Volume 3 — CHAPTER VI. THE PUEBLO, COLORADO RIVER, AND LOWER CALIFORNIA LANGUAGES.

Traces of the Aztec not found among the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona—The Five Languages of the Pueblos, the Queres, the Tegua, the Picoris, Jemez, and Zuñi—Pueblo Comparative Vocabulary—The Yuma and its Dialects, the Maricopa, Cuchan, Mojave, Diegeño, Yampais, and Yavipais—The Cochimí, Guaicurí, and Pericú, with their Dialects of Lower California—Guaicurí Grammar—Pater Noster in Three Cochimí Dialects—The Languages of Lower California wholly Isolated.

Having already mentioned some of the principal idioms spoken in the southern part of the Great Basin, as parts of the trunks to which they belong, or with which they affiliate, I shall devote the present chapter to such languages of New Mexico and Arizona as cannot be brought into the Tinneh or Sonora stocks, and to those of Lower California. Beginning with the several tongues of the Pueblos, thence proceeding westward to the Colorado River, and following its course southward to the Gulf of California, I shall include the languages of the southern extremity of California, and finally those of the peninsula. These languages are none of them cognate with any spoken in Mexico. Respecting those of the Pueblos which have long been popularly regarded as allied to southern tongues, it is now very certain that they are in no wise related to them, if we except the Aztec word-material found in the Moqui. From analogous manners and customs, from ancient traditions and time-honored beliefs, many have claimed that these New Mexican towns-people are the remains of aboriginal Aztec civilization, attempting meanwhile to explain away the adverse testimony of language, by amalgamation of the ancient tongue with those of other nations, or by absorption or annihilation; all of which, so far as arriving at definite conclusions is concerned, amounts to nothing. Analogies may be drawn between any nations of the earth; human beings are not so unlike but that in every community much may be found that is common to other communities, irrespective of distance and race, especially when the comparison is drawn between two peoples both just emerging from savagism. The facts before us concerning the Pueblo languages are these: although all alike are well advanced from primeval savagism, live in similar substantial houses, and have many common customs, yet their languages, though distinct as a whole from those of the more savage surrounding tribes, do not agree with each other. It is difficult to prove that the Aztec, although now perhaps extinguished, never was the tongue of New Mexico; on the other hand, it is impossible to prove that it was, and surely theorists go far out of their way in attempting to establish a people in a land where no trace of their language exists, or exists only in such a phase as proves conclusively that it could not possibly have ever been the basis of the language now spoken.

THE FIVE PUEBLO LANGUAGES.

Five distinct languages, with numerous dialects, more or less deviating, are spoken by the Pueblos. By the inhabitants of Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Silla, Laguna, Pojuate, Acoma, and Cochiti, the Queres language is spoken; in San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Pojuaque, Nambe, Tezuque, and also in Harno, one of the Moqui towns, the Tegua language prevails; in Taos, Picoris, Zandia, and Isleta, there is the Picoris language; in Jemez and Old Pecos, the Jemez; in Zuñi, the Zuñi language.[VI'-1] The three principal dialects of Queres are the Kiwomi, Cochitemi, and Acoma. Of these the first two are very similar, in some cases almost identical, while the Acoma is more distinct.[VI'-2] In the Queres the accent is almost invariably on the first syllable, and the words are in general rather short, although a few long words occur. Possessive pronouns appear to be affixed; they are ini, ni, ne, in, and i.

In the Tegua and Zuñi the personal pronouns are:

TEGUA. ZUÑI.

I nah hóo

Thou uh tóo

He ihih lóoko

She ihih

We (incl.) tahquireh hóono

We (exc.) nihyeuboh

You nahih ahchée

They ihnah lóoko

PUEBLO COMPARATIVE VOCABULARY.

In the Tegua, although many monosyllabics appear, there are also a number of long words, such as pehgnahvicahmborih, shrub; haihiombotahrei, for ever; hahnguenaahnpih, to be; haihahgnuhai, great; heinginubainboyoh, nothing. In the Zuñi, long words appear to predominate—ákmeeashneekeeah, autumn; áhseeailahpalhtonnai, finger; lahtailoopeetsínnah, gold; téhleenahweeteekeeah, midnight; táhmchahpahnáhmnee, war-club, and others.[VI'-3] As will more clearly appear by the following comparative vocabulary, none of these languages are cognate; they have no affinity among themselves, nor with any other family or group. [VI'-4]

QUERES. TEGUA. PICORIS. JEMEZ. ZUÑI.

Sun pah hoolennah pay yattockkah

Moon poyye pannah pahah

Star shecat adoyeah hahheglannah woonhah moyatchuway

Earth hahats nah pahhannah dockah oulocknannay

Man hatssee sayen tahhahnenah shuotish oatse

Woman naiatsay ker clayannah steosh ocare

Head nashcanne pumbah pinemah chitchous oshuckquinnay

Eye kannah chay chenay saech toonahway

Nose karwishshe shay pooaenah forsaech nolinnay

Mouth tseeikah sho clahmoenah eaequah aewahtinnay

Ear kahupah oyeo taglayonay washchish lahschucktinnay

Hand kahmoshtay mah mahtish shoncheway

Dog tish cher sodornah cannu watsetah

Fire hahkanye fah pahannah fwaah mackke

Water tseats ogh pohahoon pah keaoway

COLORADO RIVER LANGUAGES.

In the region through which flows the Colorado, and between that river and the Gila, many different languages are mentioned by the early missionaries but at this time it is difficult to ascertain how far different names are applied to any one nation.

The missionaries themselves frequently did not know how to name the people; often they gave several names to one language, and several languages one name; many of the then existing dialects are known to have since become extinct, and many more have mysteriously disappeared, along with those who spoke them, so that in many instances, a century after their first mention no such language could be found. It seems seldom to have occurred to the missionaries and conquerors that the barbarous tongues of these heathen could ever be of interest or value to Christendom, still less lists of their words; so that vocabularies, almost the only valuable speech-material of the philologist, are exceedingly rare among the writings of the early missionary Fathers. If one half of their profitless homilies on savage salvation had been devoted to the simple gleaning of facts, science would have been the gainer, and the souls of the natives no whit less at peace. Of late, however, vocabularies of the dialects of this region have become numerous, and relationships are at length becoming permanently established.

The languages under consideration, on comparison, may nearly all be comprised in what may be called the Yuma family. The principal dialects which constitute the Yuma family are the Yuma, Maricopa, Cuchan, Mojave, and Diegueño, which last is spoken in southern California, and more particularly around the bay of San Diego. Among others mentioned are the Yavipais and Yampais.[VI'-5] Compared with that of their neighbors the language of the Diegueños is soft and harmonious, and as it contains all the sounds of the letters in the English alphabet, the people speaking it readily learn to pronounce the English and Spanish languages correctly.[VI'-6] The following Lord's Prayer is a specimen of the dialect of the Diegueños.

DIEGUEÑO LORD'S PRAYER.

Nagua anall amaí tacaguach naguanetuuxp mamamulpo cayuca amaíbo mamatam meyayam canaao amat amaibo quexuic echasau naguaguí ñaña chonñaquin ñípil meñeque pachís echeyuchapo ñagua quexuíc ñaguaích ñacaguaihpo ñamechamel anipuch uch-guelích-cuíapo. Nacuíuch-pambo-cuchlích-cuíatpo-ñamat. Napuíjá.[VI'-7]

Of the other dialects the short vocabulary on the following page will give an illustration:

CUCHAN. MARICOPA. MOJAVE. DIEGUEÑO.

Man épatch eepáche ipah aycóotchet

Woman seenyack sinchayaíxhutch sinyax seen

House eenouwa ahba awáh

Sun n'yatch n'yatz n'yatz

Moon hullyar hullash hullya

Fire aawo áhooch awa

Water ahá ahha ahá

Maize terditch terdítz terdicha

Good ahotk ahotk abhotk han

I n'yat inyátz n'yatz n'yat

Go n'yeemoom n'yimoom

Sleep aseemáh esoma'om [VI'-8]

Then there are the Yampai and Yavipai, said to approach the Cuchan and Mojave;[VI'-9] the Chevet reported as a distinct tongue;[VI'-10] the Cajuenche said to be another language, and the Jalliquamai, a dialect of the Cajuenche.[VI'-11] The Tamajab is a strange language, described by Don José Cortez as "spoken with violent utterance and lofty arrogance of manner; and in making speeches, the thighs are violently struck with the palms of the hands."[VI'-12]

There are further mentioned the Benemó with the dialects Tecuiche and Teniqueche, and lastly the Covaji and Noche, each a distinct tongue.[VI'-13] The people speaking the Noche probably were the northern and eastern neighbors of the Diegueños, and may have been mentioned by some writers under other names. I have preferred to enumerate them here, because the names frequently occur in the reports of the earlier expeditions to the Yuma nations.

THREE STOCK LANGUAGES IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.

On the peninsula of Lower California, there are three distinct languages with many dialects, more or less related to each other. Some of these dialects appear so remote from the parent stock that the early missionaries believed them to be independent languages, and accordingly the number of tongues on the peninsula has been variously estimated, some saying four, others six; but careful comparisons refer them all to three stock languages. These are the Cochimí, with its principal dialects, the Laymon and Ika; the Guaicuri, with the Cora, Monqui, Didiú, Liyúe, Edú, and Uchiti dialects; and lastly the Pericú. Besides the above, there were also other dialectic differences in almost every mission, such as the variations of word-endings, and other minor points.[VI'-14] In general these languages have been described as harsh and poverty-stricken. The missionaries complained of not being able to find terms with which to express many of the doctrines which they wished to inculcate; but from the grammatical notes left by Father Baegert and those of Ducrue contained in Murr's Nachrichten, as well as from the various Pater Nosters at hand, it appears that these languages are not so very poor after all. Much there may have been wanting to the zealous Fathers, many burning words and soul-stirring expressions, which would have greatly assisted their efforts, but except that there is certainly no redundancy in these languages, they offer nothing very extraordinary.[VI'-15] Following I give a few grammatical notes on the Guaicuri language. The sounds represented by the German letters, o, f, g, l, x, z, and s, excepting in tsh, do not appear. Possessive pronouns are shown in the following examples:

My father bedáre My nose minamù

Thy father edáre Thy nose einamú

His father tiáre His nose tinamù

Our father kepedáre

GUAICURI GRAMMAR.

Of prepositions only two are mentioned—tina, on or upon; and déve, or tipítscheû, on account of, or for (propter). There is no article, and nouns are indeclinable. The conjunction tshie is always placed after the words to be connected. Verbs have only one mood and three tenses—the present, the perfect, and the future. The present is formed by the affix re or reke; the perfect by the affix rikíri, rujére, raúpe, or raúpere; and the future by adding in like manner me, méje, or éneme. If the action of several persons is to be expressed, the syllable ku or k is prefixed to the verb, or the first syllable is changed into ku.

SINGULAR. PLURAL.

To fight piabakè kupiábake

To remember umutù kumutú

To speak jake kuáke

Some verbs have also a perfect passive participle in the form of a substantive—tschípake, to beat; tschipitschürre, a person who has been beaten. The personal pronouns are: be, I, me, to me, my; ei, thou, thee, to thee, thy; becùn, beticùn, ecûn, or eiticûn, mine, thine.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB AMUKÍRI, TO PLAY.

PRESENT INDICATIVE.

I play, bè amukirire We play, catè amukírire

Thou playest, eï amukirire You play, petè amukirire

He plays, tutâu amukirire They play, tucáva amukirire

PERFECT. FIRST FUTURE.

I have played, bè amukiririkíri I shall play, bè amukírime

IMPERATIVE.

Play thou, amukiri tei Play you, amukiri tu

OPTATIVE.

Would that I had not played, beri amukiririkirikára

or, beri amukirirujerára

I also add a Guaicuri Lord's Prayer with literal translation.

Kepè; (Our) dáre (father) tekerekádatembà (arched earth (heaven)) daï, (thou art,) eïrì ( thee O that) akátuikè-pu-me, ( acknowledge all will,) tschakárrake-pu-me (praise all will) ti (people) tschie: (and:) ecùn (thy) gracia-ri (grace O that) atúme ( have will) catè (we) tekerekádatembà (arched earth) tschie: (and:) eïri (thee O that) jebarrakéme (obey will) ti (people) pù (all) jaûpe (here) datembà, (earth,) páe (as) eï (thee) jebarrakére, (obey,) aëna (above) kéa: (are:) kepecùn (our) búe (food) kepe (us) kên (give) jatúpe (this) untâiri: (day:) catè (us) kuitscharrakè (forgive) têi (thou) tschie (and) kepecùn (our) atacámara, (evil,) pàe (as) kuitscharrakère (forgive) catè (we) tschie (also) cávape (the) atukiàra (evil) kepetujakè: (us do:) catè (us) tikakambà (help) têi (thou) tschie, (and,) cuvumerà (desire will not) catè (we) uë (something) atukiára: (evil:) kepe (us) kakunjà (protect) pe (from) atacára (evil) tschie. (and.) Amen. (Amen.[VI'-16])

LORD'S PRAYERS IN DIFFERENT DIALECTS.

As regards the other two languages, the only materials at hand are some Lord's Prayers in various dialects of the Cochimí, as used in the different missions. Of these I insert the following as samples of the dialects spoken—I. at the Mission of Santa Maria, II. at San Francisco de Borgia, and III. at San Ignacio:

I. II. III.( ) Lahai-apa Cahaí apá, Ua-bappá( Father our) ambeing ambeing amma-bang( heaven in) mia: miá, miamú,( who art:) mimbangajua mimbang-ajuá ma mang-á-juá( thy name) val val huit( ) vuit-maha: vuit-mahá; maja tegem( all honored:) amet mididivvaijua amét mididuvaijuá amat-ma-thadabajuá( earth thy kingdom) kukuem: cucyém; ucuem:( come:) jenmu-jua jemmu-juá kemmu-juá( will thine) amabang amabáng ammabang( heaven) vihi mieng vihí miéng vahi-mang( done be) ametetenang ametenáug amatànang( earth on) luvihim. luichim. lauahim.( as) Thevap Theváp Teguap( Bread) yi-cue yiecué ibang gual( ) ti-mi-ei-di-gua ti-mi-eì-di-guá, gúiang-avit-á-jua( ) ibang-a-nang ibang-anáng gna ibang ánane( Day) na-kahit cahit pac-kagit:( ) tevichip tevichip machi( ) nuhigua nuhiguá pugijua( ) aviuve ham: aviuvehám abadakegem,( ) vichip vichip machi( ) iyeg-ua na iyeguá gna uayecg-juá( ) kaviu-vem caviu vém pac kabaya guem;( ) cassetajuang cassetasuàng kazet-à juan( ) inamenit nakum mamenit guakúm à juang-amuegnit( ) pacum( ) guang guang guang( ) tevisiec tevisiec mayi-acg( ) na-kaviñaha. gna cavignahà. packanajam.[VI'-17]( )

The dialect spoken at the Missions of San Francisco Xavier, San José de Comondú, and at Santa Gertrudis, differed considerably from the above as will be seen by the following Lord's Prayer as used in the last mentioned places.

Pennayù (Our) makenambà, (father) yaà (who) ambayujùp (heaven) miya (thou) mò, (art,) buhù(thy) mombojuà (name) tammalà (men) gkomendá (recognize) hi (and) nagodognò (love) demuejueg gkajim: (all;) pennayulà (as) bogodognò ( ) gkajim, ( ) guihí (and) ambayujup (heaven) mabà yaà (above) kæammet è (earth) decuinyi mò puegign: (satisfy) yaàm buhula (thy) mùjua (will) ambayujupmò (heaven in) de dahijua, (done be,) amet è (earth on) nò guilugui, (this) ji pagkajim. (as.) Tamadà (Bread) yaà (this) ibò (day) tejuèg ( ) guiluguigui ( ) pamijich è mò, ( ) ibò (day) yanno puegin: ( ) guihi (and) tammà (men) yaà gambuegjula ( ) kæpujui (who have done) ambinyijuà (evil) pennayula (us) dedaudugùjua, (done have) guilugui ( ) pagkajim: (as:) guìhi (and( yaà tagamueglà ( ) huì ( ) ambinyyjùa (evil) hi (and) doomò (although) puguegjuà, ( ) hi (and) doomò (although) pogounyim; ( ) tamuegjua, ( ) guihì (also) usi mahel ( ) kæmmet (earth) è dicuin (satisfy) yumò, ( ) guihì (and) yaà (what) hui (is) mabinyì (evil) yaà, gambuegjuà pagkaudugum.[VI'-18] ( )

Clavigero does not give a translation of this Lord's Prayer, but Hervás, who copies it in his Saggio Pratico, translates all words which he could find in a short vocabulary; Buschmann and others copy from him, and even at this time no complete translation is obtainable.

Lastly, I present a few sentences in the Laymon dialect, literally translated.

Tamma ( Man ) amayben ( years ) metañ ( many ) aguinañi ( lives not )

Kenedabapa ( Father mine ) urap, ( eats, ) guang ( and ) lizi, ( drinks, ) quimib ( but ) tejunoey ( little. )

Kenassa ( Sister ) maba ( thine ) guimma ( sleeps. )

Kadagua ( The fish ) gadey ( sees ) iguimil ( but not ) decuiñi ( hears )

Juetabajua ( Blood mine ) tahipeñi ( good not )

Kotajua ( The stone ) kamang ( (is) great, ) gehua ( hard )

Ibungajua ( Moon ) ganehmajen ( sun ) kaluhù ( greater is.[VI'-19] )

THE CORA DIALECT IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.

None of the Lower Californian languages are in any way related to, or connected with, any other language. In Jalisco an idiom is spoken which is called the Cora, but Señor Pimentel after comparing it with the Cora of the peninsula as well as with others in Lower California, assures us that not the least connection exists between them.[VI'-20] It has also been stated that the languages spoken on the peninsula north of La Paz are affiliated with the Yuma tongue, but this is not the case. As we have seen, the dialect of the Diegueños reaches the seacoast near San Diego, and again south of that point, and this being a Yuma dialect, it has perhaps given rise to the belief that the Lower Californian languages incline the same way.[VI'-21] In South America there is a language called the Guaicuru, which has nothing in common with the Guaicuri of Lower California.[VI'-22]