CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SIN.
| PRESENT INDICATIVE. | |||
| I sin, | yodzatevuindi | He sins, | yodzatevuita |
| Thou sinnest, | yodzatevuindo | We sin, | yodzatevuindoo |
| IMPERFECT. | PLUPERFECT. | ||
| I sinned, | nidzatevuindi | I had sinned, | sanidzatevuindi |
| FIRST FUTURE. | SECOND FUTURE. | ||
| I shall sin, | dzatevuindi | I shall have sinned, | sadzatevuikandi |
| IMPERATIVE. | |||
| Let me sin, | nadzatevuindi | Let us sin, | nadzatevuindoo |
| Sin thou, | dzatevui | Sin you, | chidzatevui |
| Let him, or them sin, | nadzatevuita | ||
Verbal nouns are formed by prefixing the syllable sa, or sasi, to the present indicative of the verb. Regarding the dialects of the Miztec, Pimentel quotes the following from Father Reyes' grammar. All the dialects may be grouped into two principal languages, which are those of Tepuzculula and Yangüitlan. That of Tepuzculula is the best understood throughout the district of Mizteca.
The Pater Noster in the Tepuzculula dialect is as follows.
Dzutundoo ( Our father ) yodzikani ( thou art ) andevui ( heaven ) nakakunahihuahandoo, ( let us praise, ) sananini ( thy name ) nakisi ( come ) santoniisini ( thy kingdom ) nakuvui ( be done ) ñuuñayevui ( (in the) world ) inini ( thy will ) dzavuatnaha ( as also ) yokuvui ( be done ) andevui. ( (in) heaven. ) Dzitandoo ( Our bread ) yutnaa yutnaa ( each day ) tasinisindo ( give us much ) huitno ( to-day ) dzaandoui ( forgive us ) kuachisindoo ( our sins ) dzavuatnaha ( as well as ) yodzandoondoo ( we forgive ) suhani ( debtor ) sindoo ( ours ) huasa ( not ) kivuiñahani ( lead us ) nukuitandodzondoo ( we will fall ) kuachi ( in sin ) tavuiñahani ( deliver you ) sañahuahua. ( from evil. ) Dzavua ( So ) nakuvui. ( be it made. )
For the purpose of illustrating the difference between the dialects, I insert two other Pater Nosters, the first of Miztec bajo, and the second of the alto dialect:
Dútundo hiadícani andívi ñacùú hii ña nániní: naquíxidíca satónixiní: nacúu ndúdu ínìní ñunahívi yóhò daguatnaha yo cúu ini andivi. Ditàndo itián itían taxinia nundi vichi: te dandooni cuachindi dagua tnaha dandoondi naa ni dativi nundi: te maza dáñani ntziuhu uncaguandi ña dativindi: te cuneguahanindi nuu nditaca ña unguaha. Duha na cuu Jesus.
Dzutuyo iyoxicani andivi nacui hii ñanánini. Naquixi xatòniixini. Nacúhui ndudzuinìni uñaiviyóhò, sahuatna yocúhui ini andivi. Dzitàyo itian itian taxini nundi vichi: sandoo-ni cuáchiyo, sahuatanha yo sandondi nanidzativi nundi taun-sayáhani ñacanacahuandi zadzativindi. Sacacunino ñahani nuu nditaca ña hunhua. Dzaa nacuu Iya Iesus.[X'-14]
Another language, said to be connected with the Miztec is the Amusgo. Wedged in between the Miztec and Zapotec are several tongues, of which, excepting a few Lord's Prayers, I find nothing mentioned but the names; it is not improbable that some of them were only dialects of either the Miztec or Zapotec. These are the Mazatec, Cuicatec, and Chinantec, which latter is described as a very guttural tongue, with a rather indistinct pronunciation, so that it is difficult to distinguish the vowels; further there are mentioned the Chatino, Tlapanec, and Popoluca.[X'-15] Orozco y Berra declares that the following names designate the Popoluca in different states. Thus the Chocho, Chochona, or Chuchon, is said by him to have been called—in Puebla, the Popoluca; in Guerrero, the Tlapanec; in Michoacan, the Teco; and in Guatemala, the Pupuluca.[X'-16] Of these languages I have the following Lord's Prayers:
CHOCHO OR CHUCHON.