CHAPTER XIV.
Remarks on American Languages in general—Conflicting Opinions of Philologists—Religious Zeal a Stimulus that has produced the Grammars and Vocabularies of the American Languages—Sketch of the Grammar of the Maya Tongue—Concluding Observations respecting its Origin.
The origin and the mutual relations of the American languages have long been favorite topics of discussion among philologists; but their researches and speculations have led to results so contradictory and utterly irreconcilable, that we are left, after a thorough perusal of the leading works upon the subject, in the same state of doubt and uncertainty with which we commenced it. Mr. Gallatin, in the prefatory letter to his learned and profound essay, entitled “A Synopsis of the Indian Tribes within the United States, East of the Rocky Mountains, and in the British and Russian Possessions in North America,” remarks, that “amid the great diversity of American languages, considered only in reference to their vocabularies, the similarity of their structure and grammatical forms has been observed and pointed out by the American philologists. The substance of our knowledge in that respect will be found, in a condensed form, in the appendix. The result appears to confirm the opinions already entertained on that subject by Mr. Du Ponceau, Mr. Pickering, and others; and to prove that all the languages, not only of our own Indians, but of the native inhabitants of America, from the Arctic Ocean to Cape Horn, have, as far as they have been investigated, a distinct character common to all, and apparently differing from those of the other continent with which we are the most familiar.” Mr. Gallatin, however, in a note appended to this paragraph, qualifies it by stating that “the grammar of the language of Chili is the only one, foreign to the immediate object of the ‘Synopsis,’ with which a comparison has been introduced. Want of space did not permit him to extend the inquiry into the language of Mexico and other parts of Spanish America.” Mr. Bradford, however, in his “Researches into the Origin and History of the Red Race,” p. 309, states unqualifiedly that “philologists have examined into the form and character of the American languages, and have established satisfactorily that they have all sprung from one common source. The features of resemblance are such as enter into their elementary construction; the diversities, those to which all languages are exposed, by the separation and dispersion of those who speak them.”
On the other hand, Baron Von Humboldt, in his “Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain,” vol. i. p. 138, after some remarks upon the migrations of the American tribes, proceeds to state that “the great variety of languages still spoken in the kingdom of Mexico proves a great variety of races and origin. The number of these languages exceeds twenty, of which fourteen have grammars and dictionaries tolerably complete. The following are their names: the Mexican or Aztec language; the Otomite; the Tarasc; the Zapotec; the Mistec; the Maya or Yucatan; the Totonac; the Popolouc; the Matlazing; the Huastec; the Mixed; the Caquiquel; the Taraumar; the Tepehuan; and the Cora. It appears that the most part of these languages, far from being dialects of the same, (as some authors have falsely advanced,) are at least as different from one another as the Greek and the German, or the French and the Polish. This is the case with at least seven languages of New Spain, of which I possess the vocabularies. The variety of idioms spoken by the people of the new continent, and which, without the least exaggeration, may be stated at some hundreds, offers a very striking phenomenon, particularly when we compare it with the few languages spoken in Asia and Europe.”
We might give quotations from other writers, of an equally contradictory nature, were it our design to write a treatise upon the origin or the resemblances of the American languages in general. We intend, however, to confine our attention solely to the language of Yucatan, or the Maya tongue, mentioned above, by Humboldt, as one of the original languages of New Spain.
The Maya was the sole language spoken throughout the peninsula of Yucatan, and the northern portion of Guatemala, at the time of the first settlement of the Spaniards in Campeachy. The difficulty of opening an intercourse with the Indians, and of mastering their language, was at first exceedingly great; but was finally surmounted by the learning and religious zeal of the Catholic priesthood, who, after years of incessant labor and self-denial, under the most discouraging circumstances, succeeded not only in acquiring a knowledge of the Maya tongue, sufficient to enable them to converse with and preach to the natives, but to invent a written language, and to compose a grammar and a vocabulary. It is impossible to reflect upon the physical and mental exertions of the Catholic missionaries among the Indians of America, without admiration. The Jesuits in Paraguay, Chili, Peru, and, in truth, throughout the whole of South America, animated by an unextinguishable zeal in the cause of religion, buried themselves in the most remote districts, in the midst of the most appalling dangers, and quietly and undauntedly set about the task of conquering the Indian, not with the sword, but with the pen; and they ceased not until they had obtained that key to his heart, in the shape of an embodied language, which all the political changes of the continent, during the lapse of centuries, have not been able to wrest from them. The Indian in Yucatan and Guatemala, as well as in South America, acknowledges no authority but that of the priest, and it is through the influence of the Church alone, that the temporal power is enabled to keep up even the semblance of government. The Padre is to the Indian a guide, father, and friend; he consults him on all occasions. We hazard little in saying that throughout nine tenths of the peninsula of Yucatan, if we except the seaport towns, the entire control of the Indians is in the hands of the priesthood, and that the political relations now existing as between the government and the governed, would be instantly dissolved were the clergy to withhold their co-operation; and that the result would be the same, whatever mutations may take place among the parties which may now or hereafter contend for political supremacy.
Humboldt speaks of fourteen languages of New Spain as having grammars and vocabularies tolerably complete. We will endeavor, by means of the Maya grammar and vocabulary in our possession, to give such a slight sketch of its structure, as we have been enabled to glean from its pages. The first Maya grammar was composed by Father Louis de Villalpando, the first Catholic priest that set foot upon the peninsula of Yucatan, at Campeachy. This grammar was never published, and was much improved by Father Landa, the first provincial minister, and the second bishop of Yucatan. His treatise, with the additions of the bishop, remained in manuscript, but was the basis of the grammars of Fathers Juan Coronel and Gabriel de San Bonaventure, which in their turn were largely used by the author of the work in our possession. It is a remarkable fact, tending to show the decline of literary taste among even the priesthood of Yucatan, that we were unable, after the most active research, to find any of the works above mentioned, and we have reason to believe that few if any copies now exist. The grammar in our possession was written by Father Pedro Beltran, a Franciscan, and published at the city of Mexico, in 1746, see note[[3]]. The author, in his preface, characterizes the Maya, as “graceful in diction, elegant in its periods, and concise in style; often, in a few words of few syllables, expressing the meaning of many sentences. If the learner can overcome the obstacle presented by the difficulty of pronouncing some of the consonants, which are intensely guttural, he will find the language of easy acquisition.” After some remarks upon the mode in which he proposes the trial of his subject, he concludes with the following remarks, which we have condensed here, to show that religious zeal was the moving cause which produced all the grammars and vocabularies of the Indian languages: “I will not rest my appeal in behalf of the Maya upon considerations of mere personal interest, or of the pleasure which must be the result of being able to communicate ideas in a foreign tongue; I would elevate my thoughts above such comparatively base and vulgar views; since I dedicate my work as an instrument for the service of the Divine Majesty, knowing, from my personal experience, that the brethren of the church will obtain abundant fruit among the poor Indians, by instructing them from the pulpit and the confessional, and likewise holding converse with them, in their native tongue: since by this means we shall most successfully thwart the Devil, who will be cast down if we succeed, and who often interposes ridiculous difficulties in our path, which we can easily surmount; the Accursed One well knowing, that in turning aside, and not acquiring this language, we deeply offend God, in that we cause the ruin of many souls. Therefore, beloved reader, apply yourself carefully to this treatise, to the end that you may please God, by opening the ears of this poor people, and feeding them with spiritual bread.”
The Maya alphabet consists of only twenty-two letters, of which the following, viz.,
ↄ, ch, k, pp, th, tz,
are peculiar to the language, and are very difficult of pronunciation. Mechanical rules, representing their sounds, are given in the grammar, but it is almost impossible to acquire them without the assistance of a native. It is deficient in the following letters:—