The nouns have only one declension, or rather are indeclinable, the numbers and cases being marked by various particles; but each, in this way, has the singular, dual, and plural, like the Greek. Thus Cara the city, has Cara-egu the two cities, and Pu-cara the cities, as in the following example.
Singular. Dual. Plural. Nom. Cara Cara-egu pu-Cara
Gen. Cara-ni Cara-egu-ni pu-Cara-ni
Dat. Cara-meu Cara-egu-meu pu-Cara-meu
Accus. Cara Cara-egu pu-Cara
Voc. a Cara a Cara-egu a pu-Cara
Abl. Caramo Cara-egu-mo pu-Cara-mo
Instead of pu, the mark of the plural, ica or egen may be affixed
to the noun, or que placed between the adjective and substantive. Thus
the plural of cara may be pu-cara, caraica, or caraegen,
signifying the cities; or cum-que cara, the good cities.
The Chilese language abounds with adjectives, both primative and
derivative. The latter are formed from every part of speech by
invariable rules: As, from tue the earth, comes tuetu terrestrial;
from quimen to know, quimchi wise; and these, by the interposition
of no, become negative, as tuenotu not terrestrial, quimnochiignorant. The adjectives, participles, and derivative pronouns are
unsusceptible of number or gender, in which they resemble the English;
yet when it is necessary to distinguish the sexes, alca is used for
the masculine, and domo for the feminine. The comparative is formed by
prefixing jod or doi to the positive, and the superlative by cador mu. Thus from chu limpid, are formed doichu more limpid, and
muliu most limpid. There are no diminutives or augmentatives, which
are supplied by means of the adjectives picki little, and butagreat. Diminutives are also formed by changing a harsh sound into one
more liquid; as votun son, to vochiun little son. The primitive
pronouns are inche I, eimi you, teye which, &c. The relatives are
iney who, chem what, ta or ga that, &c. The verbs all terminate
in the syllables an, en, in, an, un, ùn; and are all regulated by a
single conjugation, having all the voices, moods, and tenses of the
Latin, with three or four others, and the singular dual and plural like
the Greek. The terminations of the present tense of each mood form the
roots of all the other tenses of the same mood, which are distinguished
by certain particles, as che in the second present, bu in the
imperfect, uje in the perfect, &c. as in the following example, which
are placed between the radical and the final n. Passive verbs are
formed by the auxiliary gen, between the radical and final n.
Impersonal verbs by the particle am added to the radical. The
following example of the verb elun to give, will serve as a model for
all the other verbs in the language without exception, as there is but
one conjugation and no irregular verbs. It is to be noticed, that the
first present of all the verbs is used, as our compound preterite: Thus
elun signifies I give or I have given; while the second present is
strictly confined to the present time.
ACTIVE VOICE.
INDICATIVE MOOD.
Present Tense.
Singular.
Dual.
Plural.
1.
Elun, I give.
Eluvu, We two give.
Eluign, We give
2.
Eluimi, Thou givest.
Eluimu, You two give.
Eluimen, Ye give
3.
Elui, He gives.
Eluigu, They two give.
Eluigen, They give
Second Present,
1. Eluchen, I give.
2. Eluchemi, Thou givest, &c.
Imperfect,
1. Elubun, I did give.
2. Elubuimi, Thou, &c.
Perfect,
1. Eluuyen, I gave.
2. Eluuyeimi, Thou, &c.
Pluperfect,
1. Elunyebun, I had given, &c.
1st Future,
1. Eluan, I will give, &c.
2d Future,
1. Eluayean, I shall have given, &c.
1st Mixed,
1. Eluabun, I had to give, &c.
2d Mixed,
1. Eluugabun, I ought to have had to give; &c.
IMPERATIVE MOOD.
Singular,
Dual.
Plural.
1
Eluche, let me give
Eluyu, let us two give
Eluign, let us give
2
Eluge, give thou
Elamu, let you two give
Elumen, give ye
3
Elupe, let him give
Elugu let these two give
Elugen, let them give
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD.
Present tense, Eluli, if I may give
Imperfect, Elubili, if I might give
Perfect, Eluuyeli, if I may have given
Pluperfect, Eluuyebuli, if I might have given
1st. Future, Eluaii, if I shall give
2d. Future, Eluuyela, if I shall have given
1st. Mixed, Eluabuli, if I had to give
2d. Mixed, Eluyeabuli, if I should have to give
The optative is formed of the subjunctive, or of the two mixed-tenses
of the indicative, by adding the desiderative particles velem, uel,
or chi; as eluli velem! Would to God that I might give; eluabun
chi! Would to God that I had to give; &c. The affirmative infinitiveis the same with the radical of the verb; or 1st person singular of the
indicative tense; so that there are nine peculiar infinitives, which are
distinguished from these tenses by some determinative particle.
ACTIVE PARTICIPLES.
1st Present, Elulu, he who gives
2d Present, Eluquelu, he who gives
Imperfect, Elubulei, he who did give
Perfect, Eluuyelu, he who gave
Pluperfect, Eluuyebula, he who had given
1st Future, Elualu, he who shall give
2d Future, Eluuyealu, he who shall have given
1st Mixed, Eluabulu, he who shall have to give
2d Mixed, Eluuyeabulu, he who should have given
GERUNDS
1st Present, Eluyum, giving
2d Present, Elualu, for to give
Imperfect, Eluyubum, when giving
PASSIVE VOICE.
INDICATIVE MOOD.
Present. Elugen, I am given
Imperfect. Elugebum, I was given
Participles Passive.
1st Present, Elugelu, given
2d Present, Eluel, given
Perfect, Elubuel, that was given
Imperfect, Elugebulu, that was given
IMPERSONAL VERB.
Indicative Mood.
1st Present, Eluan, that is giving
2d Present, Eluchean, that is giving
Imperfect, Elubuam, that was giving
Perfect, Eluuyeam, that was given
Pluperfect, Eluuyebuam, that had given
1st Future, Eluayam, that shall be given
2d Future, Eluuyeayam, that should be given
1st Mixed, Eluabuam, that had to give
2d Mixed, Eluuyeabuam, that should have to give
Imperative. Elupeam, let us give, &c.
Instead of the impersonal verb, the third person singular of the passive
may be used impersonally, as in Latin. The verb may be made negative
through its whole conjugation, by means of inserting the particle lain the indicative, qui in the imperative which then takes the
termination of the subjunctive mood, and by means of no in the
subjunctive and infinitive moods, as in the following examples.
Part II. Book II.
Indicative, Elulan, I do not give
Elulaimi, thou doest not give
Imperative, Eluquili, let me not give, &c.
Subjunctive, Elunoli, if I do not give, &c.
Infinitive, Elunou, not to give, &c.
NUMERALS OF THE CHILESE LANGUAGE.
Cardinals.
1. Quigne 11. Mari-guigne 21. Epumari quigne 2. Epu 12. Mari-epu. &c.
3. Cula 4. Meli 5. Quechu 6. Cayu 7. Relghe 8. Para 9. Aylla 10. Masi 20. Epumari 30. Culamari 40. Melimari, &c.
100. Pataca 102. Pataca epu 200. Epupataca, &c.
1000. Huaranca 2000. Epuhuaranca 2003. Epuhuaranca cula, &c.
Ordinals.
Unen, Unelelu, Quignelelu, Quignegetu, Quignegentu, Quigmentu, once
Epulelu, epugelu, epugentun, epuntu, twice, &c.[55]
[Footnote 55: The translator seems here to have misunderstood the author, as these ordinal numbers ought surely to signify first and second.--E.]
Numeral Adverbs.
Quignechi, guignemel, quignemita, once
Epuchi, epumal, epumeta, twice, &c.
Distributives.
Calique, mallquigne, one by one
Epuque, mollepu, two by two, &c.
Numeral Verbs.
Quignen, to be one.
Quignelian, to join.
Epun, to be two; &c.
Abstracts.
Quignegen, unity.
Epugen, duality.
Culagen, trinity, &c.
Indefinites.
Quignelque, several.
Epulgen, about two.
Culalque, about three.
It has not been deemed necessary to repeat a great number of minute observations given by Molina on this singular language, nor to report the shades of difference in its dialects. But it has been thought proper to give a short list of words from the Moluches, a tribe inhabiting Patagonia, but speaking a nearly related dialect of the Chilese language with that of the Araucanians.
Vocabulary.
P'llu, the soul or a spirit Autuigh, the sun, a day Lonco, the head or the hair Voso, the teeth or bones Az, the face Anca, the body N'ge, the eyes Pue, the belly Wun, or huun, the mouth Cuugh, the hand Gehuun, the tongue Namon, the foot Yu, the nose Pinque, the heart Nahue, a daughter P'nen, a child Peni, a brother Con'n, to enter Penihuen, own brothers Tipan, to go out Huinca, a Spaniard Cupaln, to bring Seche, an Indian Entun, to take away Huenuy, a friend Aseln, to be adverse Cainie, an enemy Aselgen, to hate Huincha, a head fillet M'len, to be, to possess Makun, a mantle Mongen, life to live Lancattu, glass beads Mongetun, to revive Cosque, bread Swam, the will Ipe, food Swamtun, to will In, or ipen to eat Pepi, power Ilo, flesh Pepilan, to be able Ilon, to eat flesh Quimn, knowledge, to know Putun, to drink Quimeln, to learn Putumum, a cup Quimelcan, to teach Chilca, writing Pangi, a lion Chilcan, to write Choique, an ostrich Sengu, a word, language, or Achahual, a cock or hen a thing Huayqui, a lance Malu, a large lizard Huay-quitun, to lance Cusa, a stone an egg Chinu, a knife or sword Saiguen, a flower Chinogoscun, to wound Milya, gold Chinogosquen, to be wounded Lien, silver Conan, a soldier Cullyin, money payment Conangean, one who is to be Cullingen, to be rich. a soldier Amon, to walk Cunnubal, poor, miserable, an orphan Anun, to sit Cum panilhue, red metal, copper Anupeum, a stool or seat Chos panilhue, yellow metal, brass Anunmahuun, to feel inwardly Gepun, colour, painting Poyquelhuun, to feel or perceive Cuyem, Kiyem a mouth, the moon Saman, a trade an artificer Tissantu, a year Mamel, a tree K'tal, fire Mamel-Saman, a carpenter Asee, hot Suca, a house Chosee, cold Sucu-Saman, a house builder Atutuy, it is shivering cold.
The beginning of the Lord's Prayer.
Inchin in Chao, huenumenta m' leymi, ufchingepe mi wi; Our Father, in heaven thou that art, hallowed be thy name; eymi mi toguin inchinmo cupape; eymi mi piel, chumgechi thy kingdom to us may it come; thy will, as it is vemgey huenu-mapumo, vemgechi cay vemengepe done in heaven, so likewise may it be done tue-mapumo, &c. on earth, &c.