Notes on the Mangue: An Extinct Dialect Formerly Spoken in Nicaragua

by Daniel G. Brinton

Phonetics. The Mangue words in this paper are principally in letters with the Spanish powers, some of the semi-vowels being in smaller type. The h is pronounced as an aspirate, and is equivalent to the j, which has its aspirated Spanish value.

All syllables are open; that is, they all end in a vowel sound. Thus nimbu, water, is to be divided ni-mbu. In this respect it resembles the Cherokee, the Japanese, etc.

Dr. Berendt stated that the Chapanec dialect was the most difficult of any American language he had ever studied, on account of the obscurity and uncertainty of its sounds. It is greatly syncopated, and terminal syllables are often pronounced in so low a tone that they escape the unpracticed ear. The vowels are not distinct, and many of the consonants are “alternating” as it is called, that is, one may be substituted for another without altering the meaning of the word. Thus, evil spirit (demonio) may be either tixämbi´ or sisaⁱmbᵘi, these two being the same word pronounced indifferently, either way, by the same individual. This is by no means without parallel in American languages.

The curious frequency in the Mangue of the “resonants” n and m will strike every observer. This is also the case in the Chapanec. Albornoz regards it as a phonetic phenomenon only, and remarks, “Whenever a word begins with b, g, y or d, an n must be written before it, which is pronounced with the word itself.” Dr. Berendt calls it an “article” which appears as n, na, ni, or m, especially before the letter b. As such, I may suggest its similarity to the Nahuatl in, and the Othomi na, both of which are demonstratives worn down almost to articles.

There is a similar resonant nasal in various South American tongues, especially the Tupi-Guarani dialects of Brazil. It appears most frequently before the consonants b and d. Its peculiarity is that it is not an expiratory sound, but a soft inspirate, and as such is claimed by Dr. Nogueira to be a phonetic phenomenon confined exclusively to American tongues.[10] I have been unable to decide from the descriptions within my reach of the Chapanec phonetics, whether the initial resonant is an inspirate, and I would call the attention of travelers to this interesting point.

In addition to this simple resonant prefix there are a number of particles beginning either with n or m, which are added to indicate the absolute or independent form of the noun, that is, to characterize it when not attached to a personal possessive pronoun. Of these Albornoz gives fourteen for the singular, and seven for the plural. This will explain the striking prevalence of words beginning with these letters in the vocabulary.

Accent is of the utmost importance in both these dialects, and the identity to the eye of various words as nyujmi, ear and smoke, arises from absence of proper accent marks in my authorities. The words for bird, snake and flower are the same; but Albornoz gives this very example to illustrate the importance of accent, nolō, a snake, nolô, a flower. Unfortunately, none of my authorities employ any accentual mark but the acute, and this appears to be syllabic. A vowel written above the line of the word, in Berendt’s MSS., signifies a semi-vowel.

Structure. The general structure of the Mangue was clearly polysynthetic and incorporative in a marked degree. In its grammar it was no doubt identical in all essential points with the Chapanec, about which, as above mentioned, we have considerable information in published sources. Nominal and verbal forms are defined by the categories of animate and inanimate genera, a distinction which is to a certain extent purely grammatical, as for instance, a book is considered animate, and a table inanimate (Albornoz, Gram., cap. xiii). The first person plural has an inclusive and exclusive form. Adjectives usually, but not always, follow the nouns. Plurals are frequently formed by simply lengthening the terminal vowel sound.

The Vocabulary. The words in the vocabulary have been obtained from the Rocha and Berendt MSS. Where these two authorities differ the variants are indicated by the affixed initials, R. and B. All words quoted for the sake of comparison from Squier, are marked by an affixed S. The observations, explanations and other remarks attached to the words and phrases are my own. The comparative expressions taken from the Chapanec (marked, Chap.) are from the printed works above mentioned, or from MS. vocabularies of various authorship in my possession.