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 | Having said, | aguidati |
| He is saying, | aguidimijatade | ||
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 ( Our father ) atemo ( who in ) tubaggue ( heaven ) dama ( above ) santusikamoe ( sanctified be ) uggue ( he ) ututugaraga ( thy name ) duviana ( come ) uguiere ( thy kingdom ) api ( thou ) odduna ( do ) gutuguitodaraga ( thy will ) tami ( as well ) dubur ( earth ) dama ( above ) tubaggue. ( heaven. ) Udguaddaga ( Our food ) ud ( to us ) makane ( give ) scibi ( to-day ) ud ( to us ) joigudane ( forgive ) ud ( our ) sceadoadaraga ( sins ) addukate ( as ) joigude ( we forgive ) jut ( our ) jaddune ( debtors ) maitague ( not ) daguito ( tempt ) ud.[VIII'-20] ( 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]
THE CORA LANGUAGE AND ITS DIALECTS.