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.

[Sidenote: 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, As if siua
huneri, soko
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 atzai teuekapo katekame emtehuam checheuasu
Our father heaven in he who is thy name very much

ioioriua, itom ipeisana emiauraua emuarepo imbuiapo
be respected, to us that he may come thy kingdom thy will earth in

anua aman teuekapo anua eueni. Makhukve itom
let it be done also heaven in is done as. Each day our

buaieu ieni itom amika, itome sok alulutiria itom
bread to-day to us give, to us also forgive us

kaalanekau itome sok alulutiria eueni itom beherim
sins we also we forgive as our enemies

kate sok itom butia huena kutekom uoti: emposi
not and to us lead fall temptation in: thou

aman itom ioretua katuri betana.
also us save no good (bad) 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]

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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 cañar tegmuecarichin catemat imit tegmuarat
Our father heaven in art thy name

militurabà teochigualac; imit huegmica carin iti
be praised; thy kingdom us to

bacachinassisaguin, imit avamunarir echu nañigualac imo cuigan
come, thy will here be done as well as

amo nachic tegmuecarichin; ite cokuatarit essemer taniguarit
there is done heaven; our bread daily

iabba ite micam; ite tatacoli ikiri atzomua ikirirain
to-day us give; our sins forgive as we forgive

ite bacachin cale kuegmua nañiguacantem caisa
us against evil previously have done not

ite nosam baca tatacoli bacachin ackirò muetzerac ite.[VIII'-16]
us lead in sin of evil deliver 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]

[Sidenote: 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
He is saying, aguidimijatade
Having said, aguidati

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 atemo tubaggue dama santusikamoe uggue
Our father who in heaven above sanctified be he

ututugaraga duviana uguiere api odduna gutuguitodaraga
thy name come thy kingdom thou do thy will

tami dubur dama tubaggue. Udguaddaga ud
as well earth above heaven. Our food to us

makane scibi ud joigudane ud sceadoadaraga addukate
give to-day to us forgive our sins as

joigude jut jaddune maitague daguito ud.[VIII'-20]
we forgive our debtors not tempt 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]

* * * * *

[Sidenote: 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).

[Sidenote: 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
Thou lovest, pemuache
He loves, muache
We love, te muache
You love, ze 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 tahapoa petehbe cherihuaca eiia teaguarira;
Our father heaven be sanctified be thy name;

chemeahaubeni tahemi eiia chianaca cheaguasteni eiia
come to us thy world done be thy

jevira iye chianakatapoan tup up tahapoa. Ta hamuit
will as earth as heaven. Our bread

huima tahetze rujeve ihic ta taa; huatauniraca
always us by wanting to-day us give; forgive

ta xanacat tetup iteahmo tatahuatauni titaxanakante ta
our sin as we we forgive our debtors us

vaehre teatkai havobereni xanakat hetze huavaehreaka
help that not let us fall sin in help

tecai tahemi rutahuaja tehai eu ene che enhuata
that not us reach not what good so be it.

hua.[VIII'-27]

FOOTNOTES:

[VIII'-1] Mocorito, Petatlan and Ocoroni are 'gentes de varias lenguas.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 34. Ahome are 'gente de diferente lengua llamada Zoe.' Zoes 'son de la misma lengua con los Guaçaues.' _Id._, p. 145. 'Comoporis los quales aunque eran de la misma lengua de los mansos Ahomes.' _Id._, p. 153. 'Huites de diferente lengua' from the Cinaloas. _Id._, p. 207. Zuaques and Tehuecos 'ser todos de una misma lengua.' Batuca 'de una lengua no dificil, y parecida mucho á la de Ocoroiri.' _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. ii., pp. 10, 186. 'La lengua es ore.' 'Varogia y segun se ha reconocido es lo mismo que la taura, aunque varia algo principalmente en la gramática.' 'La lengua es particular macoyahui con que son tres las lenguas de este partido.' In San Andres de Conicari 'la lengua es particular y distinta de la de los demas pueblos si bien todos los demas de ellos entienden la lengua tepave, y aun la caita aunque no la hablan.' 'La lengua es particular que llaman troes.' 'La gente en su idioma es guazave.' 'La lengua es distinta y particular que llaman nio.' 'Conversan entre sí distintas las lenguas de cahuimetos y ohueras.' 'Lenguas que hablan entre sí y son chicurata y basopa.' San Miguel de Mocorito 'de cuatro parcialidades y distintas lenguas.' _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp. 363-409. 'Los misioneros ... colocaban en las misiones de la lengua cahita á los sinaloas, hichucios, zuaques, biaras, matapanes y tehuecos.' 'El ahome y el comopori son dialectos muy diversos ó lenguas hermanas del guazave.' _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 35; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 154-7; _Hassel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 175.

[VIII'-2] 'La nacion Hiaqui y por consecuencia la Mayo y del Fuerte, ... que en la sustancia son una misma y de una propia lengua.' _Cancio_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. ii., p. 246. Mayo and Yaqui: 'Su idioma por consiguìente es el mismo, con la diferencia de unas cuantas voces.' _Velasco_, _Noticias de Sonora_, p. 82. Mayo 'su lengua es la misma que corre en los rios de Çuaque y Hiaqui.' Yaqui 'que es la mas general de Cinaloa.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, pp. 237, 287; _Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, p. 286. 'La lengua cahita es dividida en tres dialectos principales, el mayo, yaqui y tehueco; ademas hay otros secundarios.' _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 485. 'Tres dialectos principales, el zuaque, la maya y el yaqui.' _Balbi_, in _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 35; _Brasseur de Bourbourg_, _Esquisses_, p. 31.

[VIII'-3] 'Su idioma es muy franco, nada dificil de aprenderse, y susceptible de reducirse á las reglas gramaticales de cualquiera nacion civilizada.' _Velasco_, _Noticias de Sonora_, p. 75.

[VIII'-4] 'En hablar alto, y con brio singulares, y grandemente arrogantes.' 'No vès que soy Hiaqui: y dezianlo, porque essa palabra, y nombre, significa, el que habla a gritos.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 285.

[VIII'-5] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., pp. 456-91, _Hervás_, in _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 157-8; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 211-18; _Ternaux-Compans_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1841, tom. xcii., pp. 260-87; _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, p. 49.

[VIII'-6] 'Varogia y segun se ha reconocido es lo mismo que la taura aunque varia algo principalmente en la gramática.' Guazapare 'la lengua es la misma aunque ya mas parecida á la de los taraumares.' _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp. 388, 390, 334, et seq.; _Steffel_, in _Murr_, _Nachrichten_, pp. 296-300; _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 592; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., p. 363; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 34.

[VIII'-7] _Tellechea_, _Compendio Gram. del Idioma Tarahumar_, pp. 2-3.

[VIII'-8] _Tellechea_, _Compendio Gram. del Idioma Tarahumar_; also in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. iv., pp. 145-68, and in _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. i., pp. 366-400; _Steffel_, _Tarahumarisches Wörterbuch_, in _Murr_, _Nachrichten_, pp. 296-374; _Ternaux-Compans_, in _Nouvelles Annales des Voy._, 1841, tom. xcii., pp. 260-287; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 144-54; _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, pp. 40-43.

[VIII'-9] 'Have no resemblance with the Mexican.' _Gallatin_, in _Amer. Ethno. Soc., Transact._, vol. i., p. 4. 'This (the Tarahumara) has not in its words any affinity with the Mexican; and the people who speak it have a decimal arithmetic.' _Id._, p. 203. 'Ihre Aehnlichkeit mit dem Mexikanischen ... ist doch gross genug.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p. 143; _Wilhelm von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 46-50.

[VIII'-10] _Wilhelm von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 50.

[VIII'-11] _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. ii., p. 58; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 324-5; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 172.

[VIII'-12] _Villa-Señor y Sanchez_, _Theatro_, tom. ii., p. 348; _Pascual_, in _Hist. Doc. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., p. 201; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 172; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 308-9.

[VIII'-13] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 309, 327; _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, p. 36.

[VIII'-14] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 309.

[VIII'-15] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 409-413.

[VIII'-16] 'Tienen estos indios dos lenguas totalmente distintas: la una, y que mas corre entre ellos, y demas gente, es de las que yo tengo en este partido, con que les hablo, y me entienden ... la otra es totalmente distinta.' _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 320. _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 118; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p. 139. 'Zwar voll von Fremdheit und sehr für sich dasteht, aber doch als ein wirkliches sonorisches Glied, bei bestimmten Gemeinschaften mit den anderen und als vorzugsweise reich an aztekischen Stoff ausgestattet.... Ihre Ähnlichkeiten neigen abwechselnd gegen die _Cora_, _Tarahumara_, und _Cahita_, besonders gegen die beiden letzten, auch _Hiaqui_; der _Tepeguana_ bleibt sie mehr fremd.' _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 164, 170-1.

[VIII'-17] _Col. Polidiómica Mex._, _Oracion Dominical_, p. 47.

[VIII'-18] _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 673; _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. i., p. 319; _Museo Mex._, tom. iii., p. 269; _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp. 310-315; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 34, 320; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., p. 138; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., p. 43; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 162; _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 327.

[VIII'-19] 'La pronunciacion es muy gutural y basta el mas ligero cambio en ella para que cambien de sentido las palabras.' _Rinaldini_, _Gramatica_, in _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., p. 46; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, p. 36.

[VIII'-20] _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 46-68.

[VIII'-21] Sabaibos 'eran de la misma lengua y Nacion Acaxee.' _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Trivmphos_, pp. 471, 491. Sabaibos 'distinta nacion, aunque del mismo idioma'--Acaxee. _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. i., p. 422. 'Humes, nacion distinta de los xiximes aunque tienen una misma lengua.' _Alonso del Valle_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., p. 96. 'Me parece que tienen afinidad las lenguas _topia_, _acajee_ y _tepehuana_, las quales, como tambien la de Parras, son dialectos de la _Zacateca_.' _Hervás_, _Catálogo_, tom. i., p. 327. 'Im Norden von Tepehuana enthält die gebirgige Provinz Topia um den 25° N. Br. ausser der lingua _Topia_ und der damit verwandten _Acaxee_, noch im Norden der letzteren die _Xixime_, _Sicuraba_, _Hina_ und _Iluime_ als Sprachen ebenso vieler verschiedener in der Nähe der Topia und Acaxee wohnenden Völkerschaften.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 138-9. Castañeda mentions in these regions the Tahus, Pacasas, and Acaxas languages, in _Ternaux-Compans_, _Voy._, série i., tom. ix., pp. 150-3; _Zapata_, _Relacion_, in _Doc. Hist. Mex._, série iv., tom. iii., pp. 415-17; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 12-13, 319-20; _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 173-4.

[VIII'-22] 'Indios cascanes que son los Zacatecas.' 'Xuchipila que entendian la lengua de los Zacatecos.' _Padilla_, _Conq. N. Galicia_, MS., p. 234; _Bernardez_, _Descrip. Zacatecas_, p. 23. '_Cazcanes_, qui ad fines _Zacatecarum_ degunt, lingua moribusque á caeteris diversi: _Guachachiles_ itidem idiomate differentes; Denique _Guamaroe_, quorum idioma supra modum concisum, difficilime addiscitur.' _Laet_, _Novus Orbis_, p. 281. 'La lengua mexicana que es la generica de toda la Provincia.' _Arlegui_, _Chrón. Zacatecas_, p. 52. 'Sobre el Cascon ó Zacateco, no creo que hubiera sido ni aun dialecto del mexicano, sino que era el mismo mexicano hablado por unos rústicos que estropeaban las palabras y que les daban distínto acento.' Huacbichiles, Tejuejue and Tlajomolteco 'Sobre estos idiomas, ó si les considera dialectos, juzgo que no existieron.' _Romero Gil_, in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. viii., p. 499; _Ribas_, _Hist. de los Triumphos_, p. 676; _Hassel_, _Mex. Guat._, p. 159.

[VIII'-23] _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 61.

[VIII'-24] _Apostólicos Afanes_, cap. vii., p. 56. 'Dentro de Reyno de la Galicia quedaron algunos otras Naciones como son los Cocas, Tequexes, Choras, Tecualmes y Nayaritas, y otras que despues de pacíficada la tierra han dejado de hablarse por que ya reducidos los de la lengua Azteca, que era la major nacion se han mixturado de suerte que ya todos las mas hablan solo una lengua en toda la Galicia excepta en la Provincia del Nayarit.' _Padilla_, _Conq. N. Galicia_, MS., p. 8. 'La lengua Cora, que es la del Nayar.' _Arricivita_, _Crónica Seráfica_, p. 89; _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, pp. 39, 281-2; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 131-2.

[VIII'-25] 'La lengua mas comun del pais es la _chota_ aunque muy interpolada y confundida hoy con la Mexicana.' _Alegre_, _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, tom. iii., p. 197. 'Muchos vocablos de la lengua mexicana, y algunos de la castellana, los han corisado hacièndolos propios de su idioma tan antiguamente; que ya hoy en dia corren, y se tienen por Coras.' _Ortega_, in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. viii., p. 563. 'No carezco totalmente de datos para creer que los indios nayares son pimas, ó al menos descendientes de ellos.' _Orozco y Berra_, _Geografía_, p. 39. 'Es idioma hermano del azteca, tal vez fundado en algunas palabras que tienen la forma ó las raices del mexicano; nosotros creemos que estas semejanzas no provienen de comunidad de orígen de las dos lenguas, sino de las relaciones que esas tribus mantuvieron por espacio de mucho tiempo.' _Id._, p. 282. 'La core offrent très-peu d'affinité avec les autres langues américaines.' _Malte-Brun_, _Précis de la Géog._, tom. vi., p. 449. 'Die Cora ... bewährt ihre Verwandtschaft vornehmlich durch die unverkennbare Gleichheit einer nur diesen beiden Sprachen gemeinschaftlichen Formations-Weise des Verbum in seinen Personen und die Bezeichnung ihrer Beziehung auf ein leidendes Object, wie die Vergleichung des grammatischen Charakters beyder Sprachen deutlich zeigen wird.' _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 87, 89. 'Für verwandte Sprachen, wie sie allerdings scheinen, haben die Cora und die mexicanische grosse Verschiedenheiten in ihrem Lautsystem.' _Wilhelm von Humboldt_, in _Buschmann_, _Spuren der Aztek. Spr._, pp. 48-9.

[VIII'-26] 'La lengua Cora ... es tan dificil, que si no se está entre ellos muchos años, no se puede aprender y tiene de particular, que no se asemeja á otra de las naciones que tiene vecinas.' _Cavo_, _Tres Siglos_, tom. ii., p. 117.

[VIII'-27] _Ortega_, _Vocabulario_, in _Soc. Mex. Geog., Boletin_, tom. viii., pp. 561-602; _Pimentel_, _Cuadro_, tom. ii., pp. 71-88; _Vater_, _Mithridates_, tom. iii., pt iii., pp. 131-8; _Buschmann_, _Die Lautveränderung Aztek. Wörter in den Sonor. Spr._; _Id._, _Gram. der Sonor. Spr._