Chapter XXII: Section II

_Of the Origin, Manners, and Language of the Chilese_.

The origin of the primitive inhabitants of Chili, like that of all the nations and tribes of the aboriginal Americans, is involved in impenetrable obscurity. Many of the natives consider themselves as indigenous, while others derive their origin from a foreign stock, supposing their ancestors to have come from the north or from the west; but as they were utterly unacquainted with the art of writing, they have no records or monuments from which to elucidate this inquiry, and their traditionary accounts are too crude and imperfect to afford any degree of rational information on the subject. The Chilese call their first progenitors _Pegni Epatum_, signifying the brothers named Epatum. They call them likewise _glyce_, or primitive men; and in their assemblies invoke their ancestors and deities in a loud voice, crying _Pom, pam, pum, mari, mari, Epunamen, Amimalguen, Pegni Epatum_. The meaning of these words is uncertain, unless we may suppose it to have some connexion with the word _pum_, used by the Chinese to signify the first created man, or the one who was saved from the deluge. The lamas or priests of Thibet are likewise said to repeat to their rosaries, the syllables _om, am, um_, or _hom, ham, hum_; which corresponds in some measure with the customary exclamation of the Chilese.

It appears probable that the whole of Chili had been originally peopled by one nation, as all the native tribes, however independent of each other, speak the same language, and have a similar appearance. The inhabitants of the plains are of good stature, but those who dwell in the valleys of the Andes, usually surpass the ordinary height of man. The features of both are regular, and none of them have ever attempted to improve nature by disfiguring their faces, to render themselves more beautiful or more formidable. Their complexion, like the other American natives, is reddish brown or copper-coloured, but of a clearer hue than the other Americans; and readily changes to white. A tribe which dwells in the district of Baroa, is of a clear white and red like Europeans, without any tinge of copper colour. As this tribe differs in no other respect from the rest of the Chilese, this difference in complexion may be owing to some peculiar influence of the climate which they inhabit, or to their greater civilization. Some persons have been disposed to attribute this difference in colour to an intermixture with a number of Spanish prisoners taken during the unfortunate war of the sixteenth century: But the Spanish prisoners were equally distributed among the other tribes, none of whom are white; and besides, the first Spaniards who came to Chili were all from the southern provinces of Spain, where ruddy complexions are extremely rare.

From the harmony, richness, and regularity of the Chilese language, we are led to conclude that the natives must in former times have possessed a much greater degree of civilization than now, or that they are the remains of a great and illustrious nation, which has been ruined by some of these physical or moral revolutions which have occasioned such astonishing changes in the world. The Chilese language is so exceedingly copious, both in radical words, and in the use of compounds, that a complete dictionary of it would fill a large volume. Every verb, either derivatively or conjunctively, becomes the root of numerous other verbs and nouns, both adjectives and substantives, which in their turn produce others of a secondary, nature which may be modified in a hundred different manners. From every word in the language, a verb may be formed by adding a final _n_. Even from the most simple particles, verbs may be thus formed, by which at the same time great precision and great strength are given to conversation. Yet the language contains no irregular verb or noun, every thing being regulated by the most wonderful precision and simplicity, so that the theory of the language is remarkably easy, and may be learnt in a very short time. It abounds also in harmonious and sonorous syllables, which give it much sweetness and variety; yet is injured by the frequent recurrence of the sound of _u_. The Chilese language differs essentially from every other American language, both in words and construction, with the exception of eighteen or twenty words of Peruvian origin, which is not to be wondered at, considering the contiguity of the two countries. The most singular circumstance in this language is, that it contains a considerable number of words apparently of Greek and Latin derivation, and having similar significations in both languages; yet I am inclined to believe that this circumstance is merely accidental[54].

[Footnote 54: Perhaps these words may have been adopted into the Chilese language from the Spaniards, who speak a kind of dialect of Latin. The remainder of this section is an abridgement of an Essay on the Chilese language, appended to the second volume of Molina.--E.]

* * * * *

The original language of Chili, generally called the Araucanian, is denominated by the natives _Chili-dugu_, or the Chili speech or language. The alphabet is the same as the Latin, except the want of _x_, which indeed is only a compound letter. The _s_ likewise only occurs in about twenty of their words, and never at the termination; and the _z_ is still more rare. Besides the ordinary letters, the Chilese has the mute _e_, and a peculiar _u_ like the Greek and French; the former being designated by the _acute_, and the latter by the _grave_ accent, to distinguish them from the ordinary _e_ and _u_. This latter _u_ is often changed to _i_. It has likewise a nasal _g_ and a _th_; which latter is often changed to _ch_, as _chegua_ for _thegua_, a dog. There are no gutturals or aspirates. All the words end either in one of the six vowels, or in _b,d,f,g,l,m,n,r, or v_; so that there are fifteen distinct terminations. The accent is usually on the penult vowel, sometimes on the last, but never on the antipenult. The radical words, mostly monosyllables or dissyllables, are estimated at 1973. As far as we have been able to discover, these radicals have no analogy with any other known idiom, though the language contains a number of Greek and Latin words very little varied, as in the following table. It is proper to mention, that the orthography of the Chilese words is given according to the Italian pronunciation.

CHILESE. GREEK. SIGNIFICATION Aldun Aldein to increase. Ale Ele splendour. Amun Mouen to go. Cai Kai and. Ga Ga in truth. Lampaicon Lampein to shine. Mulan Mullen to pulverise. Pele Pelos mud. Reuma Reuma a stream. Tupan Tupein to whip.

CHILESE. LATIN. Aren Ardere to burn. Cupa. Cupere to desire. Dapein Dapinare to feast. Ejun Ejulare to weep. Lev Levis active, swift. Lumalmen Lumen light. Lui Lux brightness. Man Manus the right. Putun Potare to drink. Valin Valere to be worth. Valen Valere to be able. Une Unus one.

The nouns have only one declension, or rather are indeclinable, the numbers and cases being marked by various particles; but each, in this way, has the singular, dual, and plural, like the Greek. Thus _Cara_ the city, has _Cara-egu_ the two cities, and _Pu-cara_ the cities, as in the following example.

_Singular. Dual. Plural._
Nom. Cara Cara-egu pu-Cara
Gen. Cara-ni Cara-egu-ni pu-Cara-ni
Dat. Cara-meu Cara-egu-meu pu-Cara-meu
Accus. Cara Cara-egu pu-Cara
Voc. a Cara a Cara-egu a pu-Cara
Abl. Caramo Cara-egu-mo pu-Cara-mo

Instead of _pu_, the mark of the plural, _ica_ or _egen_ may be affixed to the noun, or _que_ placed between the adjective and substantive. Thus the plural of _cara_ may be _pu-cara, caraica_, or _caraegen_, signifying the cities; or _cum-que cara_, the good cities.

The Chilese language abounds with adjectives, both primative and derivative. The latter are formed from every part of speech by invariable rules: As, from _tue_ the earth, comes _tuetu_ terrestrial; from _quimen_ to know, _quimchi_ wise; and these, by the interposition of _no_, become negative, as _tuenotu_ not terrestrial, _quimnochi_ ignorant. The adjectives, participles, and derivative pronouns are unsusceptible of number or gender, in which they resemble the English; yet when it is necessary to distinguish the sexes, _alca_ is used for the masculine, and _domo_ for the feminine. The comparative is formed by prefixing _jod_ or _doi_ to the positive, and the superlative by _cad_ or _mu_. Thus from _chu_ limpid, are formed _doichu_ more limpid, and _muliu_ most limpid. There are no diminutives or augmentatives, which are supplied by means of the adjectives _picki_ little, and _buta_ great. Diminutives are also formed by changing a harsh sound into one more liquid; as _votun_ son, to _vochiun_ little son. The primitive pronouns are _inche_ I, _eimi_ you, _teye_ which, &c. The relatives are _iney_ who, _chem_ what, _ta_ or _ga_ that, &c. The verbs all terminate in the syllables _an, en, in, an, un, un_; and are all regulated by a single conjugation, having all the voices, moods, and tenses of the Latin, with three or four others, and the singular dual and plural like the Greek. The terminations of the present tense of each mood form the roots of all the other tenses of the same mood, which are distinguished by certain particles, as _che_ in the second present, _bu_ in the imperfect, _uje_ in the perfect, &c. as in the following example, which are placed between the radical and the final _n_. Passive verbs are formed by the auxiliary _gen_, between the radical and final _n_. Impersonal verbs by the particle _am_ added to the radical. The following example of the verb _elun_ to give, will serve as a model for all the other verbs in the language without exception, as there is but one conjugation and no irregular verbs. It is to be noticed, that the first present of all the verbs is used, as our compound preterite: Thus _elun_ signifies I give or I have given; while the second present is strictly confined to the present time.

ACTIVE VOICE.

INDICATIVE MOOD.

_Present Tense_.

Singular.
Dual.
Plural.

1.
_Elun_, I give.
_Eluvu_, We two give.
_Eluign_, We give

2.
_Eluimi_, Thou givest.
_Eluimu_, You two give.
_Eluimen_, Ye give

3.
_Elui_ He gives.
_Eluigu, They two give.
_Eluigen_, They give_

Second Present,
1. _Eluchen_, I give.
2. _Eluchemi_, Thou givest, &c.

Imperfect,
1. _Elubun_, I did give.
2. _Elubuimi_, Thou, &c.

Perfect,
1. _Eluuyen_, I gave.
2. _Eluuyeimi_, Thou, &c.

Pluperfect,
1. _Elunyebun_, I had given, &c.

1st Future,
1. _Eluan_, I will give, &c.

2d Future,
1. _Eluayean_, I shall have given, &c.

1st Mixed,
1. _Eluabun_, I had to give, &c.

2d Mixed,
1. _Eluugabun_, I ought to have had to give; &c.

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

Singular,
Dual.
Plural.

1
_Eluche_, let me give
_Eluyu_, let us two give
_Eluign_, let us give

2
_Eluge_, give thou
_Elamu_, let you two give
_Elumen_, give ye

3
_Elupe_, let him give
_Elugu_ let these two give
_Elugen_, let them give

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.

Present tense, _Eluli_, if I may give
Imperfect, _Elubili_, if I might give
Perfect, _Eluuyeli_, if I may have given
Pluperfect, _Eluuyebuli_, if I might have given
1st. Future, _Eluaii_, if I shall give
2d. Future, _Eluuyela_, if I shall have given
1st. Mixed, _Eluabuli_, if I had to give
2d. Mixed, _Eluyeabuli_, if I should have to give

The _optative_ is formed of the subjunctive, or of the two mixed-tenses of the indicative, by adding the desiderative particles _velem_, _uel_, or _chi_; as _eluli velem_! Would to God that I might give; _eluabun chi_! Would to God that I had to give; &c. The affirmative _infinitive_ is the same with the radical of the verb; or 1st person singular of the indicative tense; so that there are nine peculiar infinitives, which are distinguished from these tenses by some determinative particle.

ACTIVE PARTICIPLES.
1st Present, _Elulu_, he who gives
2d Present, _Eluquelu_, he who gives
Imperfect, _Elubulei_, he who did give
Perfect, _Eluuyelu_, he who gave
Pluperfect, _Eluuyebula_, he who had given
1st Future, _Elualu_, he who shall give
2d Future, _Eluuyealu_, he who shall have given
1st Mixed, _Eluabulu_, he who shall have to give
2d Mixed, _Eluuyeabulu_, he who should have given

GERUNDS

1st Present, _Eluyum_, giving
2d Present, _Elualu_, for to give
Imperfect, _Eluyubum_, when giving

PASSIVE VOICE.

INDICATIVE MOOD.

_Present. Elugen_, I am given
_Imperfect. Elugebum_, I was given
_Participles Passive._

1st Present, _Elugelu_, given
2d Present, _Eluel_, given
Perfect, _Elubuel_, that was given
Imperfect, _Elugebulu_, that was given

IMPERSONAL VERB.

_Indicative Mood._

1st Present, _Eluan_, that is giving
2d Present, _Eluchean_, that is giving
Imperfect, _Elubuam_, that was giving
Perfect, _Eluuyeam_, that was given
Pluperfect, _Eluuyebuam_, that had given
1st Future, _Eluayam_, that shall be given
2d Future, _Eluuyeayam_, that should be given
1st Mixed, _Eluabuam_, that had to give
2d Mixed, _Eluuyeabuam_, that should have to give

Imperative. _Elupeam_, let us give, &c.

Instead of the impersonal verb, the third person singular of the passive may be used impersonally, as in Latin. The verb may be made negative through its whole conjugation, by means of inserting the particle _la_ in the indicative, _qui_ in the imperative which then takes the termination of the subjunctive mood, and by means of _no_ in the subjunctive and infinitive moods, as in the following examples.