Chapter XXI: Appendix: II

THE DIALECT OF PETEN

This Appendix it a translation of a MS. written by Dr. Berendt at Sacluk in 1866-1867. The original is in Spanish, but for the sake of consistency I have translated it. In some cases Dr. Berendt's clear and beautiful script has become blurred either through exposure to dampness or from some other cause. In such a case I have hazarded a guess if it seemed safe to do so, otherwise I have left a blank.[A2.1]

The MS. is in the Brinton Collection in the Library of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and I wish to acknowledge the kindness of Dr. G. B. Gordon in giving me permission to publish it here.

The dialect of Peten is spoken in the PARTIDO DE LAS SABANAS at

Villages: Guadalupe Saduk, Tziche, Chilonche
S. Juan de Dios, Oxpayac, Simaron,
Chachachurun, Santa Ana, Juntecholol.

It is spoken in the PARTIDO DE DOLORES at

Dolores, Machaquita, Petenzuc, Poctun,
San Toribio, Yaxche (= Yaxha?), San Luis.

And in the PARTIDO DEL CENTRO at

San Jose. In the other villages of the Partido del
Centro, and in that of San Antonio, the Yucatec dialect
is spoken. In the Partido de la montana or of
Holmul is spoken the dialect of the East.

PETEN YUCATAN

juyu, a small basin for pounding corn. [Yucatan: huyub]
majaz, fiber....?
xemech, an earthenware pan for cooking maize. [Yucatan: xamach]
ma yaan, there is none. [Yucatan: minan]
uneec, a seed. [Yucatan: hinah]
chulul, the bow for shooting and the material of which it is made.
h[vo][vo]k, a large fish-hook.
coxti h[vo][vo]k, we are going to fish (?)
litz, a small fish-hook. [Yucatan: lutz, fish-hook]
cox ti man litz, we are going to buy a fish-hook
lutz, lazy (said of an animal)
hole, yesterday. [Yucatan: holhe]
meyah, to work. [Yucatan: manyah]
ten in [Ts]ah hunpel tomin ti a Juan, I give John a real. [Yucatan:
ten in [Ts]aic hunpel tomin ti Juan]
ten cin hanal, I eat. [Yucatan: hanal in cah]
chumac, wild-cat. [Yucatan: chamac]
[Ts]uet, a long sack of palm leaves or of broom-plant fiber. [Yucatan:
naza]
[Ts]it, very small tamales.
yaax apat, royal palm.
ichcil or ichnil, to bathe.
in th[va], my forehead. [Yucatan: in lec]
pichi, guava (?). [Yucatan: pachi]
chuh, calabash of water (this line is crossed out in the text)
nah, house; holnah, door; bah, mole (?). [Yucatan: na-holna-ba]
pah, chicken louse; leh, snare. [Yucatan: pa- te-]
tuh, stinking, obscene. [Yucatan: tu]
uh, the moon. [Yucatan: u]
coh, a tooth. [Yucatan: co]
cih, henequen. [Yucatan: qi]
beh, a road, a path. [Yucatan: be]
ya in tzem, I am in doubt (?). [Yucatan: ya in tzem]
tacte, a pine tree. [Yucatan: tahte]
(Several illegible words occur here)
nak xaan ....
[Ts]u or chichan [Ts]u, small unweaned child. [Yucatan: chuchul paal]
in nochil, my child (used by the Lacandones)
tanche, a beam. [Yucatan: tanche]
puluoc, a small dove.
(xamoch) pok, a wall. [Yucatan: pak]
ahmenche, a carpenter. [Yucatan: ahmentahche]
taman, a sheep, they also say tomo. [Yucatan: tanam]
top, any flower. [Yucatan: nicte, lol]
taz la top e, he is bringing a flower. [Yucatan: talez nicte]
cox ti meyaj, we are going to work. [Yucatan: cox ti menyah]
bax le lo? or bax la je lo? who is that?
max cutal? who is coming?
xen a thone a Juan, go and call John.
u tat ix Maria, the father of Mary.
baai, a bag made of netting; also called champa.
yampaj, (illegible).
ma t'in patal, I cannot.
ma in uojel, I do not know.
uai, arm (almost illegible).
bax u caa or bax u cuci, why or because.
bax tal? why?
cox ti pakach or cox ti pekech, we are going to make tortillas
(_tortillar_).
tux yankin? where is the sun? [Yucatan: tabx yax kin]
tux ca bin? where are you going? [Yucatan: tab a benel (t)]
jamach a katic? how much do you want? what do you ask?
jamach nah yan tech? how many tortillas have you?
jamach uinic tan ilah ti be? how many men have you seen on the road?
[Yucatan: bahun uinicol t an ilab ti be?]
(One illegible phrase here)
bix le lo? how is that?
bix yanil ech? how are you? [Yucatan: bicx a cah?]
bax a kati? what do you want?
bax akaba? what is your name?
max u thinic en? who is calling me?
max [ts]in [Ts]ic tue? to whom am I to give it?
mayan ja, there is no water. [Yucatan: manaan ja, minan ja]
xturuhui, yellow (or jaundice; text says _amarillo_).
nicte, white.
chacnicte, red.
qu[vi]j, henequen. [Yucatan: yaxci]
kaim, milk. [Yucatan: kabim]
y[va], a small sapote (?). [Yucatan: zaya]
ten cin bin ich cah, I am going into the village.
kayem, gruel made of corn flour. [Yucatan: keyem]
iz [ts]it, a small tamale made with new corn.
culen, sit down (imperative). [Yucatan: culen, sit down!
cultal, to sit down]
liken, get up (imperative). [Yucatan: likil, to get up]
(Several illegible words follow)
thuth, I weep (perhaps it means dark brown--_loro_)
(Several more illegible words)
sac, fear. [Yucatan: zahaal, fear]
sac en, I am afraid, I fear. [Yucatan: zahal, to fear]
saccep, timorous. [Yucatan: ahzahet, timorous]
mac, people. [Yucatan: uinic]
bizit, that part of an animal... (illegible) ... which is composed of
the lower part of the spine.
c[vo][vo]b, (meaning illegible). [Yucatan: coc]
paklam, prickly pear (?) (Text has _stapal y tuna_). [Yucatan: pakam]
kuchune, the whorl (_jicarita_) which they use for spinning.
cucut, a mountain fruit ... (illegible) ... like a small plaintain.
kat or kot, flat earthen bowl set before an idol. [Yucatan: cat]
(An illegible word)
chim, a knapsack (_mochila_).
zuzich, to cut off the grains from a cooked ear of corn; and also the
grains thus cut off. [Yucatan: zuz, to plane]
chaac, let it go! (_sueltalo_).
chaac la tzimine, set the horse free! (_suelta el caballo_).
bot, hail. [Yucatan: bat]
punab, mahogany (_caobana_).
hach nohoch punab, how big the mahogany tree is!
chulul, the bow for shooting.
tzaan, the cord of the bow.
teztan, the bow used in the reverse (with the cord on the convex
side) (?).
cec che, an arrow with a tooth or jog.
pocte, an arrow with a point of clay.
yaxapat, the royal palm (from the Lacandones?)
thahaan, the muscular part of the thumb.
[Ts]unum, a bird.
[Ts]ununte, laurel, a mountain bush.
hubuche, a mountain bush; the leaves ... (illegible).
tanai, a species of cane or bamboo ... very large.
tu[ts], (meaning illegible)
j[=o][vo]le, yesterday. [Yucatan: holhe]
zamal, tomorrow.
cui, (meaning illegible).
chepetz, bread of new maize.
uokekuch, a stick used in weaving.
(Several illegible and obscurely translated words)

Phrases. (Only those with meanings given in the text appear here)

Bax a kati? What do you want?
mix baal in kati I want nothing
Bax yan tech? What have you? What is the matter?
Yab ten ya ti paczikal I have a stomach-ache
Bax cu tazic ah Pedro? What is Peter bringing?
Talez ha He is bringing water
Bax caualic? What are you saying?

In some cases two forms for the same thing appear, as:

yaax apat and yaxapat royal palm
cih and qu[vi] henequen
hole and j[=o][vo]le yesterday
beh and be road