HUAZTEC GRAMMAR.
From the grammar of Carlos de Tapia Zenteno, which was also used by Gallatin and Pimentel, I offer the following remarks on the Huaztec:
The letters used in writing this language are: a, b, ch, d, e, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, t, u, v, x, y, z, tz. The pronunciation is soft. Gender is denoted by the addition of the words imik, man, and uxum, woman;—tzalle, king; uxumtzalle, queen; tzejelinik, young man; tzejeluxum, young girl. The affix chick is used to express the plural;—atik, son; atikchick, sons; but there are a few exceptions to this rule. Diminutives are expressed by the preposition chichick, as;—te, tree; chichikte, small tree. In some cases the preposition tzakam, or the affix il, is used for this purpose. In the superlative the syllable le is used before the word, as;—pullik, great; lepullik, very great. Personal pronouns;—nana, I; tata, thou; jaja, he; huahua, we; xaxa, you; baba, they.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TAHJAL, TO HAVE.
| INDICATIVE PRESENT. | |||
| I have, | nana utahjal or intahjal | We have, | huahua yatahjal |
| Thou hast, | tata atahjal or ittahjal | You have, | xaxa yatahjal |
| He has, | taja, intahjal | They have, | baba tahjal |
| IMPERFECT. | |||
| I had, | nana utahjalitz or intahjalitz | ||
| PERFECT. | |||
| I have had, | nana utahjaitz or utahjamal, or utahjamalitz | ||
| PLUPERFECT. | |||
| I had had, | nana utahjalak or utahjamalak, or utahjamalakitz | ||
| FIRST FUTURE. | |||
| I shall have, | nana ku or kin, or kiatajah | ||
| IMPERATIVE. | |||
| Have, | tata katahja | ||
| PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE. | |||
| If I have, | nana kutahja or kiatahja | ||
| IMPERFECT. | |||
| If I had, | nana kin or intahjalak | ||
| INFINITIVE. | |||
| To have, | tahjal | ||
Verbal nouns and participles are formed by adding x or chix, to the infinitive, as;—tzobnal, to know; and tzobnax, he who knows. There are said to be several different dialects of this language in use. Following is the Pater Noster as given by Zenteno in his Doctrina, and as spoken in the mountains of the district of Tampico.
Pailomê ( Father ) anitquahat ( art ) tiaeb, ( heaven ) quaquauhlu ( holy said ) anabi, ( thy name ) cachich ( come ) anatzalletal. ( thy kingdom. ) Katahan ( Be done ) analenal ( thy will ) têtitzabal, ( on the earth ) nuantiani ( as ) huatahab ( to have ) tiaeb. ( heaven. ) Ani ( And ) tacupiza ( thou give ) xahue ( to-day ) cailel ( each day ) yabacanil ( our bread ) ani ( and ) tacupaculamchi ( thou forgive ) antuhualabchic, ( sins ) antiani ( as ) huahua ( we ) tupaculamchial ( forgive ) tutomnanchixlomchik, ( debtors ) ani ( and ) ib ( not ) takuhila ( lead ) tincal ( that we ) ib ( not ) cucuallam ( fall us ) tin ( in ) exextalab. ( temptation. ) Timat ( But ) taculouh ( save us ) timbâ ana ( from ) ib ( no ) cuacua. ( holy (evil) ) Anitz ( so ) catahan. ( be it done.[XI'-12] )
Lord's Prayer in the dialect spoken in the Department of San Luis Potosí:
Tatu puilom huahuá, itcuajat, ti eb chie pelit santo jajatz abi cachic atzale tal ti eb al huahua: catajatz taculbetal hantzaná titzabal hantini tiaeb ani cap ud patalaguicha tacubinanchi, xoque ani tacupaculanchi; cal igualab, ani ela tegui tacupalanchi cal y at guitzab ani il tacujila cugualan cal junhi fataxtalb, maxibtaculohu cal ban atax mal tajana guatalel.