Latè, indicates the place of action, thus: Nahamátřalatè, the place of the fight. Kiñieřalatè, the place where one eats, that is, the table.
They ingeniously invented names borrowed from their native tongue, for things introduced from Europe, or made by Europeans. They did not like either to appear poor in words, or to contaminate their language by adopting foreign ones, like the other Americans who borrow words from the Spaniards. Horses, which the Spaniards call cavallos, the Guaranies call cavayù, and oxen, which the Spaniards call nobillos, they call nobì. The Abipones, on the contrary, call a horse ahëpegak, an ox, ỳúihàk, and a bull, ỳúihàk lepà, an uncastrated ox, a name derived from their own language, though, before the coming of the Spaniards, they were unacquainted with these animals. They call a church loakal lëëriki, the house of images, or natamenřeki, where thanks are given to God. A gun is expressed by netelřanře, which means a bow from which arrows are cast. Perhaps it is derived from the word neetè, a storm, because a gun resembles the thundering of a storm. Gunpowder is called netelřanřre leenřra, the flour of the gun; a book, lakatka, which means a word, tongue, speech. They call a letter, or any sheet with letters written or printed on it, elorka, by which name they also designate the otters' skins painted by women with red lines of various forms, of which cloaks are made to keep out the cold. They call water-melons, Kaáma lakà, the food of the Spaniards. They express a soul, a shadow, echo, and an image, all by the same word, loákal, or lkihì. The Latins also used the word imago, for an echo. Valerius Flaccus, in the third book of the Argonautics, says:
Rursus Hylam, et fursus Hylam per longa reclamat
Avia, responsant sylvæ, et vaga certat imago.
Echo is a representation of voice, as an image is that of the figure. Cotton, the material of which cloth is made, they call aapařaik, cloth; wheat, etantà lpetà, the grain of bread; and bullets, netelr̃anře lpetà, the grain of the gun, or Káamà lanařha, the arrows of the Spaniards. A lute or harp is called liûigi, which means the loins of an animal; all metals, lekàt, and silver money, lekacháole, little metals; hell, aalò labachiñi, the centre of the earth, or Keevét lëëriki, the devil's house; a shirt, yelamřkie; stockings or boots, lichil lelamřkiè; breeches, ykiemařha; shoes, yachrhářlatè; a hat, ñoarà; a fillet, mitre, or any covering of the head, yetapehè; glass-beads, ekelřaye. I omit the rest.
Metaphors are familiar to these savages. When they have the head-ache they cry Là ỳívíchigi yemařat, now my head is angry. When fatigued with manual labour, Là ỳívíchigi yauigřa, now my blood is angry, they exclaim with a smile. When in anger, they say, Là ànahegem yauel, now my heart hath risen. When impatient at any inconvenience, they vociferate: Là lanamouge yapìk, now my patience is ended, now I will bear this no longer.
Although the Guaranies and many other people of America have none but post-positions in their language, the Abipones use prepositions likewise. Thus the Guaranies, in making the sign of the cross, say: Tuba haè layřa, hae Espiritu Santo rera pĭpe. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. For pĭpe means in, and rera name with them. The Abipones, on the contrary, say: Men lakalátoèt Netà, kat Náitařat, kachka Espiritu Santo. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, &c. Men signifying in, and lakalátoèt, a name. Men, mek, kèn, or en kerà, signifies in or at, either with or without motion. Men aaloa, men hipigem, in the earth, in heaven. Lahik ken nepàrk, now I go to the plain. Là rihi mek Kaáma loetà, now I remove to the lands of the Spaniards. They are unacquainted with the preposition with which denotes society: they would express the sentence, I will go with thee, in this manner: Grahauitapekam, I will accompany thee: or thus, Là me? Clachkehin, wilt thou go away? I also. The Lord with thee: Dios Gnoakàra hiñitařoat; The Lord is associated with thee. Haraà is a preposition signifying the instrument with which a thing is done. Yóale yahámat nihirenak naraà lohélete: The Indian killed the tiger with a spear. Yágàm means, as, or like, Roahà ỳágàm netegink: He attacks like a dog.
Adjectives themselves are generally used instead of adverbs; both, according as they relate to past, or future, are variously inflected, like verbs: thus, ariaik and neèn signify both good and well. Kemen ariaik kàn! how good, or how well he was. Kàn is the sign of the past tense. Ariaekam, it will be good or well. Am is the sign of the future, and kitè means now. Kitekàn, it was now. Kitàm, it shall be now presently. If you wish to enquire about a thing past, you must say: hegmalagè, when? If about a future thing, hegmalkàm. For the past, they will answer, nehegetoè, long since; hákekemàt, now, at this point of time; chigahák, not yet; kitnéoga, to day; kitnénegin, or kitnehaól, this night; gnaàma, yesterday. For the future, amà, amlayeřge, chitlkihe, after a long interval of time; amlà, afterwards; am richigni, to morrow; amékére láhaua, the day after to-morrow; am náama, in the evening. And is expressed by Rachka, Rack, or Rat, according to the letters that follow. All universally call no, ynà: but yes is expressed variously, according to the age and sex of the speaker. Men and youths say, héé; all women, hàà. Old men affirm by a loud snort, which can only be expressed vivâ voce, though you could not do it easily and clearly without danger of hoarseness. The louder the snort the stronger the affirmation.
Eùrigri, eòrat, and miekaenegen, mean why, for what reason. Miéka énegen nkaué, nauichi enà? What was the reason that you came? Men is a particle of interrogation, having the same signification as the Latin an. Men leerà? Is it true? Klerà, it is certain. Chigera, it is not true. Or if they doubt of the truth of the thing, they will reply, Eùriñigi. Sometimes, when they suspect another of relating what is not true, they join the past with the future, and ironically say, Kánigra leeràm, formerly, that will be true. Kánigra is the past, and leeràm the future.
The letter M prefixed to a word denotes interrogation, thus: M'ayte nauachieka? Are there many soldiers? M'oachiñi, Art thou sick? If the first letter following M be a consonant or an H, it is dropped, M'anekam ena? Will he come hither? The H is entirely omitted in the verb hanekám, will he come, and it is pronounced manekám. Mauichi kenà? Hast thou come hither? The letter N is dropped in the verb nauichi, and M substituted, so that it is called mauichi. Mik alone, or mik mich, are forms of interrogation; as Mik mich grihochi? Art thou in good health? Sometimes an interrogation is expressed by the accent alone, and by the raising of the voice. Layàm nauichi? Art thou come at length? Origeenu and morigi are words of interrogation, expressing, at the same time, doubt: Morigi npágàk oenèk? Perhaps the youth is ashamed? Hegmi hínnerkam? What is it after all? Orkeénum, I do not know what it can be.