptali cooig

Ten ambe deh[XII'-14]

Although from a perusal of what has here been gathered we might wish to know more of the weird imaginings that floated through the minds of these peoples, and to follow further the interminable intermixture of tongues and dialects, spoken, grunted, and gestured between the Arctic Ocean and the Atrato River, we must content ourselves with what we have. I have gathered and given in this volume all that I have been able to find; and from the readiness with which the Americans were wont to adopt the dogmas and creeds of Europeans, supernatural conceptions supposedly superior to their own, and insist upon their being aboriginal, and from the rapid and bewildering changes that so quickly mar and destroy the original purity of tongues, there is little hope of our learning further from living lips, or of our ever being able to study these things from the scattered and degraded remnants of the people themselves.

CONCLUSION.

He who carefully examines the Myths and Languages of the aboriginal nations inhabiting the Pacific States, cannot fail to be impressed with the similarity between them and the beliefs and tongues of mankind elsewhere. Here is the same insatiate thirst to know the unknowable, here are the same audacious attempts to tear asunder the veil, the same fashioning and peopling of worlds, laying out and circumscribing of celestial regions, and manufacturing, and setting up, spiritually and materially, of creators, man and animal makers and rulers, everywhere manifest. Here is apparent what would seem to be the same inherent necessity for worship, for propitiation, for purification, or a cleansing from sin, for atonement and sacrifice, with all the symbols and paraphernalia of natural and artificial religion. In their speech the same grammatical constructions are seen with the usual variations in form and scope, in poverty and richness, which are found in nations, rude or cultivated, everywhere. Little as we know of the beginning and end of things, we can but feel, as fresh facts are brought to light and new comparisons made between the races and ages of the earth, that humanity, of whatsoever origin it may be or howsoever circumstanced, is formed on one model, and unfolds under the influence of one inspiration.

END OF THE THIRD VOLUME