[298]. Organismus der Khetsua Sprache. Von J. J. von Tschudi, p. 368 (Leipzig, 1884).
[299]. “Ces exemples font comprendre combien quelquefois on peut rendre des mots tres longs, pour exprimer toute une phrase, quoiqu’ aussi on puisse facilement rendre les mêmes ideés par des périphrases.” Lacombe, Grammaire de la Langue des Cris, p. 11 (Montreal, 1874).
[300]. “Se explicara la razon filosófica de los dos modos de usar las palabras en Mexicano, uno componiendo de varias palabras uno solo, y otro dejandolas separadas y enlazandolas solo por regimen.” From the programme of Prof. A. de la Rosa’s course in 1870.
[301]. The original authorities I have consulted on the Othomi are:
Reglas de Orthographia, Diccionario, y Arte del Idioma Othomi. By Luis de Neve y Molina (Mexico, 1767).
De Lingúa Othomitorum Dissertatio. By Emmanuel Naxera (Philadelphia, 1835).
Catecismo en Lengua Otomi. By Francisco Perez (Mexico, 1834).
[302]. He speaks of the Othomi in these terms:—“Une langue aux allures toutes spéciales, fondamentalement distincte de toutes les langues qui se parlent aujourd’ hui sur le continent américain.” Mission Scientifique au Mexique. Pt. i. Anthropologie, p. 32 (Paris, 1884). This is the precise opinion, strongly expressed, that it is my object to controvert. Many other writers have maintained it. Thus Count Piccolomini in the Prolegomena to his version of Neve’s Othomi Grammar says: “La loro lingua che con nessuna altra del mondo conosciuto ha la menoma analogia, è semplice. * * * La formazione del loro verbi, nomi ed altri derivati ha molta semplecitá,” etc. Grammatica della Lingua Otomi, p. 3 (Roma, 1841). This writer also offers an illustration of how imperfectly Duponceau’s theory of polysynthesis has been understood. Not only does Piccolomini deny it for the Otomi, but he denies that it is anything more than merely running several words together with some phonetic syncopation. See the Annotationi at the close of his Othomi Grammar.
[303]. This is the orthography of Neve. The terminal vowels are both nasals; nhian is from the radical hia, to breathe, breath.
[304]. See the “Comparacion del Othomi con el Mazahua y el Pirinda,” in the Cuadro Descriptivo y Comparativo de las Lenguas Indigenas de Mexico, por Francisco Pimentel. Tomo iii, pp. 431–445 (Mexico, 1875).