Possessives;—xitenia, mine; xitenilo, thine; xitenini, his; xitenitono or xitenino, ours; xitenito, yours. Interrogatives used with animate beings, are;—tuxa or tuia, tu or chu; and with inanimate things: xiikaxa, xiixa, xii; koota is used for either animate or inanimate objects.
There are four conjugations, which are distinguished by the particles with which they commence. The first uses, in the present, ta, in the past, ka, and in the future, ka; the second has te, pe, and ke; the third, ti, ko, ki; and if they are passives, ti, pi, ki, or ti, ko, and ka; the fourth uses to, pe, and ko.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO DIG.
| PRESENT INDICATIVE. | |||
| I dig, | tanaya | We dig, | tieenano |
| Thou diggest, | tanalo | You dig, | tanato |
| He digs, or they dig, | tanani | ||
| IMPERFECT. | PERFECT. | ||
| I dug, | tanatia, konatia, or konaya | I have dug, | zianaya |
| PLUPERFECT. | |||
| I had dug, | huayanaya, konakalaya, zianakalaya, | ||
| or, huayanakalaya | |||
| FIRST FUTURE. | |||
| I shall dig, | kanaya | ||
| IMPERATIVE. | |||
| Dig thou, | kona | ||
| Let us dig, | lakeyanano, or kolakieenano | ||
| Dig you, | kolakana | ||
| OTHER FORMS. | |||
| If I would dig, | nianalayaniaka | ||
| If I have dug, | zianatilaya | ||
| If I shall dig, | nikanaya | ||
The following is an example of the differences between the dialects. Child in the Zaachilla is batoo; in the Ocotlan, metho; in the Etla, binnito; in the sierra, bitao; in the tierra caliente, bato.
The Pater Noster with literal translation taken from the Catecismo of Leonardo Levanto, reads as follows.
Bixoozetonoohe ( Father our ) kiiebaa ( heaven ) nachiibalo ( thou who art above ) nazitoo ( great ) ziikani ( has been done ) laalo ( thy name ) kellakookii ( kingdom ) xtennilo ( thine ) kita ( will come ) ziika ruarii ( here ) nitizigueelalo ( thy will ) ziika ( as ) raka ( is done ) kiaa, ( above, ) kiiebaa ( heaven ) laaniziika ( as ) gaka ( be done ) ruarii ( here ) layoo. ( earth. ) Xikonina ( The bread of all us ) kixee kixee ( to-morrow ) peneche ( give ) ziika ( also ) anna ( to-day ) chela ( and ) a ( not ) kozaanañaaziikalo ( lead us ) tonoo ( us ) niiani ( that ) ya ( we ) kezihuina: ( sin: ) peziilla ( deliver ) zika ( also ) tonoo ( us ) niiaxtenni ( of ) kiraa ( all ) kellahuechiie. ( evil. ) Gaga ( Will be done ) ziiga ( so ) ziika.[X'-20] ( so. )
Between the head waters of the Rio Nexapa and Goatzacoalco the Mije language is spoken. It is described as guttural and rough, and by some as poor in words, necessitating auxiliary gestures. The bishop of Oajaca, to whose diocese they belonged, in a letter to Archbishop Lorenzana stated that he had a people under him, who could only converse during daylight, for at night they could not see their gestures and without these were unable to understand each other.[X'-21] The following alphabet is used by Pimentel in writing this language;—a, b, ch, e, h, i, k, m, n, ñ, o, p, t, u, v, x, y, tz. Two and more consonants frequently follow one another in the same syllable, as;—akx, epx, itzp, otzk, mma, mne, mpi, mto, mxu, etc. Vowels are also frequently double, as;—kôô, arms; teikkaa, and tinaak, stomach. In declensions the genitive is formed by prefixing the letter i;—xêuh, name; dios ixêuh, name of God. The plural is formed by the terminal toch;—toix, woman; toixtoch, women.
PRONOUNS.