Volume 3 — CHAPTER VIII. NORTH MEXICAN LANGUAGES.

The Cahita and its Dialects—Cahita Grammar—Dialectic Differences of the Mayo, Yaqui, and Tehueco—Comparative Vocabulary—Cahita Lord's Prayer—The Tarahumara and its Dialects—The Tarahumara Grammar—Tarahumara Lord's Prayer in two Dialects—The Concho, The Toboso, The Julime, The Piro, The Suma, The Chinarra, The Tubar, The Irritila—Tejano—Tejano Grammar—Specimen of the Tejano—The Tepehuana—Tepehuana Grammar and Lord's Prayer—Acaxée and its Dialects, The Topia, Sabaibo, and Xixime—The Zacatec, Cazcane, Mazapile, Huitcole, Guachichile, Colotlan, Tlaxomultec, Tecuexe, and Tepecano—The Cora and its Dialects, The Muutzicat, Teacuaeitzica, and Ateacari—Cora Grammar.

We now come to the four Aztec-Sonora languages before mentioned, the Cora, the Cahita, the Tepehuana, and the Tarahumara, and their neighbors. I have already said that notwithstanding the Aztec element contained in them, they are in no wise related to each other.

NUMEROUS LANGUAGES IN SINALOA.

In the northern part of Sinaloa, extending across the boundary into Sonora, the principal language is the Cahita, spoken in many dialects, of most of which nothing is transmitted to us. Numerous languages, which were perhaps only dialects, are named in this region, and by some classed with the Cahita, but the information regarding them is vague and contradictory. No vocabularies or other specimens of them can be obtained, nor can I find anywhere mention that any were ever written. Of these there are the Zoe, the Guazave, the Vacoregue, the Batucari, the Aibino, the Ocoroni, which are mentioned as related, as also the Zuaque and Tehueco, and the Comoporis and Ahome. There are also the Mocorito and Petatlan, both distinct; the Huite, the Ore, the Varogio, the Tauro, the Macoyahui, the Troe, the Nio, the Cahuimeto, the Tepague, the Ohuero, the Chicorata, the Basopa, and two distinct tongues spoken at the Mission San Andres de Conicari, and four at the Mission of San Miguel do Mocorito.[VIII'-1] The only dialects of the Cahita, regarding which a few notes exist, and which at the same time appear to have been the principal ones, according to the best authorities, are the Mayo, Yaqui, and Tehueco.[VIII'-2] The Cahita language is copious, but will not readily express polite sentiments.[VIII'-3] Father Ribas says that the Yaquis always speak very loudly and arrogantly, and that when he asked them to lower their voice, they answered: "Dost thou not see that I am a Yaqui?" which latter word signifies, 'he who speaks loudly.'[VIII'-4]

A grammar of the Cahita was written in the year 1737, of which I give here an extract. The alphabet consists of the following letters: a, b, ch, e, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v, y, z, tz.

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, huneri, soko As if siua

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(Our) atzai(father) teuekapo(heaven in) katekame(he who is) emtehuam(thy name) checheuasu(very much) ioioriua,(be respected, ) itom ipeisana(to us that he may come) emiauraua(thy kingdom) emuarepo(thy will) imbuiapo(earth in) anua(let it be done) aman(also) teuekapo anua(heaven in is done) eueni.(as.) Makhukve(Each day) itom(our) buaieu(bread) ieni(to-day) itom(to us) amika,(give,) itome(to us) sok(also) alulutiria(forgive) itom(us) kaalanekau(sins) itome(we) sok(also) alulutiria(we forgive) eueni(as) itom(our) beherim(enemies) kate(not) sok(and) itom(to us) butia(lead) huena(fall) kutekom(temptation) uoti:(in:) emposi(thou) aman(also) itom(us) ioretua(save) katuri(no good (bad)) betana.(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]

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.

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.

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 ( Our ) cañar ( father ) tegmuecarichin ( heaven in ) catemat ( art ) imit ( thy ) tegmuarat ( name ) militurabà teochigualac; ( be praised; ) imit ( thy ) huegmica ( kingdom ) carin iti ( us to ) bacachinassisaguin, ( come, ) imit ( thy ) avamunarir ( will ) echu ( here ) nañigualac ( be done ) imo ( as ) cuigan ( well as ) amo ( there ) nachic ( is done ) tegmuecarichin; ( heaven; ) ite ( our ) cokuatarit ( bread ) essemer taniguarit ( daily ) iabba ( to-day ) ite ( us ) micam; ( give; ) ite ( our ) tatacoli ( sins ) ikiri ( forgive ) atzomua ( as ) ikirirain ( we forgive ) ite ( us ) bacachin ( against ) cale ( evil ) kuegmua ( previously ) nañiguacantem ( have done ) caisa ( not ) ite ( us ) nosam ( lead ) baca ( in ) tatacoli ( sin ) bacachin ( of ) ackirò ( evil ) muetzerac ( deliver ) ite.[VIII'-16] ( 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]

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 Having said, aguidati

He is saying, aguidimijatade

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 ( Our father ) atemo ( who in ) tubaggue ( heaven ) dama ( above ) santusikamoe ( sanctified be ) uggue ( he ) ututugaraga ( thy name ) duviana ( come ) uguiere ( thy kingdom ) api ( thou ) odduna ( do ) gutuguitodaraga ( thy will ) tami ( as well ) dubur ( earth ) dama ( above ) tubaggue. ( heaven. ) Udguaddaga ( Our food ) ud ( to us ) makane ( give ) scibi ( to-day ) ud ( to us ) joigudane ( forgive ) ud ( our ) sceadoadaraga ( sins ) addukate ( as ) joigude ( we forgive ) jut ( our ) jaddune ( debtors ) maitague ( not ) daguito ( tempt ) ud.[VIII'-20] ( 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]

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).

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 We love, te muache

Thou lovest, pemuache You love, ze muache

He loves, 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 ( Our father ) tahapoa ( heaven ) petehbe ( be ) cherihuaca ( sanctified be ) eiia ( thy ) teaguarira; ( name; ) chemeahaubeni ( come ) tahemi ( to us ) eiia ( thy ) chianaca ( world ) cheaguasteni ( done be ) eiia ( thy ) jevira ( will ) iye ( as ) chianakatapoan ( earth ) tup up ( as ) tahapoa. ( heaven. ) Ta ( Our ) hamuit ( bread ) huima ( always ) tahetze ( us by ) rujeve ( wanting ) ihic ( to-day ) ta ( us ) taa; ( give; ) huatauniraca ( forgive ) ta ( our ) xanacat ( sin ) tetup ( as ) iteahmo ( we ) tatahuatauni ( we forgive ) titaxanakante ( our debtors ) ta ( us ) vaehre ( help ) teatkai ( that not ) havobereni ( let us fall ) xanakat ( sin ) hetze ( in ) huavaehreaka ( help ) tecai ( that not ) tahemi ( us ) rutahuaja ( reach ) tehai ( not ) eu ( what ) ene ( good ) che ( so ) enhuata ( be it. ) hua.[VIII'-27] ( )