Kachit, I make. Ařaiřaik ahëpegak, a tame horse. Ařaiřaikachit ahëpegak, I make a horse tame. Riélk, I fear. Riélkachìt nihìrenàk, a tiger put me in fear. Ayerhègemegè, a high thing. Ayercachihègemegè, I make a thing high, I put it in a high place.
Řat, or řan has the same signification as the former in certain verbs. Rpaè enařap, hot water. Hapaeřat enařap, I heat water. Laà, great, large. Laařařat, I increase. Lenechi, little, small. Lenechitařat, I diminish. Haoatè, I sleep. Haoacheřan akíravàlk, I make a little infant sleep.
Ken denotes custom or habit. Roélakikèn, he is accustomed to fight.
Aagè affixed to the substantives Lahërek, work, or Yaářaiřèk, knowledge, likewise denotes custom. Nèoga latènk nañametapek; gramackka lahërekaage, or Mat yaářaiřèk aage, he drinks all day: this, to wit, is his occupation; it is his knowledge; in a word his custom.
It signifies the material of which any thing is made. Nichigeherit is a cloak made of otters' skins, for Níchigehè is the Abiponian for otter. Káepèrit, a place fortified with stakes fixed in the earth, (which the Spaniards call la palisada, or estacada,) káepak, signifying wood.
Hat indicates the native soil of certain trees, or fruits. Nebokehat, a wood where palms grow. Neboke is a kind of palm. Nemelkehat, a field sowed with wheat, which is called nemelk. The Guaranies make use of the same compendious expression, substituting ti for the particle hat, thus: Abati, maize. Abatiti, a maize-field. Petí, tobacco. Petíndi, a place where tobacco is grown. For the sake of the euphony, to which the Guaranies are particularly attentive, ndi is substituted for ti.
Ik. The names of almost all trees end in this syllable. Apèhe, the fruit chañar. Apehìk, the tree. Oaik, the white alfaroba. Roak, the red. The trees which produce it, Oáikik, and Roaikik. Though the alfaroba is also called Hamáp.
Řeki signifies the vessel, place, or instrument in which any thing is shut up, kept, or contained. Nařamřeki, a cup, from nañàm, I drink. Neetřki signifies the same thing: for ñeèt and nañàm are synonimous. Katařanřeki, an oven, a chafing-dish, from Nkáatèk, fire. Keyeeřánřekì, a tub in which clothes are washed with soap, for keyařanřàt is their word for soap.
Laỳt has almost the same signification as the former particle. Yabogék laỳt, a snuff-box, yabogék being Abiponian for snuff. Ahëpegrlaỳt, a fold for horses.
Lanà is a very useful word, and often serves as a sacred anchor, which beginners, slightly acquainted with the language, catch hold of to make themselves understood. It means that which is the instrument, means, or part of performing any thing. This shall be elucidated by examples. The Abipones constantly chew tobacco leaves mixed with salt, and the saliva of old women, calling it medicine. They come at all hours, and say, Tach kaûe Paỳ npeetèk yoetà: Father, give me tobacco leaves, my medicine. Having obtained this, they presently add, Tach kaûe achibiřaik noetà lanà,: Give me also salt, which serves to compose this medicine. Another comes and says: Tachkaûe latařan lpahè lanà: Give me a knife to cut my meat with, or Tachkaûe këëpe yëëriki lanà: Give me an axe to build my house with. Persons better acquainted with the language generally abstain from the use of this word lanà, in place of which they make noun substantives of verbs, by which the instrument or means of doing a thing is admirably expressed. Thus, Noetarèn, I am healed. Noetarenátařanřát, medicine. Noetaranatařankatè, a medical instrument. Hakiriogran, I plough. Kiriogrankatè, a plough. Ñahategřan, I shear. Ahategkatè, scissars, or snuffers, which, as it were, shear the wick. Géhayà, I behold. Geharlatè, a looking-glass. Rietachà, I fear. Netachkatřanřat, an instrument of terror. They facetiously call remarkably ugly faces by this name as if they were a terror to the eyes.