THE
BRASILIAN LANGUAGE
AND
ITS
BY
AMARO CAVALCANTI, L. L. B.
COUNSELLOR AT LAW, FELLOW OF VARIOUS LITERARY
AND EDUCATIONAL SOCIETIES, EX-INSPSCTOR GENERAL OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
A:\-D DIRECTOR OF THE LYCEUM IN THE PROVINCE OF
CBAHA (BRASIL), ETC., ETC., ETC.,
106283
RIO JANEIRO
TYPOGRAPHIA NACIONAL
1883
TO
HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY,
DON PEDRO SEGUNDO
Sire!
It is a well known fact, that Your Imperial
Majesty, during Your reign has been the constant
Protector of the intellectual development and the
general instruction of the country. Numerous in-
stitutions, which Your Majesty's private liberality
has so often assisted, give the most authentic
proof of our assertion in this respect. Therefore,
publishing this insignificant work, presently,
the object of which is to contribute to the in-
struction of the country and facts concerning it ;
I fulfil the agreeable duty of placing it, respect-
fully, under your Majesty's August protection,
in the hope, that your Majesty's generosity may
not decline its acceptance .
It is, Sire, a sincere expression of the respect
and profound veneration of Your Imperial
Majesty, whom God may preserve.
YOURS VERY HUMBLY
The principal object of the present elementary
book is: (1) to verify if several opinions suggest-
ed by philologists and linguists, as the peculiar
characteristics of the so-called agglutinative
languages are, indeed, found in the Brazilian
language ; (2) to contribute, by some infor-
mations on the grammatical elements and pro-
cesses of this language, for the progress of Com-
parative Grammar.
We use the terms Brazilian language ,
as embracing the several dialects spoken in
Brasil by the savage tribes, since the discovery
of the country.
Among those dialects, the Guarany and the
Tupy are the most important. They hold the
same close relation, as is found between High
and Low German. Guarany was spoken,
principally, in the South-part of Brazil, and
Tupy, along the coast, at the time of the
discovery, and now, in the central parts of some
provinces of the North, especially, in Para, Ama-
zonas and in the border-territories.
The language of cultivated people, as it
is known, is the Portuguese*.
Rio de Janeiro, December, 2, 1883.
KEY
TO THE PRONUNCIATION AND READING
VOWELS
a, e, i, o ; u, ( unmarked ) have short sounds.,
sometimes scarcely perceptible in ending syllables.
^ (upon vowel) markes long sound*
\ ( > ) broad sound.
u (upon u) . a guttural sound, like the
Greek u.
<*& (upon any vowel) markes nasal sound : aw, em,
im, ow, um.
/ markes stress of voice ( accent ) upon certain
syllables of words.
CONSONANTS AND DIPTHONGAL SOUNDS
''will be indicated afterwards"
PRINCIPAL ABREVIATIONS USED:
Lat Latin.
Ger German.
Eng , English.
It . . Italian.
Fr French.
Sp Spanish.
Port Portuguese.
Br. . Brasilian.
Sing ' Singular.
PI Plural.
Pers. . Person.
Prep Preposition.
Adv , . Adverb.
Conj Conjunction.
Inter] Interjection.
Nom Nominative case.
Gen Genitive case.
Dat , Dative case .
Ace Accusative.
Abl . Ablative.
i e Id est (that is).
Adj Adjective.
Pron Pronoun.
Poss Possessive.
Lang Language.
Pref Preffix.
Sf. Suffix.
rad radical.
cf confer (compare).
lit literally.
ex: for example.
on , . onomatopaic.
BRASILIAN LANGUAGE
CHAPTER I
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGES
1. Glottology divides the numerous lan-
guages of the World, according to the peculiari-
ties of their grammatical structure, into three
classes : (1) Monosyllabic or Isolating ; ^Agglu-
tinative; (3) Inflectional or Polysyllabic .
These terms also represent three periods in
the growth of languages, that is to say, that
language, as an organism, may pass through
three stages, as follows: (*).
i 1 ) Dr. H, Morris, English Accidence, pag. a,
(I)
The monosyllabic period, in which, roots
are used, as words, without any change of form.
In this stage there are no prefixes or suffixes,
and no formally distinguished parts of speech.
The Chinese is the best example of a language
in the isolating or monosyllabic stage .
Every word in Chinese is monosyllabic;
and the same word, without any change of form,
may be used, as a noun, a verb, an adjective, an
adverb or & particle. Thus, ta, according to its
position in a sentence, may mean great, great-
ness, to grow, very much, very.
We cannot in Chinese (as in Latin) derive
from ferrum, iron, a new substantive ferra-
rius, a man who works in iron, a blacksmith ;
ferraria, an iron-mine ; and again, ferraria-
rius, a man who works in an iron-mine ; all this
is possible only in an inflected language. ( 2 )
In the languages of this last kind, the various
relations of thought are declared by means of
certain formative elements (suffixes and inflec-
( 2 ) Dr. R. Morris, English Accidence, pag. 2,
tions) joined to root or to theme, as we see in
the examples above.
In Chinese, on the contrary, such relations
are declared by the simple disposition of words
in the sentence. Thus, ngo ta mi, means
I strike thee, and mi ta ngd means, on
-the contrary, thou strikest me ; fu, father,
mu, mother, and fu-mu, parents (Fr. parents);
shi, ten, eul, two, and eut-shi, twenty; i. e:
two ten ; gin, a man, kiai, many, (collection,
assembly, etc.), gin-kiai, men; kuo, empire,
cung, middle (or midst), kiid-cung, in the em-
pire ; i. e: the word, cung, joined to a noun,
converts it into the locative case of the Indo-
European languages. ( 3 )
(2)
Q.~ The agglutinative period. In this
stage two unaltered, or scarcely modified roots
are joined together to form words; in these
compounds one root becomes subordinate to the
other, and so loses its independence : cf: man-
(3) Max. Muller, Science of Language.
4
kind, heir -loom, war -like, which are agglu-
tinative compounds.
So long as words keep their radical meaning,
the language remains in its first period, that of
roots .
But, since certain words, by losing their
original or etymological import, have become
mere signs of derivation, the language has
reached to its second period, that of desinences,
(terminations of word). ( 4 )
The greatest portion of the languages, spo-
ken in the World, remain in this second stage;
and all of them form the so-called Turanian-
group, which, in the present condition of science,
might give the explanation of most important
problems, if it were better studied by the liv-
ing philologists.
According to Prof. Townsend, this group of
tongues is found, first and last, to have rang-
ed from Norway almost to Behring's Straits ; ( 5 )
and according to the opinion of Mr . Miiller , it
embraces two great divisions : that of the North
that of the South.
(*) Max. Mullor, Science of Language, cit.
( e ) L. T. Townsond (Prof, in Boston Wnivcrsity) The Art of
Speech.
The former, called sometimes the Urdl-altaic,
is again divided into five sections: the languages of
the Totyguses, the Mongols, the Turks, the
Finns, the Samoyeds.
The latter, which occupies the South-part of
Asia, is also divided into four sections : the
Tamul, the dialects of Tibet and Bhotan, the
dialects of Siam and those of Malaca and
Polynesia.
With the group of the agglutinative lan-
guages are classed the African tongues, so-call-
ed atonic, the words of which are mostly form-
ed by means of prefixes, a characteristic, that
distinguishes them from the Ural-altaic tongues,
which, as a rule, do not admit of the root of a
word occupying the second place.
Still there must be considered, as belonging
to the same agglutinative group, the numerous
dialects or tongues of America ; and among these,
those, spoken by Brasilian savages, present
undoubtedly all the supposed essential charac-
teristics of an agglutinative language, as we
hope to prove beyond contest by our further
illustrations.
3. It is, certainly, too difficult for the lin-
guist to establish a distinct and uniform clas-
sification out of the speeches of those multitudes
6
of scattered races and tribes ; but it is just this
want of uniformity in their grammatical forms
or in their usages and applications, which con-
stitutes one of the fundamental reasons of this
group .
They are speeches of nomadic people and of
savages, and only, by this characteristic, they des
tin guishihemselves from the Aryan and Semitic
languages. In these two families of tongues,
Aryan and Semitic the majority of words
and their grammatical forms were produced, at
once, for all of them, by the creative force of
one generation ; and it would be very difficult
to abandon them, though their primitive clear-
ness had been obscured by further phonetic
alterations .
The transmission of a language in such con-
ditions would be only possible among people,
whose history flows, as a large river, and among
whom religion, laws and poetry serve, like dams,
to bound the current of speech .
But we know, that among nomadic people
there was never established a true nucleus of
political, social and literary institutions.
Their, so-called, empires were no sooner found-
ed, than they were scattered, like sand -clouds
in the desert : almost no laws, legends, stories
and songs have survived the generation, that
saw them rise ( 6 ) .
(3)
^. The inflectional period. In this stage
roots are modified by prefixes or suffixes, which
were once independent words.
In agglutinative languages the union of words,
says Dr. R. Morris, may be compared to mecha-
nical compounds, in inflective languages to che-
mical compounds.
I call period of flections, adds Prof. M. Miil-
ler, that one, in which roots are blended in such
a way, that none of them keeps a genuine and
total independence, as it is found in the Aryan and
Semitic families.
The first period does not admit of phonetic
alteration, at all.
The second period does not admit of such al-
teration in the principal root, but admits of it
in the secondary or demonstrative elements.
The third period admits of phonetic altera-
(6) Mr. Muller, w. cit.
8 .
tion, both in the principal root and in the desi-
nences (flections).
In most living languages we find traces of
all these processes, and thus are enabled to
see how one stage leads gradually to another.
Take, for example, the following.
He is like God, monosyllabic
He is God-like, = agglutinative. (*)
He is God-ly, = inflectional.
Mann ist frei, = monosyllabic
Er ist frei- mann, = agglutinative
Er ist frei-mannes (gen.), = inflectional.
By carefully inquiring, we should be able to
discover similar instances in the Romance -lan-
guages, although not so frequently, in relation
to the monosyllabic and agglutinative forms.
>. The very learned American linguist,
Prof. Whitney, in his important book Life
(*) Dr. Morris, book cit. pag. 3.
- C) -
and Growth of language, discussing on the
subject-matter, says, as follows :
Proceeding by analogy and taking, as a
starting point, the Indo-European languages, we
can state, that what the remaining languages
of the World may contain about the matter of
flections and of formative instruments, has
all been elaborated, as in these languages, from
the mass of a rude vocabulary, formed with
entirely concrete words, which constitutes the
primitive period of languages.
If, however, it were possible to demonstrate
the existence of languages, which were brought
forth at once, as inflectional; then, this opinion
should be renounced . But very rigorous proofs
would be required for making good such a de-
monstration .
Language is an instrument, and the law of
the simplicity of beginnings is applied to lan-
guages, as it is to any other thing.
Each root must have bagun by containing,
(as it is still noted, now-adays, in certain mo-
nosyllables under the character of interje-
ctions,) an affirmation, an idea, a question, an
order, etc., and the tone and the gesture or
the circumstances would complete their signi-
fication.
10
THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE
O. Among all languages, the Aryan or
Indo-European family is the only one, which
has been well studied by linguists, in the present
condition of our knowledge of the matter. This
preference of studies, which has brought forth
the best results to science, is quite justified by
the capital reason, that in that family of lan-
guage sare found the richest scientific and literary
monuments of the three classical languages of
mankind, Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin.
In relation to the study of the other languages,
Semitic, monosyllabic and agglutinative we
may affirm, that our scientific knowledge about
it is yet entirely unsatisfactory, and does not
enable the philologist to profer a conscientious
decision on the very important problem of their
reciprocal relations among themselves, and to the
Aryan family.
Leaving aside the group of isolating lan-
guages, represented by the Chinese and by the
Indo-Chinese, who lead their lives, separately
from other people; it is true, that the greatest
II
ignorance prevails, relating to the agglutinative
tongues, although these be spoken by innume-
rable nations in the five parts of the World.
The only circumstance, which may somewhat
excuse such a fault, is the lack of literary monu-
ments, that provoke the curiosity and wish to
know them .
T. By reading, sometimes, the best authors
on the subject, we have found frequent hypothe-
ses, the ones, suggested by mere logical indu-
ctions, the others, based on informations, not
well established, and most of them, wanting of
every scientific criterium. And although it may
seem strange to some, these facts, which came
under our observation, have constituted for us
the primary motive for writing the present ele-
mentary book .
In comparing the grammatical forms and the lo-
gical processes of some other languages, with the
usages and manners of the common speech of
Brasilian savages ; we arrived at the well esta-
blished conclusion, that in the uncultivated lan-
guage of these people, not only are there found
grammatical forms, used regularly and in accor-
dance with logical principles ; but also, that the
same language offers an evident confirmation of
the various hypotheses, which have been ad-
12
vanced by philologists, when intending to cha-
racterize the agglutinative family.
We have not yet any settled fact, relating to
the ethnographic origin of the Brasilian savages,
nor to the particular point of their primitive or
derived speech. No accurate inquiry or suc-
cessful investigation exists on this very impor-
tant matter.
It is, however, a fact of the easiest intuition,
that an immense result would issue for history
and science, if it were possible to prove, in a
satisfactory way : from what country these
millions of individuals who came to live in Ame-
rica emigrated ; in what century this great
event happened ; and what speech, what
religion, what degree of civilisation they have
brought with them to the lands of their new
abodes.
For want of these important data, the only
way to obtain some regular information, relating
to the language of our savage tribes, is, undoubt-
edly, to study and analyse their forms and
processes in the state and conditions, in which
they have come to our knowledge and actual
observation. As a guide, or as auxiliary instru-
ments, to such work, we have nothing more,
than those books of prayer or instruction, pre-
pared by missionaries, about four ou five gene-
rations ago, which have become in a great part
antiquated .
Words and their uses arise to meet some wants
of the time ; they disappear, when no longer
needed .
From all these circumstances it results, that
this elementary work will be framed from no
abundant materials ; and, therefore, not only it
will be of more difficult execution, but also, as
a natural consequence, not entirely satisfactory.
Notwithstanding, we hope to be able to avoid
every error in the statement of principles and
their dependent facts.
THE BRASILIAN LANGUAGE AND ITS POSITION
^. The Brazilian language exhibits itself
under an aspect, quite uncultivated. The people,
who speak it, do not possess, at the best, the
knowledge of the aphabetic signs; they are,
simply, savages, the most complete type of
human ignorance.
Nevertheless, by studying all the organism or
14
the structure of such savage speech, and making
rigorous analysis of its forms, used regularly in
the expression of thoughts ; it results, to envi-
dence, that it has passed the monosyllabic period,
and has kept itself, long since, in the agglutinative
stage, which is owing, perhaps, to the want of in-
dispensable culture, which enables it to reach the
richest stage of a language, that of inflection.
It is a fact sufficiently proved by experience and
by the existing writings on the subject, that the
morphology and the syntax of the Brazilian
language have been kept unaltered, since the
discovery of the country up to the present days.
The grammatical elements and forms in usage,
which, in this respect, were soon noted by the
missionaries, at the time of their catechising
among the savage tribes, so far back as the 16
century, are still almost identical with these,
which may be observed in the speech of the
remaining people of the same race.
It is certain, that the greatest alteration is
noted in its phonetic forms, and, consequently,
in its vocabulary which is, now, very different
from that of the times of the discovery and the
conquest of the country.
Besides the natural phonological laws, which
govern the frequent changes of every vocable;
i5
with respect to Brazilian savage people, there
occurred another circumstance, that ought to
influence and to increase this result, that is :
that these people were, in general, composed of
nomadic tribes ; and it is easy to imagine,
how gradually from differences of climate and of
natural scenery, from differences in the various
objects of perception, each day renewed, wha-
tever they might be, there should result diffe-
rences of speech, especially with respect to the
words, already in usage.
9. As a point, deserving especial remark,
we must declare, now, that in various instances
of usages of the Brazilian speech, there are
still found certain processes, pertaining to the
isolating period, as for example, the in-
variable place of words in a sentence, which,
as it is known, constitutes almost the entire
grammar of the languages of this kind. But
this circumstance, though important, is not
sufficient to decide against our opinion, given
before; because in Brazilian tongues are found
also all the other characteristics, which are,
generally, required in the very agglutinative
languages.
Agglutination, writes Mr. Muller, does
not mean only, that in the grammar pronouns
16
are, so to say, glued to verbs in order to form the
conjugation, or prepositions to substantives to
form the declension; because it would not be a
distinct character of nomadic tongues, only, for
both in Sanskrit and Hebrew the conjugation and
the declension were originally constituted, accor-
ding to the same principles.
But that which distinguishes the Turanian
languages (agglutinative) is, that the words,
which form their conjugation and declension, are
always susceptible of easy decomposition ; and
although in many cases the terminations keep
their modificative value, as independent words,
yet one sees, that these are modificative sylla-
bles, quite distinguished from the roots, to which
they are joined. ( 7 )
The hypotheses advanced by the very
learned linguist, M. Muller, are entirely identi-
cal with those, which Prof. Whitney has veri-
fied in the Scythic tongues, that he considered,
as a complete type of the agglutinative family.
By this term, adds Whitney, one means to
say, that the elements of several origins, which
compose the Scythic words and their forms are
( 7 ) Science of lung, oil,
17
less blended, less closely aggregated ; and that,
therefore, they keep themselves more indepen-
dent, than in the Indo-European languages.
The root, as a rule, remains invariable in
all derived words, and each suffix also keeps
its form and invariable application : and from
this results, on the one side, great regularity of
forms, on the other, great complication .
For instance, in Turkish, lar(ov ler) is the
form of the plural; to it are joined terminations
or par tide -suffixes, which form the cases of
the singular number, and there may still be
inserted pronominal elements, indicative of pos-
session ; thus: ev, house, ev-den, of a house;
ev-um-den, of my house ; ev-ler, houses ;
ev-ler-um-den, of my houses.
The verb presents an analogical and still
more striking example. There are a few modi-
fying elements , that may be inserted , either
isolated, or grouped in different ways, between
the root and the terminations, to express pas-
sivity, reflection, reciprocity, causality, nega-
tion, impossibility, etc.
The distinction between verbs and nouns is
not quite so original and fundamental, as in the
Indo-European languages. The words used, as
verbs, are scarcely distinguished from nouns, that
. i8
are used (predicatively , on their appearing com-
bined with subjects or possessive pronouns.
The Scythic adjective is deprived of flection*
like the English adjective; and there is the same
lack of gender in nouns and pronouns, as in
Persian.
Words, which indicate relations, and con-
junctions, are almost entirely unknown; the
combination of the terms of a sentence is made,
as is natural, wherein verbs aro not quite dis-
tinguished, by means of declensions and verbal
nouns. ( 8 )
Except this last observation, relative to
the words, which express relations and con-
junctions, which are very numerous in Bra-
zilian languages; we think, we are enabled to
affirm, that in this speech are clearly and,
perhaps, better realised all the characteristics,
that Mr. Whitney has reputed essential to
every agglutinative language.
From the clearly made analysis and the ex-
planations, which will be given in the following
chapters, we hope, the truth of our proposition
will be firmly established .
(8) Life & Growth of Lang. cit.
19
CHAPTER II
PHONETIC PRINCIPLES
1O A fact, generally noted by linguists, is
the rapidity or facility, with which the dialects
and tongues of people, deprived of literary monu-
ments, are altered or changed .
Literature serves, so to say, as the standard,
after which the spoken language is modelled in
order to be preserved in its integrity .
In relation to the savage tribes of Brasil,
the frequent change of their vocabulary was
one of the leading circumstances , which were
noted by the catechising missionaries, who, very
often, expressed their admiration at the fact, that
a dialect had undergone, within a short time,
after it was knwon, so many alterations, as to
become quite a different one.
They have observed, that the names of the
most common objects themselves, as, for in-
stance, father, son, etc, were, sometimes, so
much altered by pronunciation, that they form-
2O
ed different words, and, sometimes, were
replaced by synonyms of remote relation.
All this was, indeed, very natural.
One must not, says W. von Humboldt, con-
sider a language, as a dead product formed, once
for all : it is an animate being and ever creative.
Human thought elaborates itself with the progress
of intelligence ; and language is a manifestation
of this thought.
An idiom cannot, therefore, remain statio-
nary.
It changes, it develops, it grows up, it forti-
fies itself, it becomes old, and it reaches decre-
pitude.
11. According to these principles, it is rea-
sonable to admit, that there must be many
words, used among each class of the Brasilian
nomadic tribes, which were not understood by
the rest.
Besides this, simpler causes, such, for instance,
as result from the use of synonymous terms,
would be sufficient to produce radical word-
changes.
We know that, when there are several equiva-
lent terms in a language to express the same idea
or object, it is very common, that the dialects,
issuing from this language, select diversely,
21
among such equivalent terms, and, as a rule, one
of these becomes the prevailing one in one dialect,
another in another, to the neglect and loss of all,
but the one selected. (*)
We insist on this point, though sufficiently
proved by constant observation, as the funda-
mental reason, or the cause, that most con-
tributed to the formation of the numerous dia-
lects, which composed the Brasilian speech, at
the time of the discovery and conquest of the
country.
According to our humble opinion, all Brasilian
tribes spoke tongues of one general family, al-
though much altered by frequent phonetic chan-
ges, owing, principally, to the above-mentioned
causes.
Among the leading reasons, which enable us
to emit such a proposition on the nature of Brasi-
lian tongues, there exists one, that, as we think,
should be regarded, as of the most legitimate
inference, viz : that in all Brasilian dialects,
of which there are grammars and vocabularies,
some of which were composed, since the colonial
period, we find the greatest agreement in gram-
Townsond, hook cit.
22
matical forms. Especially, with respect to the
morphological and syntactical processes, their
identity is an evident fact, beyond all possible
contest.
SOUNDS AND LETTERS
1^. The letters of the Latin alphabet,
which may be used to represent the phonetic
elements of the Brasilian language, are the
following :
a, b, d, e, g, h, i, k, (=c, q,) m, n,
o> p, r, -s f ( = $,) t, u, x, y. ( 2 )
The letters f, j, 1, v, z find no employment in
this lang.
When we have well understood and compared
certain little discordances, which are found in
the authors, most of them owing to diversity of
characters, chosen, as representatives of sound,
for instance, the one having used the Spanish
alphabet, the other the German, another the
( a ) We call Latin alphabet in the state, wherein it passed to the
Romance languages.
23
Portuguese, and yet another, the French and so
on ; we can, rightly affirm, that the alphabetic
characters, above indicated, have been, as a rule,
considered sufficient and quite apropriate to the
phonetic usages of the Brasilian language. ( 3 )
Consonants
. We preferred this letter 5, instead of
before e, i, and g, which have been adopted
by some writers.
It is observed, that the hissing of s is contrary
to the savage's pronunciation. But we cannot
admit of such a reason, as a good one; because
it cannot be denied, that the syllables $0,, ce,
ci, have the same phonetic value, as, sa, se, si,
in Latin pronunciation.
Moreover, the s has in itself the advantage of
replacing the two characters Q, c, ( the latter
before e, i), and, therefore, it will be used in
this book, as representative of the sound c, in
the word city.
( 3 ) Cf:~ A. G. Bias, Diet. ofTupy Lang /Montoya, Arte, Vocabulary
and Treasury of G-uarany Lang ; Fignoira, Gram, of Brasil. Lang ;
Dr. Couto AJagalhaes, The Swage; Mamiapi, Gram, of the Kitiri
Lang., etc. etc.
24 -
G g, is only used, with a hard sound, before
a, o, u, as in the word garden. This letter
keeps the same sound in ending syllables, and
sometimes becomes nasal, as we shall see here-
after.
H h, before a vowel, is the sign of a soft aspi-
ration.
R r, has always a very soft sound, something
like the r in the French word faimerai, I will
love.
X co, is pronounced, like sh in the word she,
or the German sch. in the word schaf, sheep.
Y y, is used to represent a sound, like ii, as
the i consonant in Italian, or the German ; in
the words Jagd, J tiger, Jeder.
Nh. This compound sound is perfectly equi-
valent to the French gn in the word mignon,
delicate.
The other consonants, respecting which we
do not make any observation, will be pronounced,
as their correspondent ones in the English al-
phabet.
Ba, be, bo. These syllables, in some words,
are nasal, that is, they are pronounced, as if
they had an m before : =mba, mbe, mbo .
Na, ne, ni, no are, also, pronounced with
25
as strong a nasal sound , as if they had a d be-
tween the consonant and the vowel :=nda, nde,
ndi, ndo.
Vowels
A
1/5. a (unmarked) has the brief sound of the
Portuguese a in the preposition para = to and
for, or of the final a in the word America ;
ex: marika, the belly. In final syllables, this
short sound sometimes becomes almost undistin-
guishable, as : mendra, to marry.
d has a long sound, as the a of the Portuguese
word fado, fate, or of the a in father; en:
taud, the town.
d has a broad sound, almost like two aa ; ex:
para, the sea (or a large river); dbd, creature.
d has, finally, a nasal sound, like the Portu-
guese compound am ; ex: Tupa, God ; kunha,
woman.
e (unmarked) has a brief sound, sometimes
almost undistinguishable, like the e in the word
some ; ex: petima, tabaco ; modme, to arm.
26
e has the long sound of the French e in the
word ete, the summer ; ex: ike, here, kete, to
or for (prep.)
e has a sound, like the first e in the word
where ; ex : ipeka, the goose ; ete, much
(excellent) .
e has, finally, a nasal sound, as the Portu-
guese compound em ; ex: -hehe, yes.
i (unmarked) has a brief sound as in the word
ill; ex: ibdk, heaven.
? has the nasal sound of the Portuguese com-
pound in, ex : miri, small.
[ See j/, before. ]
o (unmarked) has the brief sound of the Portu-
guese o in final syllables, almost undistinguish-
able, as in the verb amo, I love ; ex : iocebo,
to me ; yo (particle, which expresses the reci-
procal action of the verb.)
- 27 -
6 has a long sound, almost u, as in the verb
to go, or rather in to prove ; ex : md (particle,
formative of active verbs) ; po,the hand.
6 has a sound, like the diphthong aw in the
word law ; ex : sokd, Brasilian bird ; ikd, to be,
(=Port. estar).
o has, finally, a nasal sound, as the Port, com-
pound on; ex: modd, to steal.
u (unmarked) has a short sound, like u in
full; ex: mu, brother.
u has a long sound, something like oo in
too (adv.) ex: tasuba, fever.
u has a very peculiar sound, something like
the German u, or rather the Greek u ; ex :
mura, wood.
This sound of u is, generally, represented by
the grammarians of the Brasilian language by t/,
which they have called the full i.
u has, finally, a nasal sound, like the Port,
compound um ; ex: pitiina, night (dark or
black.)
28
Diphthongs
. The principal diphthongs of the Bras,
lang. are the following :
It sounds, like the German diphthong ai in
Kaiser, the emperor ; ex : mairi, city.
An
It sounds like oio in the adverb now; ex:
aud, who ?
1:1
It sounds, just like the alphabetic sound of a,
in the word fate ; Qx:eima, spindle.
It has the sound of the Portuguese diphthong
eo in the words ceo, heaven ; veo, veil ; ex :
monbeu, to confess.
Oi
It has the sound of the Italian oi in the pro-
nouns noi, we; voi, you ; ex : mokoi, two.
Ui
It has the sound, which results from the two
short vowels u and i, being pronounced toge-
ther ; ex : pui, slight or delicate.
[ Wo fini in Brazilian words other examples
of two or even three successive vowels; but
they are, in general, pronounced distinctly, and,
so, do not make diphthongs or triphthongs pro-
perly so-called.]
TABLE OP THE ALPHABETIC SOUNDS
Consonants
Sharp
Flat
Aspirate
Nasal
Trilled
Gutturals.
Palatals..
Dentals . .
Labials . .
K=(c,q)
"D"
B
G
"T"
p
H
Y,X
S
Ng,Nh
N'/Nd
M, Mb
R
3o
Volwels
a
d
a
*)
e
e
e
e
6
d
u
\* :
u
u
n r See Kev t
) the mxonuiicia
lion and readim
f, . .. i
PHONETIC ALTERATIONS
1G- It is to be recollected, that the Brasi-
lian language is the speech of savage tribes,
destitute of every notion of letters and of their
representative value in pronunciation; and, the-
refore, it is unnecessary to premise, that we
are not able to state all the rules, which govern
the phonetic developments of their language.
Yet, by making a patient analysis of its vocabu-
laries, grammars and other literary informations
we could obtain ; we have come to ascertain in
this language some of the general principles,
which are of frequent application in its phonetics.
3i
For instance, although it is a language spoken
by savage people, as we said, it is liable to gene-
ral laws, which produce phonetic alterations ;
viz : greater facility of pronunciation, and
better harmony of sounds: the former, a
physiological principle ; the latter, a eupho-
nical principle.
From these two principles results, that har-
der sounds pass successively into softer, and
unpleasing sounds become sonorous or eupho-
nical.
So far as we can see in the matter, in the pho-
netic alterations of Brasilian languages, prevail
the following rules :
PERMUTATION OF SOUNDS
IT. The savage tribes of Brasil very often
confound certain consonants in pronunciation,
especially, when they belong to the same organ,
as p, m and b ; n, and d; r, s and t.
It is also necessary to note, that the most fre-
quent changes take place in the processes of
agglutination (composition and derivation by
32
prefixes, and suffixes, or juocta-position ) ;
ex: Tdpe = Taba, town, + pe, = sup, (prep.)
to, to the town ; moraukepe morduke,
work, labor, -f- pe = yepe, one or the first,
Monday, that is, the first working-day.
When the pronouns of the first and
second persons sing. xe =se, (Tand my) ;
ne = re, (thou and thy) are followed by some
word beginning with t, this is changed into r ;
ex: tatd, fire, se or xe-rata, my fire ; tuba,
father, ne-ruba, thy father.
1O. If the possessive pronoun i, his, her
and whose, etc., is followed by a word, begin-
ning with s, this is changed into x; ex: Siyra,
aunt, i-xiyra, his or her aunt; Siy, mother,
i-xiy, her or his mother ; sd, to go, i-xd, his
going ; sui, of, i-ocui, of him or of her ; supe t
to, i-xupe, to him, etc.
33
(o)
. When, however, the s is preceded by
another vowel of different sound, it is frequently
changed into r, ex: Sdua, h&\Y, se-raua, my
hair ; re-rdua, thy hair ; saisu, to love,
Tupa raisu, to love God.
Nasal sounds are very frequent in Brasi-
lian speech; and, as a general rule, when a
preceding vowel is nasal, the following must
also be nasal ; ex :
Naha, that, amo, other ; naha-amd, that
other. As it is seen, the a of amo becomes
nasal, because of the a of naha.
SUPPRESSION AND ADDITION OF LETTERS
(1)
. Aphoeresis. Sounds (letters) are dropt,
very frequently, in the beginning of words.
Accent plays an important part in these chan-
ges ; unaccented syllables, ivhich precede the
accented one, are the most liable to drop off.
- 3 4 -
Take, for example, the following :
Urdpdra, bow,=murdpdra; murd, (wood)
-I- pdra, to bow, bowed or crooked) ; pe, (prep,
corresponding to the dative and locative case,)=
supe, in, or to ; ne or re (pron.) = ine or ire,
thou or thy; xe (pron.)= ixe, I or my, etc. etc.
QQ. Syncope. There also are found various
instances of letters dropt in the body of words,
most usually in the agglutination of roots with
suffixes or prefixes ; ex : tauasu, a hog, =
tanhaudsu (tanha, tooth + uasu, long) ; koatia-
sdba, painting, = koatidra, -h sdba ; kameri-
kdra, a kneader, = kamerike + dra [as, 39] .
?. Apocope. The suppression of letters in
the end of words is most generally noted in un-
accented syllables ; ex : akdn, the head , =
akdnga; men(d)dr, to marry, =menddra;
pdtdr, to wish, =potare ; etc. etc.
Prothesis. Letters, as a rule, are added
at the beginning of a word, to produce a nasal
or more euphonical sound; ex : mbae, thing,
=bae; ikatu-rete, very good, = katu, good +
ete, much or very; imura, wood, = mwra;
epya, the heart, =pya; epo f the hand, = pd.
35
Epenthesis. As exam pies of addition of
letters to the body of a word, we are only able
to present the cases, in which some euphoni-
cal letters are used to be intercalated, either
between the root and the suffix, or between the
personal prefix and the verb. These cases are,
indeed, very numerous; but regularly depending
on certain rules.
- Thus, in the verbs, which begin with one of
these syllables ra, re, ro, ru is intercalated the
suffix gue, between the personal prefix (*) and the
verb in the third person sing, of the Present
Indicative ; ex : oca raso, 1 carry ; re-raso, thou
carriest ; o-gue-raso, he carries ; etc.
- In many other instances it is found, that a
word ending in a vowel and followed by an-
other, beginning, likewise, with some vowel, one
euphonical letter is also intercalated, most
commonly an r ; ex. : se, my, oka, house ;
se-(r)oka, my house; ne, thy, oker, to
sleep, ne (r)oker, thy sleeping, etc.
S6. Epithesis. It can be affirmed, that the
addition of letters at the end of words are, either
modifying elements, as suffixes and preposi-
tions, or some distinct words by juxta- position.
(*) Soc in Uio a. 85 what means personal prefix.
CHAPTER III
PARTS OF SPEECH
. In order to give a more complete infor-
mation about the grammatical forms and pro-
cesses of the Brasilian language, we will treat
of each class of words, separately.
According to their distinct functions in a sen-
tence, the words of this language may be arrang-
ed under the following headings :
(1) Noun.
(2) Adjective.
(3) Pronoun.
(4) Verb.
(5) Preposition (rather, Postposition).
(6) Adverb.
(7) Conjunction.
(8) Interjection.
All of them are indeclinable.
There is no article, definite or indefinite.
-37-
ACCIDENCE OR THE FORMS OP WORDS
. The changes, which words undergo to
mark case, gender, number, comparison, tense,
person, etc. are called inflections.
The inflection of nouns, adjectives and pro-
nouns is called declension; when applied to
verbs, it is called conjugation.
In the inflectional languages, as Sanskrit,
Greek, Latin, etc, the various relations, which
a word may express in a sentence, are indicated
through different changes in the ending-syllable
of the word.
Thus, in order to declare the various rela-
tions, in which the word God may appear in
a sentence, as :
God is love ;
God's love or love of God ;
love to God ;
oh! God;
to love God;
love comes from God, etc ; in such a
language as Latin, for instance, all of them
could be plainly expressed in this way :
38
Deus (nominative.)
Dei (genitive.)
Leo (dative.)
Deum (accusative . )
Deus (vocative.)
Deo (ablative.)
If, instead of these logical relations, we had
to express the gender, the number and the com-
parison (degree of quality) of a noun, it would
be, likewise, sufficient to change only the no-
minal inflection, as, for ex:
Deus, God, Dei, Gods ;
Vir, a man, Viri, men ;
and so also :
Deus, God, Dea, Goddess ;
jffiquus, horse, JEqua, mare; eto.
fO. In the modern European languages,
as German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
and Portuguese, although of the same stock,
as the Greek and Latin, but not so thoroughly
synthetical them selves, and which are, therefore,
called analytical languages, the various ideal
relations of nouns in a sentence are expressed
by the use of prepositions, whilst the other
relations of gender and number, etc, continue,
in a great many instances, to be destinguished
likewise, by nominal inflections ; ex :
- 3 9 -
It. sing, amico, friend, plur. amid,
friends; sing, figlia, daugther, plur. figlie,
daugthers ; cf :
Fr. sing, ami, plur. amis;
Sp. & Port. sing, amigo, plur. amigos;
Fr. sing, fille, plur. filles ;
Sp. sing, hija, plur. hijas ;
Port. sing, filha, plur. filhas.
The letter s , which we find in English,
French, etc., replaces the inflection of the ori-
ginal coses.
Gender is equally indicated, in many in-
stances, by regular inflections, which distin-
guish the masc. & fern; ex :
Ger. Gott, masc. (God) ; Gottin, fern .
(Goddess) ;
It. amico, masc., arnica, fern.; cf :
- Fr. ami, masc., amie, fern.;
Sp. & Port, amigo, masc., amiga, fern. etc.
[The Italian words ' 'given as examples"
have the same meaning, as those
taken from the other languages ; and
so, it is unnecessary to repeat the
corresponding translation in English
to each example.]
40
Gender, number and case of nouns
3O. Such changes at the end of nouns,
as the aforesaid of the Indo-European languages,
are entirely unknown in Brasilian languages,
the morphology of which is governed by quite
different principles .
Nouns are always invariable ; and, therefore,
number, gender and case can be only expressed
by adding some especial words, called forma-
tive elements or suffices .
*fcl. Gender. In the Brasilian speech the
distinction of gender is only applied to living
objects; and can be marked in two regular ways :
either by different words, designating each one
sex, or by the use of postpositive words, which
mean essentially the male and the female.
(*) By distinct words, for each sex; ex:
Apegdua, man, kunha , woman ;
Mu, brother, render a, sister ;
Tuba, father-, siy, mother; etc., etc.
(*) By postpositive words; ex :
Idudra-apegdua, the dog; Idudra kunha,
the bitch ;
Taplr-apegaua, the ox; Tapir-kunha, the
cow ; etc., etc.
, The latter way of marking the gender
is also used in the modern European languages,
when the names of animals are epicene, as
for ex:
It. aquila maschio, a male eagle, aquila
femmina, a female eagle;
and likewise :
Port, aguia macho, aguia femea, etc, etc.
In English the process of agglutination in this
respect is kept in its original form ; ex :
He-goat and she-goat ; man-servant and
woman or maid-servant, etc.
The only difference of the English form con-
sists in placing the demonstrative of gender
before noun, and not after, as in the Brasilian
language .
&. -Number. Nouns may be applied to
one or more objects, and this constitutes the
singular and the plural.
In the Brasilian language the plural is express-
ed by the use of a postpositive particle eta,
which means in itself a collection or multitude
of things ; ex :
Oka, a house, oka-eta, houses ;
Anama, a relative or friend, anama-etd,
some relatives or friends ;
Apegdua, a man, apegaua-etd, men.
42
It must be added, that the suffix ta is un-
doubtedly the same word seta (by aphoeresis)
which means multitude, or great quantity, as a
noun, and many or several, as an adjective.
4t. Cases . The noun being always in-
variable, as we said before, in the Brasilian
language, there cannot be of course such in-
flections, as the cases, to express ;the various
ideal relations of the words in a sentence.
These relations are only expressed by means
of prepositions, which are always placed after
noun, and, therefore, might rather be called
postpositions .
From this general rule we must except the
possessive case (genitive), which is expressed, as
in English, by placing the name of the possessor
before that of the object possessed.
In the folio ving table we give a complete illus-
tration of cases :
Norn. Deus Goi =TupcC
Gen. Amor Dei God's love or love of God=T 'upa-saisu
Dat . Deo to God =Tupa supe
Ac. Deum God =Tup&
Abl . Deo from God ^^Tud sui
- 4 3 -
The especial relation, which is expressed in
Latin by the so-called, ablativus de materia^
is equally expressed in the Brasilia n language
by the same process, as the possession; ex :
Oka, house, itd, stone, ttd-oka, a house made out
of stone, or a stone-house.
Diminutive and augmentative
In the Brasilian speech, no diminutive
nouns, properly so-called, are found, as eaglet,
gosling, etc ; they are, however, expressed,
either by means of suffixes, or by regular adjec-
tives, placed after the noun modified .
The only suffix, which denotes diminuition
is y or i, and the adjective, used with the same
signification, is miri, small ; ex:
Pira, fish, pirdy, or pird-miri, a small fish;
Putyra, flower, putyra-mirt, a small flower.
The suffix i or y seems to be a contracted
form of the same adjective mirl : [See Aphoa-
resis,
The augmentative is, likewise, formed
by an especial adjective, placed after the noun.
This adjective is turusu, great, large or broad,
44 -
which, according to euphonical principles, takes
the forms asu, osu, uasu, goasu ; ex :
Pird, fish, pird-uasu, a big fish ;
Para, the sea, pard-goasu, the Ocean, that
is, a broad sea.
DERIVATION AND FORMATION OF NOUNS OR ADJECTIVES
3T. The primary elements and signi-
ficant parts of words are called roots. A root
or radical is that part of a word, which cannot
be reduced to a simpler or more original form.
According to their origin, roots are, either pre-
dicative or demonstrative . (*)
These terms correspond to the expressions
verbal and pronominal roots, used by the learn-
ed linguist, F. Bopp. ( 2 )
The root may be modified by endings, called
suffixes, which form derivatives, as, rich-fo/ ; by
particles, placed before the root, called prefixes,
(*) Dr. Morris, English Gram.
( 2 ) Bopp. Gram. Comparie des laug. Indo-Europeennes v. 1.
- 4 5 -
as, for -bid, tm-true ; two words may be placed
together to form compound-words, as, black-
bird. ( 3 )
All these processes, in the formation of words,
we find operating in the Brasilia n language.
Although we are not quite able to distin-
guish and explain the roots of many words of
this speech; yet, we hope to present numerous
examples, which shall illustrate the subject-
matter .
Noun-suffixes
3^. Aba or aua (usually with a s, as,
saba, saua) means the place, or the mode, and,
sometimes, the time and the instrument of an
action ; ex :
Moseroka, to baptize, moseroha-sdua, the
occasion, or the place of the baptism (baptistery);
Katu, good, katus aba, goodness ;
Moete, to respect or to venerate, moetesa-
ba, respect or veneration ;
Petybon, to help, petylon-sdba, help, or
assistance, etc.
Dr. Morris, clt.
3O. Ara or uad (sometimes, also, preceded
by an 5,) joined to verbal root, means the actual
agent or subject of an action ; it corresponds to
the Latin participles in ans and ens, as, amans,
regens; ex :
Moseroka-sdra, or moseroka-uad, the person
who baptizes.
At othertimes, it means the action itself, as the
English Present Participle, as, for instance,
the thinking persons, (who think) and also the
act of thinking ; ex :
Morypdra (moryb = toryb, to caress), a
loving man, or the act of loving itself.
/4LO. Bora or pora (b = p) means: (1) a
person who lives or exists habitually in a place,
or doing the same thing or office; (2) an object na-
turally contained in, or depending on another; ex :
(1) Kaa, wood, kaapdra, who lives always
in the wood;
Mbasy, sickness, mbasy-bdra, a diseased
man ;
Mondd, to steal, monddpdra, a robber;
(2) Monde, prison, mode-pdra, a prisoner ;
NamT, ears, nami-pdra, ear-ring.
* Py, foot, pij-pora, a foot-step.
4E1. Rama or arama (joined to the radical
of a transitive verb) forms verbal adjectives,
- 47
which correspond to the Latin participles in rus,
as, amaturus ; ex :
Saisu, to love, saisurama, about to love.
If the root is of an intransitive verb, the verbal
adjectives correspond to the Latin participles in
dus, as, amandus ; ex :
Yopueka, to revenge oneself, Yopueka-
rdma, about to be revenged. Rama is a
postposition = to or for .
4t^. Yma, joined to any predicative root,
noun or adjective, expresses the want or lack of
the object contained in the word ; ex:
Sesd, eye, sesd-yma, blind;
Katu, good, katu-yma, bad, that is, without
goodness ;
Moserokaudra, a baptised man, moseroka-
udra-yma, a man not baptised;
Akanga, the head, akanga-yma, decapi-
tated .
^Si. Oera (often with some euphonical
letter, before) joined to verbal roots, means a past
agent, the person who has exercized an action
in a past time; ex :
Kapik, to comb , kapikoera, the person
who has combed .
The same suffix, joined to noun, modifies it in
two particular ways; either converting the noun
into an adjective, or making it express a thing,
which existed once in a different mode or in
better condition ; ex :
(1) Soerum, jealousy or distrust, soerum-
oera, a jealous o? distrustful man ;
(2) Akanga, the head, akang-dera, the
skull of a dead man ;
Pt, the skin of a living animal, pire-
ra, the skin, which has taken from a killed
animal.
Taba, a village, tapera (p = b) a ruined
and abandoned village.
<&<.. Oar a or udra, (joined to the original
form of a verb) forms the Past Participle ; it cor-
responds to the English (e)d; ex: moseroka-
odra, the baptised person ; iukd, to kill, iukd-
udra the killed man ; etc.
[The letters withinQin a word are mere eupho-
nical sounds , which aro very frequently
used in the processes of derivation and word-
formation of Brasilian languages.]
<&. We have just indicated the suffixes,
most commonly used in the Tupy dialect, almost
all. of which are still in use, now-adays.
In old language, Tupy Guarany, we
find many other formative words, the most of
49
which, either were totally antiquated, or are
now very rarely employed.
For the better understanding of some deriva-
tive or compound-words, we will present several
instances of those other suffixes :
Aba, means creature , an human being.
Bae or mbae, means thing the
Latin res. When joined to verbal roots, it forms
the Present Participle. Besides , this bae
is the same demonstrative root ae, which
serves, now, as the pronoun of the third person
singular.
Pyra, joined to the radical of verbs, has
the same meaning, as the suffix ndra, we have
spoken of before, [no. 44].
AGGLUTINATION OF WORDS
ML Ae (a demonstrative) he, she, it,
they, this, these, that, [those, etc.
Aebae ((b)ae, the same), himself, herself,
themselves, etc.
The savage repeats the word to give greater
energy to its meaning or his affirmation.
4
5o
Ae-sui (sui, prep.), from there, from that
place.
Aekety (kety-to), to that place.
Aerame fnzme=when), then, at that time.
Aerese (rese = from or for), for this, or
therefrom.
Aerire (rire = after), after that or there-
after.
Aerire-miri f^rn're small, little) , soon after.
4T. Bad. Ar, to be born, to occur, to hap-
pen, to appear, or to fall, etc.
Ara, time, day, hour, occasion, and also
the World.
Araaybaete (ayba = bad, -+- ete, much),
storm. This word ayba is pronounced some-
times, as auba and ayua.
Arahatu (katu = good), opportunity.
Arakud (kud = the waist) , at noon .
Arosu (dsu=gre&t, much), to fall or to grow
plentifully.
Ara-(Y)angaba, watch or clock; (ang, spirit
or life, + aba, thing ; = a thing possessing the
life of time).
Ar, used as suffix: to take or the act of
taking .
Ara (ara=idra), the agent, one who does
an action in the present time .
5i
^-the owner, the actual possessor of some
thing-.
Ibytuar (ibytu, wind) to fall the wind.
Ayurdr (ayur, the neck) , to take by the
neck.
Mar-aar, (mara=mbaasy, a pain or ache),
to fall sick or to catch sickness.
Podr (po, a hand), to take or to catch by
the hands.
Puar (pu QYpy, the foot) , to catch by the feet.
Pituar, (pitu=pituna, night), to grow dark
or night,
Tekoar (tehd, custom or manner), to imi-
tate or to take the manners of another.
Teoar, (ted, death or the act of fainting), to
die, or rather, to decay, to fail.
Tapeydra (ta = taba, the town -+- peyara,
the pratical man) , who knows the way to
the town, the head, the chief or guide.
<&&. Ral Ibyipi/, the land (earth), origin,
beginning, etc.
Ibykodra (kodra, a hole), ditch, grave, etc.
Iby-kety (hety = toward), downward.
Ibijoka (oka, house), a wall, a thing made
out of land.
Ibypeba (peba, long or flat), a tract of
low lands.
D2
Ibyrete (the r is a euphonical letter, 4- ete,
much), main-land.
Ibype {(pe = in, prep.), down, on the soil,
the ground.
Ibijriri (rirT, to shake), an earthquake.
Ibytyra (atyra, a heap), a hill or mount.
Ipysuigodra (sui, prep. = from , -f- godra
z=ara, byProthesis, an agent), original, native
or primitive.
>O. M. Ibdk, (also written ludk),
heaven, the firmament, the atmosphere.
Ibaketinga, (tinga, white), clouds, snow.
Ibakepora (pora, somebody ), who lives in
heaven .
Ibdkepe-o-so (pe = to, prep, -j- o-so =
he goes), salvation, i e: who goes to
heaven.
Ibakepetoryba (loryba, merry), the celes-
tial glory, i e: merry in heaven.
^O. M Ig, (also written If/), water.
Igdba (aba, suffix), lime, a thing within the
water .
Igdra (dra, suffix), a canoe.
Igapo (apo, spread), marshy,
Iggatu (gatu=katu, good), fresh water,
Igsererusdba (sereru = sareru, to flow, to
, suffix), a channel
Igkodra (kodra,'a hole), a fountain.
Igyusei (yusei, wanting), thirsty.
Igotii (tu, onomatopaic, = imitating the
noise of the fall of water), an waterfall.
Igtykir (tykir, onomatopaic, the drip-drip
of falling water), a drop.
51. Ell Pe, way, track, path, etc.
Pekoameeng (koameeng,to show or declare),
to guide.
Peijara, ( (y) dra=dra, suff. ), a pratical
man, a guide.
Peosu (osu, great, large), a road.
Peku, long .
Perupy (rupy, prep."= through), - - by the
way.
dS Bad. P6, the hand, a finger, etc.
Poahanga (akanga, the head, or the end of
the hand), the fingers.
Pdahanga-osu (see osu), the thumb.
Pddi, to beckon.
Poapem, the nail "of a finger or toe".
Podpar (dpar, crooked, tortuous), crippled
or lame.
Poapyka, the fist.
Popytera, (pytera, middle, the central portion
of a thing), the palm.
Pook (ok=to take), to pick up the fruit.
- 5 4 -
- Raft, pya, the heart.
Pyakatu (katu, good), of good manners,
peaceful.
Pyakatu-rupy (rupy, prep.= by), obliging
man, or affability.
Pyakatusaba, frankness, kindness.
Pyaosu, (osu= great), courage, audacity.
Pya~yl>a, (yba = auba, bad, cruel), bad
affliction or rage .
Pyubarupy, (rupy=by or for), furiously.
&4L. Bid. Sdba = rdba, the human
face.
S6ba(si)pyra (pyra = atyra, a heap), the
front.
Sdbasy (sy =asy, to be in pain), spleenful!,
or sorrowful,
Sobauba (ub= auba, bad), pale.
Sobaosu (osii, great), frown, or ugly coun-
tenance.
Sdbapeteka (peteka, a blow), a slap.
Sobapokeka (pokeha, to wrap), to muffle
oneself up.
^^. M Teko, mode, rule, custom, state,
or condition, etc.
Teko-asy (asp, which causes pain), rigour.
Tekdayba (ayba, bad, cruel, etc.), torment,
prison, peril, etc.
55
Tekdayba-goara (goara = ara, agent),
the guilty.
Tekoayba-moapir (mo = to make or cause,
--pyr=pyre, more), to aggravate the guilt.
Tekdayba-pora (seepdmj, the condemned
to punishment.
Tekdkatu (= good state), peace.
Tekomonha (monha,to make), to constitute, to
state.
Tekdpdranga (poranga, beautiful), good
fortune or success.
Tekdpoai (poxi, bad), vice.
Longer -agglutinative words
. M. Aba, creature, human being.
Abd-angaypdba-osu-ete, an tyrant, a cruel
man. (Aba, creature, + ang, the soul or
the spirit of man, -\-ayp = ayba, bad, evil, -\-ba
~dba, suffix meaning thing, -\-osu, great,
+ et, very or very much ; literally, = a
man of too great bad soul.
Abdkuduayma, a foolish or silly man.
56
(Aba,- creature,-}- kuduba,^- learning, -\-yma,
without ; lit. =a man without learning.
Abdmenda-sdrayma,& bachelor, unmarried.
(Aba (as before) + menda = menddra, to
marry, -\-sara = dra, an agent, 4- yma, not,
without ; lit.=a man married not.
Abdoba-monhangdra, a tailor. (= Aba (as
before) -+- oba, clothing, -+- monha, to make,
+ dra, an agent; lit. a man who makes clo-
thing.
Abdp6robebya(r)yma, a proud or an arro-
gant man. ( Aba (as before ) -f- poro, so-
mebody, a person, 4- be pe, (prep.) to, -\-bya
=pya, heart, + yma, without; lit. a man
without heart to anybody.
Abdpdroiukdsdra, an assassin or murderer.
(Aba (as before) -f- poro (idem) -j- iukd, to
kill,+ (s)dra, an agent ; lit, a man who kills
some body.
Abd-Tupa-moetesdra, a religious man.
(Aba (as before) -f- Tupa, God, -f- moete, to
venerate, -f- (s)ara (as before) ; lit. = a man
who venerates God. And again: Aba-Tupa-
moetesara -yma, an unbelieving, an atheist.
Abaybaosu, a destoyer. (Aba (as before) +2/fo
= aijba, evil,+ osu, great; lit.=a great maker
of evils.
- 57
2T. M. ltd, stone, iron or metal, in general .
Itdpomonde (po, hands, -}-monde, prison),
manacles.
Itd(r)ete (ete, very or excellent), steel.
Itd-Tupa-sui (Tupd sui, from God), an
aerolite, a stone which has fallen from
God.
Itdbaboka (baboka.onomsLtopaic word),
millstone.
Itdbebui (bebui, light, puffy) the pumice
stone.
Itdkantim(kantim,3i peak, or sharp-pointed),
boar-spear, pike.
Itd(g)oasu (see oasu), a rock.
Ita-yua (yello r metal), - money.
Itd-yua-ydra or Itdyubaydra, (*) (ydra,the
owner), a rich man.
Itdyubareru ( reru, a vessel ), treasury, a
coffer.
Itd-nimbo ( nimbo = inimo, a thread ),
brass -wire.
Itdpeba (peba, flat), a plate of metal.
Itdpeku (peku, long) a lever, an iron -bar.
Itdpua (pua, standing up or erect), a nail.
(*) In very numerous instances the b is found instead of M, and
erciprocally.
58
Kal Mura, wood, or tree.
Muradka (aha, a point or peak) , a
branch.
Mura-bdka, spinning wheel, made out of
wood.
Murakambi/ (kamby = akdmbi/, the groin,
i e: the angular curve between the legs), a
pitch- fork.
Murakorera, brushwood.
Mura-y (y, diminutive), sprig, or stick.
Murapeba (peba, flat), a board.
Murapehu (peku, long), a long wood.
Mura(r)akanga (akanga, the head), the
shoots.
Murayra (yra, honey), bee honey, i e:
honey of wood.
^O. Mopya (mo, to do or to make do, -4-
pya, heart.) [53, QG]
Mopya-ayba,, to aggravate, to offend, to
make one be sorrowful.
Mopya-katu, to console, to make one be
satisfied .
Mopyd-katuaba-pupe, (pupe, prep. = in or
within), to please, to be pleased.
Monha or monhang, - to make, to fabri-
cate or to create.
Monhangdba, fabric, factory, etc .
-5 9 -
Monhangdra , working-man , a manu-
facturer .
Yemonhang, to grow, to prosper ; ( ye,
(particle) . [ See no. OT].
Moyemonhang, to ingender, to generate.
OO. M. Nhee or nheeng, to speak, to
discuss, to talk, to converse, etc.
Nheeng-dyba, (ayba, bad), to injure, to de-
fame, or to reproach .
Nheeng ai/ba- ete, (ete, very, much, too),
to slander, to curse.
Nheeng -s 'ant an , (santan, loud), to
speak loud .
Nheeng -sese, (sese rese, prep., by),
to bind by word, to bespeak,
Nheeng-ete, (ete, much, excellent, etc.),
to speak with power or authority.
Nheenga, speech.
Nheengaidra (idra, owner, an agent),
interpreter .
Nheenga-o-meeng, (omeeng, to give), to
promise, to compromise oneself.
Nheengapora-poranga (pora-poranga, nice
or fine thing), gallantery, corteous behaviour,
polite address.
Nheenga-poxi (poxi, evil), obscenty.
Nheeng dr (dr, to take), to sing.
- bo
Nheenga-sdra, a singer.
Nheengaba, a song.
Ol. M. Nitio, intio, ti or ni, no, not,
nor.
Nitiokangaba, the immensity ; ( kang =
akanga, head, top, + aba, thing) ; = a thing
without head or end.
Nitio-paya-oae, an orphan ; ( pay a, a
corruption of the Port, word pde = father,
+- oae, he or she ; = a person without father.
Nitiogoasu ( goasu, great, difficult, etc., ),
easy.
Nitio(g)oata-oae, ( (g)oatd,to walk or to be
in motion ), immovable.
NitiO-iapysa-oae (iapysa, to ear ), a deaf
man.
Nitio-iporoae (ipor = poro , something re-
siding within), unoccupied, hollow.
Nitiomdme (m&me, where), no-where.
Nitio-posanga (posanga, medicine), irreme-
diable.
Nitio-posy (posy, heavy), light, slight.
Nitio-oiko-katu, to behave badly; ( oiko=
to be, -f- hatu, good, = to be not well).
OS-. Pana, corruption of the Portuguese
word panno, cloth.
Pana-ayba, clout, rags.
6i
Pdna-monhangaba, (aba, suffix , meaning
the place, the instrument of the action),
weaver's-loom .
Pana-morihanyara, a weaver, the maker
of cloth .
Pana-peteka (pete'M, to beat) , a washing-
woman, who beats the cloth, in washing it.
B3. Ral. Tupa or Tupdna, God.
Tupdberdba (berdb, to light), a light-
ning.
Tupd-iande-reko-bebe-meengara, Provi-
dence; that is, God who gives to us the mode
of living.
Tupd-nheenga (see nheenga), the Gospel.
Tupd-nheenga-kotiasdra (kotiasdra, who
discribs or paints), an evangelist.
Tupd-nheenga-o-mosem (o-mosem, to pu-
blish) , a preacher .
Tupd-uatd (uatd, to walk), a religious
procession.
Tupd(r)oka (oka,' house), -church.
Tupd-oka-mir? (miri, small), a niche.
Tupd-rokdra (rokdra or okdra, street or
a line of houses), church-yard.
Tupd-potdba (potdba, a present), alms.
Tupdratd (raid = tatd, fire ),- purgatory,
place of punishment.
62
Tupdrai/ra (raijrat=tayra, son), a Christian,
a son of God.
Tupareko (rekd=tekd, law, precept, etc.),
religion .
Tupa-reUd-yabisaba, (yabisaba, error),
superstition .
Tupareko-monhangdra, blessed, that is :
Tuparehd, religion, + monhangara, who
exercises or makes ; a man who practises the re-
ligion .
Tapa-yi or Tupa-yg (yg, water), holy
water.
Tapanar (ar, to take), to communicate, to
receive the Sacrament.
e^ Ml. Tdtd, fire.
Tatd-ar, (ar, to bring forth, to take, etc.),
to set on fire, or to take fire .
Tatd-berdb, flames.
Tatd-(g}oasu, (<Km^ great), a stove or bon-
fire.
Tat amir?, (miri, small), a spark of fire.
Tatdpunha, live coaL
Tatapunha-osu, a fire-brand,
Tatdrendy, (rendy, to shine), light, illumi-
nation.
Tatdtinga (tinga, white) smoke, i e : white
fire.
63
Tatdtinga-monha (monha, to make), to
smoke or to be smoking.
O^. Rad. Yuru, the mouth.
Yuruayba (ayba, bad), slanderous.
Yurukanheme ( kanheme or kanhumo, to
disappear), to be silent, or to grow dumb.
Yuruiai (idi, interg. of admiration), to
wonder, to gaze.
Yuruyib (yib = moryib, to caress), civility,
courtesy.
Yuruosu (osu, great ), foul mouthed, hard-
mouthed (horse).
Yurupoxi (poxi, bad), the same, as yuru-
ayba.
Yurure, to ask, to beg, to pray.
Yurure-katu (katu, good), to intreat.
Yururesese (sese = rese, by or for) , to
intercede .
Yurure-rure (frequentative, rure=yurure,
to pray), to insist, to urge.
Yurure-rure-hatu, (katu, good), to pray
humbly.
Yurure (s)aba, a petition, deprecation.
Yururesara, one that is always begging .
Yuruseem (seem, sweet), civil, corteous,
affable; i, e: sweet mouth.
64
ONOMATOPAIC WORDS
OC. In the Brasilian language are, cer-
tainly, numerous words created by onomatopoeia ;
and we offer, as examples, the following :
Akaua, a bird, which, when singing, re-
peats this word .
Ae, this or that, and there (the voice of
one, who indicates a thing).
BeM, to fly, (the beating of wings) .
Guene, to vomit ( = the noise of one who
vomits) .
lau-ara, dog, (=idu, the barking, -+- ara y
suffix, an agent, etc.)
Mobaboli, to grind, (babok, the crack of the
cane crushed in the sugar-mill).
Moposok, to shake a liquid (water) within
a vessel.
Mopok, to break, (pdk,=thQ cracking of
something, which is broken up) .
Mosdk, to to dig up, (sdk, the blow of a
thing pulled violently).
Motdk, to beat, (the sound of a blow).
Piocana, cat, (the cry of a cat.)
65
Pipik, to sprinkle, (the sound of splashing
water) .
Tata, fire, (the crackling of flames).
Yuru-karu (yuru, mouth, + karu, the noise
of mastication), to ruminate .
CHAPTER IV
ADJECTIVES
. In most of the modern languages of the
inflectional group, adjectives, in the same way, as
nouns, have different forms of endings (flections),
according to the gender and number of the sub-
stantives, with which they agree in a phrase or
sentence .
The Romance languages, principally, still pre-
sent almost the same inflections, corresponding
to the gender, as they were in Latin, from which
they are derived .
Take, for instance, the following :
Latin bonus, masc.; bona, fern.; bonum,
neutr. (good,)
66
Italian buono, masc.; buona, fern.; (there
is no neuter gender . ) ( 4 )
French bon, masc.; bonne, fern.; (there is
no neuter gender.)
Spanish bueno, masc.; buena, fern.; (there
is no neuter gender . )
Portuguese born, masc.; bda, fern. ; (there
is no neuter gender.)
Latin totus, masc. ; tota, fern . ; Mum, neuter,
(the whole).
Italian tutto, masc.; tutta,fem.; (the neuter
wanting) .
French tout, masc.; toutte, fern, (the neuter
wanting) .
Spanish todo, masc. ; tdda, fern, (the neuter
wanting) .
Portuguese todo, masc.; toda, fern.; tudo,
neuter.
Latin iste, masc. ; a, fern. ; ud, neuter, (that).
Italian questo, masc.; questa, fern.;
(the neuter Wanting).
French ce ou eel, masc. ; cette fern. ; (the
neuter wanting) .
(*) The neuter gender was almost quite abolished in the Romance-
tongues; nevertheless we find some cases therein, as the above mentioned.
-6 7 -
Sp. este, masc. ; esta, fern.; esto, neuter.
Port. este, masc. ; esta, fern. ; isto, neuter*
We find the same equivalent forms of all Latin
adjectives or pronouns of three endings, which
passed into Romance tongues ; viz :
Unus, a, urn, one.
Ullus, a, urn, any at all.
Nullus, a, urn, none at all.
Alter, a, um, one of two.
lite, a, ud, that other; etc, etc.
ACCIDENCE OF BRASILIAN ADJECTIVES
But in Brasilian languages the prevail-
ing system in this respect is quite opposite.
Adjectives are, without exception, invariable,
like nouns.
In this point they offer a complete likeness
with the adjectives of English , from which,
however, they entirely differ in relation to their
place in a sentence . In English the general rule
is, that the adjective is placed before the noun,
whilst the Brasilian tongue proceeds just in
a contrary way .
68
In this last language the word, expressing
substance, must precede the word of quality
or of relation.
Thus, for instance, this phrase : a good
friend, in Brasilian can only be said andma
katu, = friend good .
Gender and number
OO. For want of distinct forms to mark
gender and number the adjective can appear in a
sentence, with nouns of every gender and
number ; ex :
Mu poranga, fine brother;
Rendera poranga, fine sister;
Oka katu, a good house ; oka-etd katu, good
houses ;
Kunha pooci, a bad (or ugly) woman ; kuriha-
eta poxi, bad women, etc.
Degrees of quality or comparison
. Comparison is called that change of
form, which the adjective undergoes to denote
degrees of quality or quantity.
- "9 -
The comparative is formed by placing the ad-
verb-suffix pyre, more, after the adjective, and
the postposition sui, from, after the latter term
of comparison; ex : Paul is better than Peter, =
Paul katu pyre Peter sui, word for word :
Paul good more Peter from .
As to the peculiar use of the postposition sui,
from, to denote the relation between the two
terms of comparison, we find a very similar form
in the Italian language, in which the same sen-
tence above would be, as follows : Paolo e
megliore del Pietro,=P&ul is better from Peter.
If the comparative is of inferiority, as less
prudent, less fine, etc. it must be formed by
means of the word miri, small or little, followed
by the same adverb pyre ; ex: You are less fine
than 3ohn t =penhe pe poranga mirt pyre John
sui; literally = You, yourselves, fine little
more John from .
This adjective miri is equally employed, as an
adverb, in sentences, like these : I slept little,
xa her an miri; I walked little, =xa uatd an
miri, etc.
The superlative is, likewise, formed, by placing
the particle ete, very or much, which takes the
euphonical letter r, if it is preceded by some
vowel; ex: poranga, pretty, poranga(r)ete,
7o
very pretty; katu, good, katu(r)ete, very good,
etc.
It is unnecessary to observe, that these
manners of forming the comparative and the su-
perlative are, in general, used in the modern
European tongues.
But the placing of the particle (adverb of
quantity] after the adjective is an idiomatic
usage, of which we will speak further on .
NUMERALS
.
Tl. Comparing the authors, we find some
discordances of opinion in relation to the nume-
rals, which were used by Brasilian savages.
The question is this:- up to what number could
they count ? . . .
It appears, however, for sure, that, in
general, they did not count objects, individually,
above the number five, which was expressed,
among several tribes, by the word po, a hand
or the five fingers .
In the old documents, concernimg this ; r point,
the writers affirm, that the savages used only the
following numbers :
BRAS. ENGt.
lepe or oiype one
Mokoi or mokuen two
Mosapur or mosapeire three
Irundy or mokoi-mokoin (repeated) . four
Po, ocepo (properly, my hand) five
By repeating these numerals they could ex-
press greater quantities of objects, as, for instance:
pdmokot, ten, =two hands; ocepo #p?/,tventy,
=my hands and my feet.
T^. Nevertheless we must add, that some
living tribes in North-Brasil, owing, perhaps,
to their commerce with white people, use, at
present, the numerals of greater quantity, as
we can see in the following examples :
BRAS. ENGL.
Oaxiny five
Mosuny six
Seie (apparent corruption of the
Portuguese sete ) seven
Oise (apparent corruption of the
Portuguese oito eight
Oisepe (=oise, eight, -i-iepe, one) nine
Peye ten
Peiyeiepe eleven
After ten begins the process of repetition,
as in Latin; ex: twelve peye-mokoT; thir-
teen, peye-mosapur; twenty, mokoi-peye ;
thirty, mosapur-peye ; etc, etc.
lepe papasdua, one hundred, (properly a
great quantity) and again : mokoi-papa-
sdua, two hundreds ; peye-papasdua, one
thousand, and so forth
ORDINALS
. The ordinals are formed out of the
cardinals, by the suffix uara [44]; ex:
KNGL .
Iepe(r)uara first
Mokoiuara second
Mosapurudra third
Irundyudra fourth
Oaxinyudra fifth
Mosunyudra sixth
Seyeudra seventh
Oiseudra eighth
Osepeudra ninth
Peyeudra tenth
And so forth.
73-
CHAPTER V
PRONOUNS
. In the Brasilian language there are
found the pronouns personal, demonstrative,
interrogative, relative, possessive and indefinite,
perfectly distinct, both in forms and in uses; the
most important peculiarities of which we are
about to note .
T^. Personal pronouns. These have no dis-
tinction of gender.
There are three persons: the person who
speaks, called the first person; the person spoken
to, called the second person ; the person (or
object) spoken of, called the third person.
These persons are represented by the pronouns:
BRAZILIAN ENGLISH
Ixe or xe I
Inde, ine or ne Thou
lands or iane (=ia, I -\-ne
thou) TFe, = I and thou
Ore (exclusively) We, and not you
Pee or penhe .- . . You
Aetd or aitd They (*)
(*) This second form of the plural ore or oro is a peculiarity
of Brasilian languages, or rather>f all American tongues ; it means
we oxclusevely, that is, we without you.
74 -
These forms of the personal pronoun are kept
identical, whether they be the subject or the
object of a sentence. It is true, that sometimes
the particle bo is found, joined to the pronouns
of the first or of the second persons singular,
denoting the relation of the dative case; ex:
Ixebo, to me ; indebo, to thee .
But this particle bo , we suppose, to be
the same contracted preposition pe (postposition) ,
which is used to express such a relation ; cf:
ixupe, to him or to her, = i, his, her or hers,
.+- pe =-. supe 1 , (by Apheresis) to; kdpe,
to the plantation, = ko, plantation, + pe, to ;
tape, to the vi\l&ge,=taba, village, (by Syncope)
-+- pe, to ; and also : orebe (b=p) to us > =ore,
we without you, and be=pe, to ; etc.
That which remains to be observed on personal
pronouns, will be treated of in a proper way,
when we have to speak of verbs.
TO. Demonstrative pronouns. There are
three demonstrative pronouns :
Koahd, this ; ko, here, -f- ahduad, an
agent, the person here ;
Nhaha, that ; = ni, not,-\-ahd=koahd, not
this.
Nhaha amo, that other ;= nhaha, that,+a?wo,
another .
- 7 5-
These pronouns correspond exactly to the
Latin pronouns hie, iste, Hie, or to the Portu-
guese este, esse, aquelle, which keep their
original Latin signification. They have no distinct
gender, but they take the plural form by the
postpositive particle etd, like nouns; ex;
koahdetd, these ; nhaha-etd, those : nhdha-
amoetd, those others .
When the demonstratives are employed, as
adjectives, they do not take the suffix of the plural
number; because, in this case, they are always in-
variable and must be placed before the substantive,
with which they agree in the sentence; ex:
Koahd (r)6ka,this house; koahd (r)oka-eta,
these houses;
Nhahd kunhd, that woman ; nhahd hu-
rihaeta, these women ;
Nhahaamo hise, that other knife ; nhahd
amo hiseetd, those other knives.
TT. Interrogative pronouns . The interro-
gative pronouns of this language are :
Aud, who ? It is only applied to person, like
its correspondent in English, and is invariable in
every case ;
Mad, what ? It is also invariable, and only
applied to things. < Mad means, precisely,
thing = Latin res, or Italian cosa .
76
It is known that in Italian the word cosa may
be used, as interrogative pronoun ; ex : cosa
fate, or cosa dite, = what are you doing, or
what are you saying? =: in Bras. maa-ta
peemdnha, or mad-ta penehee ?.
The particles id, tahd, sera are used, as mere
signs of interrogation.
T^. Relative pronouns. As relative
pronoun is found only this word uad, who ;
it is invariable and serves for all genders and
numbers.
Uad is the same suffix, which means an actual
agent, as the Latin ans, ens, or it is the subject
of an action, as we may see in the instances,
given before; [no. 39].
The relative uad has yet another idiomati-
cal application : it is always placed at the end of
the sentence; ex : have you the arrow which
my brother sent ? = re-reko sera ouoa se mu
mundu-an uad ? word for word, you have
the arrow my brother sent which ?
; ^'t>. Possessive pronouns. These are iden-
tical with the personal pronouns, as follows :
Se or xe, my and mine .
Ne or re, thy and thine.
Ae or i, his and her (s), its.
lane, our and ours .
Penhv or pes, your and yours .
Aeta or aitd, their or theirs.
The possessive of the third person is very fre-
quently represented by an f, which seems to
be a contracted form of ae = cu, he, she, or
his, hers, its, as was seen in the foregoing
example .
Possessive pronouns must be placed before the
noun, with which they agree; but they do not
undergo any particular change to correspond
in gender and number. [See no. GS]
&;O. Indefinite pronouns. It is our opinion,
that most of the suffixes, which are aggluti-
nated to predicative or verbal roots, are, un-
doubtedly, indefinite pronouns. It is certain, that
some of them have lost their original significa-
tion, but many others keep it still in a clear and
independent way. Thus, for example :
Aud, used also as interrogative pronoun,
means, precisely, a person or human being; c/: *
Inti-aud, nobody; = inti, not,+aw, body;
Maud, whoever \=mad, aught,-f-awa, body.
Yepeaud, each one, yepe, one, -}-aud body.
Abd, creature. We think this word, iden-
tical with aud, scarcely modified by pronun-
ciation ; cf:
Nitio-abd , nobody, = nitio , not, -f- aba,
person ;
Amdabd , another ; = amo, other, + aba,
person .
As indefinite pronouns, properly so-called,
we now find these :
Amd, other, others. From this are formed
the following phrases :
Amo-ara-pupe, on another occasion, =
amd, other, -\-ara, time, -\-pupe = ope, on or at.
Amo-mame, in another place, = amo, +
mdme, where.
Amdrupy, to the contrary, = amd, -4- rupy,
to, by, (prep.)
Amo-rame , sometimes, = amo, -f- rame,
when, other when.
Amo-iby-sui, from another land, =amo, -+
iby, land,+5m', from.
Yabe, each. From this are derived or
formed the following :
Yabe-yabe, each one, = yepe-yepe, one by
one;
Amd-yabe, so much or so many.
Mad, aught, something. From this are
formed :
Intimad, naught, nothing, = inti, not, -+
mad, thing ;
79 -
Yepemad, some-body, = yepe, one,-t-mad
thing :
- Mira-y, few, a few; =mira, people, 4-
y = mirT, small, little. [35]
Pabe or opai, all, all together.
These indefinite pronouns are, as a rule, in-
variable.
CHAPTER VI
VERBS
. According to their meaning, the verbs
of the Brasilian language may be classified, as
transitive and intransitive.
By the use of some regular particles (prep, or
suffix) the transitive may become intransitive, as
well as, the intransitive may pass into trans-
itive.
Transitive verbs are also used refiexively
and reciprocally, by means of certain particles,
joined to them .
There are found, yet, a few verbs, which may
8o
be rightly considered, as causative, in view of
their grammatical functions in the sentence.
All these classes of verbs are invariable
words, like the other parts of speech, that is to
say: that their radical does not undergo any
change of form to express the various relations
of voice, mood, tense, number and person of
conjugation.
$tf. Voice, (a) We think, we may affirm,
that in this language there are wanting, not only
the passive verb, but also the passive voice
itself. First, the Brasilian language does not
possess the especial verb, so-called substan-
tive, as the Latin esse, to be. Sentences, such
as ; Paul is good, are expressed in Brasilian
by the simple words, Pdul, katu, that is,
Paul good, or Paul has goodness. [104]
In order, then, to denote something, like the
passive voice, it is, as a rule, sufficient to place
certain words, which have themselves the mean-
ing of passive participles, after the substantive
or pronoun serving, as the subject ; ex :
Paul was killed, =Paul iukdudra, or
Paul iukd-pyra ; = iukd, to kill, -}-udra or
pyra, suffix denoting the object of the action,
as hilled.
1 Thou art baptised ; = ine remoserok-
8i
udra ; = re, personal prefix of the second person
sing., -f- moserdka, to baptise, -i-udra, suffix, as
the before said. [44].
^3. (e) Reflexive or reciprocal verbs are
forme 1 from the transitive by particles plac-
ed, as infixes, between the personal prefix and
the verb. The most used of those particles are
ye, yo (sometimes, nhe or nho) equivalent to the
Latin and Portuguese pronoun se (ace.) ; ex :
Pe-iukd, you kill, pe-yo-iukd, you kill
yourselves, one another ;
Moapdra, to crook, ye-moapdra, to bend
oneself.
When the subject is a pronoun of the first
or of the second person, it is usual to express the
reflexive form by the mere repetition of the
those pronouns, as in the Romance-tongues; ex :
Thou killest thyself, = re ine iukd, or r6
ye-iukd ; lit. thou thee killest.
We kill ourselves, = ore-oro ye-iukd ;
lit. we us kill, etc.
&^. (i) Transitive verbs can, as a general
rule, be formed from the intransitive by the use
of the prefix mo, which sometimes works, as
a causative, and sometimes has the particular
function of converting nouns and adjectives of
quality into regular verbs ; ex :
82
(1) A -in, (or oca-in) I lay down, a-mo-in,
I place or I cause to sit down ;
Xa-ropare, I lose myself, oca mo-ropare,
I make somebody go astray ;
Xa-puam, I riso or arise, xa-mo-puam,
I cause something or somebody to arise ;
Sem, to go out, mo-sem,to make go out ;
Tiy, to tremble, mo- tip, to make trem-
ble ;
(2) Abaete, renowned, mo-abaete, to re-
nown, or to make renowned;
Abyk, needle, md-abykik, to sew ;
Apdra, crooked, mo-apara, to crook or
to make crooked ;
Ai/ba, evil, mo-ayb, to offend, to injure ;
Peb, flat, mo-peb, to flatten.
Poxi, bad, evil, md-mooci (m = p) , to
viciate, to adulterate.
[ This prefix mo, we suppose to be a con-
tracted form of the verb TnonM, which means,
exactly, to do or to make. ]
From the foregoing illustrations we may judge,
how frequent must be the employment of this
prefix or root mo, which, indeed, is found in most
Brazilian verbs.
PRONOMINAL SUBJECTS AND PERSONAL PREFIXES
We call personal prefixes certain
particles, which are invariably affixed to verbs
with the same signification, as the personal
suffixes of the Latin verbs .
In the following table we make a complete
enumeration of such personal prefixes, indicating
their corresponding signification in Latin :
Pcrs. pron. Pers. pref.
loce or xe a
Inde, me or ne re
Ae o
lande or iane (*) ia
Penheorped pi
Aetd or aitd o
Meaning.
I or me.
Thou, thee.
He, she, it, or him,
her.
TFe, us.
You, ye,
They, them.
LATI1S.
Pcrs suffixes.
s
t
mus
Us
nt
Cf:-
amo
amas
amat
amamus
amatis
amant
ENGLISH
Meaning
= I love .
= Thou lovest
= He loves.
= We love.
= You love .
= They love .
- 84 -
[ (*) It must be repeated, that in Brazilian
languages, as in most American tongues, there
are two forms for the pronoun of the first
person plural, the one inclusive, the other
exclusive .
The inclusive form is that presented above
iande or iane (= ia, I 4- ne, thou, = we,), the
exclusive is ore or oro, (we, without or minus
you) ; ex : we (exclusive of you) kill, oro
ia-iukd . ]
As we see, the personal prefixes represent
the pronominal subject of the verb ; but, while
they can be used alone without the personal pro-
nouns, these, on the contrary, can never appear,
without them. We could say, for instance :
amamus,= ia -saisu, we love, wherein is not
expressed the personal pronoun iande or iane =
we ; but we cannot say : iande or iane saisu,
without the personal prefix ia .
The leading rule, in relation to pronom-
inal subjects, is this : in the first person
sing, it is always expressed, and takes the con-
tracted form xa, xe + a. In the second
and the third persons sing, they are regularly
omitted, being in this case substituted by the
afore- said personal prefix', ex : amas, = re-
saisu; amat = o- saisu, thou lovest, he loves.
85
In the plural, the pronominal subjects need
not be, particularly, expressed .
MOOD
. The most original form, in which
the verb appears in the Brasilian speech, is one
affirming the action or existence of an indefi-
nite subject ; that is to say, it has not the Infini-
tive mood, properly so-called, and always
expresses the action of a subject, "determinate
or indeterminate". The word, or rather the
particle, which comes joined to the verb, as its
indefinite subject, is the prefix o, and has a
meaning, just like that of the German man,
or the French on in these phrases, man
spricht, on parle = o-nhee, to speak, that is, one
speaks.
Now it must be remembered, that this con-
crete mode of speech is, doubtless, more natural
to savage people, who deal, very seldom, with
abstract ideas .
In the grammars and vocabularies of their
language, it is certain, that we find the verbs
used, as in the Infinitive mood ; but, when we
pay better attention to the practical applications,
86
it results, that the savages do not know the
use of such a mood.
[ An example of this kind is found in Arabic,
wherein the third person sing, of the Perfect
is the simplest form of the verb; and this
is also liable to change into transitive or in-
transitive, active or reflexive, by means of
some particles, used as prefixes, as in Bra-
silian. ] ()
Nevertheless, as it facilitates the understand-
ing of the examples, which illustrate the matter,
we continue, likewise, to consider that indefinite
form of Brasilian verbs, as being their Infinitive
mood ; ex : Saisu or o-saisu, to love ;
iukd or o-iukd, to kill, etc.
From this simple form, which is always in-
variable, are formed moods, tenses and par-
ticiples, or verbal adjectives, by the regular
use of some special particles, which occur, either
isolated or grouped together .
TENSES
ST. The simple tenses are : Present,
Past (= the Latin Perfect) and Future.
(*) William Wright, Arabic Gram. (Dublin, 1859.)
- 8 7 -
Present tense
The Present is formed by adding the pronom-
inal subjects, or the personal prefixes alone, to
verbs ; ex :
Xa (=xe-\-a) mehen . I give.
Re-mehen Thou givest.
Ae o -mehen He, she or it gives .
lane ia-mehen We (I and thou) give.
Ore ia-mehen We (minus you) give.
Penh^ pe-mehen You give.
Ait a- o- mehen They give.
The Imperfect Present* can be also formed
by placing the verb tkd, to be [AO] with its
pers. prefixes, after the other verb, to which it
serves, as an auxiliary ; thus:
BRAS. ENGLISH
Xa mehen-xa ikd I am giving, = Igive-f-
I am.
Re-mehen-re(r)ikd . . Thou art giving, thou
givest-hthou art.
Ae o-mehen-o-ikd. . . He is giving, = he
gives+he is.
lane ia-mehen-iaikd . We are giving, = we
give+we are .
Pe-mehen-pzikd You are giving, =you
give-1-you are.
Aita o-mehen-o-ikd.. They are giving, they
give-f-they are.
88
Another way of expressing the same thought
is to add the suffix ara (or bae = ae) to the
verbal root and to place it after the substantive
or pronoun, serving, as the subject; ex:
Mehen-dra who gives at the present
time ;
Paul mehen-dra, .... Paul gives or is giving
now [no. <JO]
Past or perfect tense
^^. If we had to translate the Latin term
-amavimus, we loved, into Brazilian, it would be
necessary to employ the following words, lane
ia-saisu-an, or at least, ia-saisu-an.
The postpositive an properly means the past
time. Although it is added to verbs, as a suffix, it
still keeps its independent form and import, as
may be seen in the following instances :
Amavi. . . . Xa-saisu-an I loved.
Amavisti.. Inde re-saisu-dn. Thoulovedst.
Amavit .... Ae o-saisu-an ... He loved ,
Amavimus lane ia-saisu-an . We loved .
Arnavistis. Penh? pe-saisu-an You loved.
Amaverunt Aitd o-saisu-an. . They loved.
- 8g-
Future
. Now, let us suppose, that we wish to
express an action in a coming time, as the ex-
pression, amabimus, we will love, which is
translated into Brasilian = lane ia-saisu-hurL
The above postpositive hurl is used, and it
means, when joined to the verb, that the action
will take place in a coming time, and therefore
it is the sign of the Future of verbs ; ex :
LATIN B^AS. ENGLISH
Amabo .... Xa saisu-kuri I will love
Amabis . . . Ine re-saisu-kuri . . . Thou wilt love
Amabit. . . Ae o-saisu-kuri He will flove
Amabimus lane ia-saisu-kuri . . We shall love
Amabitis.. Penhc-pe-saisu-kuri You will love
Amabunt.. Aitd o-saisu-kuri. . The y shall love
THE NEGATION AND INTERROGATION
OO. (1) The negative form of verbs is
rendered by placing the particle inti (=nitio) or
intimad ( = inti, + mad, thing, = nothing )
before the subject of the sentence ; ex:
9 o
I wish, oca potare; I do not wish, intt, or
inti-mad xa potare; word for word : =
not or nothing I wish .
(2) The interrogative form of verbs is ren-
dered by the use of one of these particles ta,
tahd or sera, which may be placed, either before
or after the verb ; ex :
Have you some bread? = pS-
meape ?
Who is there t = aud TAHA o-iko ape ?
[ See no. *>^, 2 i,]
ANOMALOUS VERBS
91. We call anomalous , certain Bra-
zilian verbs, that undergo alteration in the root,
which is contrary to the general system of their
conjugation.
In our state of knowledge on the matter, this
kind of verbs is of rare occurrence ; and to speak
the truth, the only ones, the forms of which are
used irregularly, are the following:
(i) The verb so, to go, which in the Impe-
- 9 1 '
r alive mood presents the anomalous forms: ~
iJw-en, go thou ; pc-iko-en pe?, go you.
(n) The verb nehel (in some grammars we
find a 7 ), to say, or rather, just equivalent to
the Latin aio, is, I say yes, which changes
the radical in the Perfect and Future ; ex:
Perfect
BRAS. ENGL.
Xa in-an . , I said .
Re-in-an Thou saidst.
Ae-o-in-an He said.
Yane ia-in-an We said .
Pe3 pe-in-an. .: You said.
Aitd o-in-an They said.
Future
Xa in-kuri I will say.
Re -in-kuri , Thou wilt say .
Ae o-in-kuri He shall say.
Yane ia-in-kuri We will say.
Penh^ pe -in-kuri You will say.
Aeta o-in-kuri They will say.
[In these two tenses the verb, properly so-coll-
ed, is the monosyllable in, and this is the form
used by the liing. tribes of North-Brasil] .
. Now it is to be noted: that in the
conjugation of Brasilian verbs the following ele-
ments concur regularly : (1) the personal
pronoun, as the subject ; (2) the prefixes, cor-
responding to the personal suffixes of the Indo-
European-tongues; (3) the verb, or rather, the
verbal or attributive root ; (4) the postpositive
particles an and kuri, when the action is ex-
pressed in the Past or in the Future .
9*1. Besides the three principal tenses
Present, \Past and Future, the savages yet use
other secondary ones, which correspond to the
various and distinct relations of time in Latin
verbs. They do so, by means of some other speci-
al suffixes, (conjunctions and adverbs), which
express condition, mode, time, etc ; ex:
LATIN BRAS. ENGLISH
Amabam. Xa saisu-yepe-i =Iwas loving
(once).
Amavero . Xa saisu-mairame =When I will
love.
Am em . Xa saisu-kuure = I may love
(now).
Amarem . / Xa saisu-rame = I might love.
- 9 3 -
[ The various particles, or modifying elements,
used to express the verbal relations, may
differ in forms from those above mentioned ;
but, as a rule, all of them are identical in
their functions and usual applications ].
. It is a notable idiom of the Brasilian
language the use of the auxiliary verb potare,
(to wish) which does not take any personal
prefix, and is always placed after the principal
verb in the sentence ; ex : I wish to go, =xa so
potare; word for word : I to go wish.
The same rule is applied to cawative verbs,
or rather, to some verbs in causative phrases,
like these : I bid make, = xa mdriha kdri;
literally: = I make bid ; you can go, or you
know how to go, = pe-sd kudu; word for
word : you go can or you to go know. [ios]
[ The verb kudu means, at the same time, to
know how and to be able or can ; in Brasilian
the ideas knowledge and power are iden-
tical ones ].
Except this especial use of the verbs potare
and of the causatives, the general rule for two or
more verbs appearing in the sentence is, that the
personal prefixes must be repeated ; that is to
94 -
say, the verbs must be used, as if they were
quite independent of one another ; ex :
I am speaking, = xa nehe3 oca ikd ; i. e;
I speak I am ; [ sr ] .
I have nothing to do, =intimad oca rekd oca
monha arama ; literally: = nothing I have I
make to .
[ For better illustration on this point, see the
chapter " Rules and Remarks ".]
FORMATION OF VERBS
O>. As a general rule, all predicative roots
may be converted into verbs, by affixing to
them the personal prefix, by itself, or with
the pronoun, as subject ; ex : sem, the act
of going out or appearing, oca-sem,l go out ;
ker, sleep, o-ker, to sleep, that is, = he
sleeps ; tog, the act of covering, re-tog, thou
coverest, etc.
Besides this, there are certain formative ele-
ments, which occur, very frequently, in the for-
mation or derivation of a great many verbs .
The formative elements, most ordinarily used,
are the two following :
OO. Mo, particle, (prefix) which works,
either as a causative verb, or converts any pre-
dicative roots into transitive verbs.
It may, likewise, be joined to intransitive
verbs to transform them into transitive ones, [s^]
Examples :
Aku, warm ; mo-aku, to warm or to make
hot.
Asuk, the act of taking a bath ; mo-asuk,
to bathe somebody.
Asy, pain, or ache ; mo -asp, to ache or to
be in pain.
Ayba, bad ; mo-ayba, to ruin, to waste, to
demolish, etc.
Pe, road, way, track etc ; mo-pe, to level
the path or the way.
Peku, long ; mo-peku, to lengthen .
Pordnga, fine or beautiful ; mo-poranga,
to trim or to attire.
Sdi, sour ; - mo-sdi, to make sour, to em-
bitter.
Seem, sweet; mo-setm, to sweeten.
Sardy, jest ; mo-saray, to jest.
Tapy, deep ; mo-tapy, to sink.
Yaseon, to weep or to mourn ; mo-yaseon,
to make weep .
Ye^mombeu, to confess oneself ; mo-ye-mom-
beu, to avow .
Ye-nong, to lie down ; mo-ye-nong, to put
down.
Yo-yabe, to pair, or to make oneself equal !o ;
mo-yo-yabe, to equal, to adjust, to compare.
Yokdk, to lean upon ; mo-yo-kok, to uphold.
Ye-mendra, to marry ; mo-ye-mendra,
to make marry .
. Ye or yo (also nhe or nhd), particle -
prefixes, denoting that the predicative root ex-
presses a reflexive, intransitive or reciprocal
action. [ss]
Examples :
Kapik. to comb; ye-kapik, to comb oneself.
Komeeng, to indicate ; ye-komeeng, to
appear, to expose oneself.
Kodma, dawn or morning ; ye-koma, to
dawn or to grow day .
Moasuk, to bathe somebody ; ye-moasuk,
to take a bath.
- 97 '
Mo-ayba, to ruin something;: ye-mo-ai/ba,
to ruin oneself.
Mosaem, to divulge ; ye-mosaem, to be
divulged.
Meeng, to give or to deliver ; ye-meeng, to
deliver or to render oneself up.
Mo-tykan, to dry or to wipe; ye-mo-tykdn,
to dry oneself.
Participles
The rules, by which in Brasilian the several
participles are, in general, formed, will be found
in the chapter on nouns, [as to 44]
CHAPTER VII
POSTPOSITIONS
. The usual relations, expressed by
prepositions, as we see in the modern European
languages, are denoted in Brasilian languages
by means of postpositions. They are various
in form and number, and correspond, in their
applications and meaning, to prepositions, in
general .
The principal postpositions of the Brasilian
language are :
Sui denotes separation or removal from one
place to another, or derivation and motion from
the interior of an object ; it is equivalent to the
Latin prepositions a or ab and e or ex ; ex :
I came from the city ,=coa iur-an mairy sui ;
lit : I came city from .
Ope, in, (sometimes = upon and within)
denotes position of an object ; it corresponds
to the Latin prep . in with ablative ; ex : In the
Church, = Tupan (r)oka ope ; lit : God's
house in.
Supe denotes relation to an object, that is,
limitation or destination, = to or for, as in the
phrases to me or for you ; it expresses a re-
lation equivalent to the Latin dative ; ex : Give
this hat to my friend, = re-mehen ine koahd
xapeua kamarara supe; lit: give thou this hat
friend to ; love to God, = saisu Tupan supe;
lit : =love God to .
Ardma denotes also the relation to an
object, but is especially employed, when we
desire to express a destination or purpose , as
will be better understood from the following
- 99 -
Latin example : Eccitio est mare nautis,
(the sea is for a destruction to sailors), =
para porarasdba igatinyba arama ; word
for word: the sea, a torment pilots to ; I want
her for my wife, = xa potare ae se ccemerikd
arama\ lit: I want her my wife for.
Pope denotes interior position, = within;
ex: Within thy house, = re (r)okapope ; lit:
thy house within.
Yma signifies without, as the Latin sine ;
ex: Woman without her husband, =kunh a i
mena-yma; word for word: = woman her hus-
band without.
Iromo denotes company, as the Latin cum,
with ; ex: With my brother, = se mu iromo;
lit := my brother with.
[ From this postposition iromo is derived
iromo-dra, fellow, companion. ]
Kete or "kety denotes motion to a place, as
the Latin ad, to ; ex : I go to thy house, =
oca-so re (r)dka kete ; lit: = I go thy house to.
[ In phrases such as : eo ad te, adiit
regem, etc. the postposition, mostly used, is
piri = to ; ex : Paulus adiit fratrem, = Paulu
o-sd-an i mu piri; lit : = Paul went his broth-
er to ] .
Adrpe or aripe are used with the signifi-
100
cation of upon ; ex : Upon the table,= mura-
peua aripe ; lit: = table upon.
Sese or resd denotes a cause or reason,
on account of, for the sake of ; ex : For the
sake of God,= Tupan rese ; on account of bad
weather, = dra ayba sese ; lit: = weather bad
because of.
Rupy denotes cause, instrument, and in a
limited sense,= through either in space or
in time > ; a it corresponds to the Latin per ;
ex : He goes through the street, == ae-o-sd
okdra rupy ; in jest,= mosardya rupy ; lit:
he goes street through ; jest in .
Uerpe or uyrpe are used with the signifi-
cation of the Latin prep . sub, under ; ex : Under
the table, = murapeua uerpe ; lit : = table
under.
Rendn& or tenonde (r = t, n = d),= cor am
or ante, before ; ex : Before me, = we renonde;
lit : = me before .
Rekuidra,= instead of ; ex : Thou art
playing, instead of working, re-porauke re-
kuidra, re-yo-mosdrai re-ikd, word for word:
=thou working instead of, thou playing thou art.
[We find yet other simple or compound-words used
as postpositions; but we think,they may be con-
sidered with greater reason, as pure adverbs.]
101
CHAPTER VIII
ADVERBS
. According to their signification, ad-
verbs may be divided into the following classes :
(1) adverbs of place; (2) adverbs of negation,
affirmation and interrogation ; (3) adverbs of
time, "determinate or indeterminate"; (4) ad-
verbs of manner, degree of quality, etc.
ADVERBS OF PLACE
Mame " ubi, where " generally used, as in-
terrogative ; ex : Where is your land, = mame-
tad ne(*) retdma ?
This mame is a derivative from mad, thing,
in its most absolute meaning, as the Latin res
= an object, place, occasion, action, etc. + me 1
= pe, in ; therefore, mame = maape, in a thing
or place. The following adverbs will give
further illustration :
Mad-sui (mad -f- sui, postp.= from), "unde,
(*) Retama or tetama means properly native country.
IO2
whence"; ex : Whence do you come, = mad-sui
tad re-iur ?
Mad-kety (maa 4- kety, postp. = to), " quo,
whither" ; ex: "Whither are you going, = mad-
kety penhe pe-so ?
Mad-rupy ( = mad 4- rupy, postposition, :=
through), "qua, in what way" ; ex : In what way
does flow the river, mad-rupy parand td
o-nhdna ?
Ike, and also ko, "hie, here (by the speak-
er)" ; ex : Here is our land, = ike yane re-
From ike are derived :
Kisiy,= ike-+- sui, "hinc, from hence (from
the speaker) ";
Ki-kite,= ike 4- kety, "hue, hither, (to the
speaker)".
Adpe, " istic, there, (by the person adressed)" ;
ex : He was there, = o-ikd-an aape.
Mime, "ibi, there" ; ex : See my dog there, =
mime pe-mah3 se iau- ara .
From mime are derived :
Mi-ccihy, = mime +- sui, " istinc, from
thence, (from the person addressed)" ;
Mi-kite, = mime + kite, i( eo, thither".
Arpe y "above, upwards".
Uerpe, ^below, down".
io3
[ These two adverbs are also used, as postpo-
istions, of which we treated before. ]
Okdr-pe, "foris or /bras, out, without," ( =
okara, street,-!- pe, in); ex : I was out, okdr-
pe oca iko-an.
Sakakoera, "pone or retro, behind"; ex :
It is behind, = sakakoera o-iko.
Ape-katu, "longe, far"; ex : Far from the
city,= ape-katutaud sui ; lit: far city from.
Poiterpe or pyterpe, " between, amidst ".
(2)
ADVERBS OP AFFIRMATION, NEGATION, ETC
Affirmative or concessive particles
Hehe, "etiam, yes".
Empb, "quippe, of course".
Hehe-empo, "in this way perhaps".
Katu-ente, "so so, or verily".
Ae-katu, "recte, quite right".
104
(e)
Negative particles
Nitio, intio, inti,ti or ni, "non, no, not, nor".
All these forms are found, either in the nega-
tion of verbs, or as prefixes of other words ; ex :
Nitio-abd, nobody; nitio-mame, no where;
inti-mad, nothing ; inti-ape-kalu, not far ;
inti or ti oca-potare, I will not; ni-amo-
ara, never ;(= ni, nor 4- amo, other --ara,
time.)
Yma, "minus, without. [ See the postpo-
sitions.]
Interrogative particles
One of these particles, sera, taha, ta or pd
must always occur in the inter rogatives phra-
ses, which is to be placed after the verb in case
this be the modified word ; ex: Tne re-rekd
sera meape ? = have you some bread ?
In case, another be the modified word, the par-
ticle must be placed after that one and before
the verb ; ex : Mad meape tahd re-reko ? =
what bread have you ?
io5
These particles may also be joined to a
simple noun, as for ex : mad, thing ; and mad
(3)
ADVERBS OP TIME
M air -rame, " quum or quando , when. '
Ara-poku-sdua, " semper, always ". Ara
time,+poku-saua, length ; = length of time.
Inti-an-kuri, tf never ". Inti, not,-t-aw,
particle denoting the Past, -h kuri, another
particle denoting the Future ;=neither in the
Past nor in the Future .
Ni-amd-ara, " never ". Ni, nor, -h amo,
other, H-ara, time ;= in no other time.
Arame or rame, " tune, then, " at that
time. <Rame is also the sign of the Imperfect, as
in the Latin verb, amabam, facerem, I was
loving, I was making ; = xa saisu rame, cca
monha rame .
Kuur, " nunc, now, on this occasion."
It is also used, as the sign of the the Present
Subjunctive, as, for instance: the Latin
verb amem,iha,t I love, = xa saisu kuur.
iob
Amo-ara, " in the coming time ". Amd,
other, +ara, time.
Ana, " now, just now " ; and its derivative
inti-ana, not yet.
Ranhe, or rat, ' still, till the present".
Oiy, " hodie, to day".
Oiype4, "once."
Kuise, " heri, yesterday " ; and its de-
rivative amo-kuise, before yesterday, that is,
another yesterday.
Kuri, "after, presently". It is the sign of the
Future ; and its derivative kuri-mirt, soon
after, = a little after.
An, " already". It is the sign of the Past.
Rete-an, " too late, " Rete, much or
Riri or rire, ' 'post, postea, after, afterwards. "
Rire is also used, as & postposition.
(4)
ADVERBS OP MANNfR, DEGREE, QUALITY, ETC.
laue, " it a, so."
Tenhe, " item, itidem, likewise, " in the
same manner.
io 7
Katu-ente, " so so."
Ete [or rete, " much, very much. "
Pau or paue, " so much, or so many. "
Myure, " as, how much or how many".
Pyre, tl magis, more. "
Amo-yre, a little more; amo,-\-pyre > =
other more .
Xinga, "minus, less, or hardly".
Anhu, nhon ornhonte, " alone, only, solely."
May, " as, so. "
Teipd, " at last. "
There are yet many other words, used as
adverbs, which we have not mentioned.
The place of the adverb in the sentence may be
before or after the verb ; but always after the
adjective or another adverb ; ex: I go to-day ,=
ooa-so oiy, or oiy xa-so ; very good, = hatu-
rete ; much more, = pyr-ete ; etc .
CHAPTER IX
CONJUNCTIONS
1OO. The particles, which may be classed,
as conjunctions, are the following :
0,
or
io8
Aa-rese (aa = mad, 4- res), " idea, quam-
obrem" for that reason, because of, etc.
A-suy, "ergo, therefore," (ae,+ sui,=
that).
Ni, "nor ". [n. ei]
Arery, " autem, however or but."
Arame, " enim, etenim for, for indeed. "
Ydur, " neither, nor. "
May, "quare, why, on account of " ?
CHAPTER X
INTERJECTIONS
1O1. The particles or words used, as in-
terjections, are numerous ; among others we
will mention the following :
( ) Of astonishment : ah!
( 2 ) Of inquiring : an ?. .= what ?
( 3 ) Of pain : un un ! . . t .
( 4 ) Of satisfaction and of praise: ape !
( 5 ) Of encouragement : ere! . . . .
( 6 ) Of calling : hdho!....
C) Of reprobation : athie !
( 8 ) Of profound disgust : aradn != oh tem-
pora ! !
109
( 9 ) Of compassion : tute ! aud-teite !
( 10 ) Of doubt :id!....
( u ) Of approbation : heem !
( 12 ) Of interrogation : sera ?
( 13 ) Of sending away : atimbdra \ = be off !
CHAPTER XI
MISCELLANEOUS RULES AND REMARKS
Nouns of the Brasilian language,
as was noted before, have no inflections to
mark "gender, number and case" ; and therefore
can appear in a sentence, as the subject or the
object of verbs, without change of forms.
Syntax of tke subject
(i) As a general rule, the subject " noun or
pronoun " is placed before the verb . The only
real exception to it, we know, is the peculiar use
of the relative pronoun uad , that occurs
invariably after the verb of the dependent sen-
tence ; ex : hast thou the arrow which my
brother sent me?= re-rekd sera auoa se mu
I 10
mundu uad ixe ardma ? word for word:=
thou hast the arrow my brother sent which
me to ? [n. *s]
(n) When the subject is of the third person and
the object of the verb is a pronoun of the first or
second person, and the verb is of the Imperative
or Subjunctive mood, the subject is regularly
placed after the verb ; ex: that (John kill thee,=
t-ine iukd John;[tine = ine, thou orthee, by
Prothesis] .
(in) When it is necessary to use greater ener-
gy in the assertion, or in the expression of
feeling, they repeat the pronoun-subject and the
personal prefix ; ex: Ixe xa-reko, I, myself, have ;
ine re-reko, thou, thyself, hast, etc.
(iv) In the sentences, in which verbal-phra-
ses occur, such as : Lat . eo petitum (ad
petendum),= Port. voupedir, I am going to ask ;
Lat. venio auditum(&& audiendum),= Port.
venho ouvir, I come to hear ; the repetition of
the pronoun, as the subject joined to each verb, is
indispensable ; ex: oca-sd xa senoi se mira, l. go
to call my people ; literally: I go +1 call my
people.
(v) The same rule applies to the auxiliary verb
iko, to be> in the formation of the Imperfect
Present* as was said before -[sr] ; ex: I am
making, #a monhaocaikd;li. e : I make-H am ;
she is working, = ae o-parduke o-iko;
literally: she works+she is, etc.
The syntax of the object
1O3. In respect to the object, we find the
following rules :
(i) When it is a pronoun of the first or
second person, it must be placed between the
subject and the verb; ex: I kill you,=#ap
iukd ; thou killest me,= re ixe iukd, etc.
(n) But when the object is a substantive, or
pronoun of the third person, the most regular
use in the speech of the living tribes is to place it
after the verb; although it seems, that the general
rule in past times, was to place the verb always
after its object; ex: thou hast the knife,=
re kise rekd, (old order) or re-rekd kise (new
order); the serpent bites him, = bdia o-sou ae,
(new order) or boia ae o-sou, (old order).
Sytatax of the verb
lO-dU In the Brasilian speech, as in many
other savage languages, there is not the so-
called; auxiliary verb , as the Latin esse,
112
to be, [sa] i. e: a verb, which stands, as a mere
connective of assertion between a subject and
some word discribing this subject, and so has no
meaning of its own, except that of indicating
assertion, coaling together two words in the
relation of subject and predicate. In this
language the simple union of a subject to a
predicate supplies the corresponding value of
such a verb; ex: cce katu, means I am good,
I have goodness, or more strictly, my goodness ;
re pordnga, means thou art beautiful,
thou hast beauty, or simply, thy beauty .
For better illustration we present below other
examples of the kind :
BRAS.
Saku sera in& ? Are you warm ? lit : warm
[90,2] ......... you?
Icce saku ........ I am warm ; i. e: I warm .
Icce intimad saku. I am not warm ; lit :
I nothing warm.
Ine ruy sera ? . . . . Are you cold ? lit :
you cold?
Icce inti-mad se ruy I am not cold ? i. e :
I nothing-f-1 cold
Re sekuie sera ?. . . Art thou fearful ? lit :
thou fearful?
Heheixecca sekuie Yes, I am fearful ti.e:
..... . .......... yes, I myself, fearful.
The verb ikd which has been considered by
some writers, as an equivalent to the au-
xiliary verb to be, meaning mere assertion,
is not so ; it signifies, on the contrary, a parti*
cular condition or situation of the subject, that
is ; it expresses a concrete mode of being and the
actual relation of the subject with the predicate
in a definite w^ay.
In English there is want of this special verb ;
because the verb to stand, which seems
like it, keeps, in general, the same particular
meaning of the Latin stare, to be erect.
But in the Romance languages this verbstare
has not kept such a limited signification, and, in
general, means the existence of a subject in a
certain state or condition at a certain time. From
the following examples will be better understood
what is its proper use and import ; ex :
It. sto bene, = Sp. stoy bien,= Port.
estou bom, = original Latin words sto bene,
which means precisely I stand well ; whilst the
actual meaning of this sentence in the above
Romance languages is : I am icell, or rather,
I feel ic ell now.
The meaning of the Brasilian verb ikd
is entirely identical with the aforesaid stare
of the Romance languages ; and, therefore, if
U4
we had to express the foregoing sentences,
m hatti, re poranga, combined with such
a verb, saying, for instance, xa-iho katu,
re-iko poranga, their signification, now, would be,
precisely, this : I am irell or I feel well, at this
moment, and thou lookest pretty, at this moment,
which would be different from their previous
meaning.
In short, the verb ikd always implies the
idea of a certain state at the time spoken of.
1O> . Another fact, which we consider, as
deserving especial remark, is the use of adjectives
agreeing with verbs in the same way, as if these
were true substantives ; ex : pdh, to awake,
xe pdh, my waking ; her, to sleep, re-her>
thy sleeping ; so, to go, i-xd, = i-so, his
going, etc.
In such a usage we discover manifest relics
of the preceding period of the language, when
words had yet no grammatical distinction among
them, that is ; when all words were the original
expressions of feelings and ideas, scarcely
distinguished, as predicative and demonstrative
roots .
IID
The peculiar construction of some verbs
1O6. A very notable idiom of the Brasi-^
lian language is the peculiar construction of
certain verbs, which appear governing another
verb, as their object. Thus, for instance:
Lat. volo videre, I wish to see, Br.
oca mahepotdre; literally, = I to. see wish;
Lat. jubetis ilium occidi, you order him
to be killed, = Br . pe-iukd kdre ae, or p3 ae
pe-iukd kdre; lit. = you to kill order him,
or you him to kill you order.
Lat . scimus Tupy loqui, we can speak
Tupy, = Br. iane ia-nehee kudu Tupy ; lit :
ice speak can Tupy, &, &.
The verbs, which usually require this especi.
al construction of the sentence, are : potdre,
to wish or will ; kudu, to know or can ; maasy,
to need or to feel uneasy about ; kdre, to make
or to bid make. [94]
The sentences formed with these verbs
also constitute an exception to the general rule
of pronouns, as subjects, which we have treated
of already in the foregoing. [
u6
To need and (to) will
. We cannot fail to remark the usual
distinction, made by our savage people, between
the two ideas, expressed by the verbs (to)
will and to need. They express them by the
words potdre, and masy The latter is
derived from the root asy, to feel pain or grief;
c f : r md-asy,to be sick or to feel hurt;
ye-moasy, to be stimulated or aggravated ;
ma-asp , to grow sick ; etc .
Now, let us see the distinction : potare is
used, when they mean to express a desire or
want, the satisfaction of which depends on
human power, as, for instance : I wish to go, =
oca so potare, or I desire to eat fish, = xa
u-potdre pird, & &. But when, instead of a
simple desire, depending on their free-will or
choice, they speak of a natural necessity, as of
drinking, eating, sleeping, etc . , they never use
the verb potdre, but the verb masi/ only,
which expresses a necessity imposed on man.
Indeed, we can rightly say : we wish to eat
fish, or to eat bread, & ; but we must say, we
need eating, as it is a thing indispensable to life.
And it is for this reason, that sentences, such
as, I need eating, and drinking, are usually
expressed in Brasilian by the verb masy ;
namely : xa-iu masy ; lit : I eating or
drinking need,
As is seen from the preceding example,
this verb or verbal root masy is liable to
the same grammatical construction of the verbs
potare, kudu, etc. [ See IOG ] .
Est meum, est tuum, etc.
. As it is natural to their intellectual
conditions, savage people, in the most ordinary
way of speaking, use only concrete names.
It is clear, that abstract words denote a certain
degree of mental culture, to which, in general,
they cannot attain by their simple way of living
restricted to eating, drinking, hunting and the
like.
Hence results, that phrases like these : Lat.
est meum, = Fr. c'est a moi, it is mine;
and again: Lat. est tuum, Port . e teu, it is
thine; can only be expressed in Br. lang. by
the possessive agreeing with a noun, clearly
expressed, namely: s mad, ne maa, = my
thing, thy thing.
The copula est (is) is omitted, because
such a verb does not exist in Brasilian*.
DIVISION OP TIME
1OO. Brasilian savage tribes did not divide
time into months and weeks ; at the most, they in-
dicated the space between the one moon and the
other, by the word yacy, which means, pro-
perly, the moon.
a) But, afterwards, through being catechised,
or through dealing with white people, they have
come to designate the days of the week with
special names, as follows :
Sunday (*) Motou or metuu.
Monday ( 2 ) Morauke-pe.
Tuesday ( 3 ) Morauke-mokoT .
Wednesday ( k ) Morauke-mosapur .
Thursday ( 8 ) Supapau.
Friday ( 6 ) lukuaku.
Saturday ( 7 ) Sauru.
( 1 ) Motdu,=md (formative element of verbs)
[ 96 ]4- tuu=potuu, rest, repose ;=the resting-
day.
( 2 ) Moraukepe,=morauke, to work,+ pe =
yepe, one ; =the first working day .
( 3 ) Morauke-mokoi , = morauke, -+ mokoe,
two ;=the second working day.
( 4 ) Morauke-mosapur , = morauke , +- mo-
sapur, three ;=the third working-day.
( 5 ) Supapdu, su=sdd , meat, +popaw =
opdu, to be finished ;=the day in which the
eating of meat is finished.
( 6 ) Iukuaku,=ukuaku, to fast, i. e: m, to
eat or the eating,-!- kuaku, to put a stop to;=a
day, in which eating is suppressed .
( 7 ) Sauru, = sabaru, is a corruption of the
Portuguese word sdbbado, Saturday.
Days and nights
b) The savages divide day and night into sev-
eral portions of time, after the position of the sun
in the day-time, after the course or the rising and
setting of the moon or the stars, at night .
120
We give, in the examples below, a complete
idea of this usage :
Space of time Names
From the sun-rise to 9
o'clock Koema (morning) .
From 9 o'clock to noon. Koarasy-uate, ( sun
high).
' Noon Saie,or ianddra (ian-
dara,= iande,our,
-\-dra, time,='our
time . )
From noon to 5 o'clock. Ara, (time).
From 5 o'clock to 7
o'clock in the evening Karuka, (darkening.)
From 7 o'clock to mid-
night Pituna, (quite dark).
Midnight Pusaie.
From midnight to 4
o'clock Pituna poku ( long
From 4 o'clock to 6 in night.)
the morning Koema piranga (mor-
From 6 o'clock to 9 ning red.)
o'clock. Koema.
121
SALUTATION OR GREETING
HO. The words used by the savages, as
greeting, which may correspond to our "good
morning, good evening " etc, are these: lane
koema, good morning, that is, literally: our
morning ; lane karuka, good evening, i. e:
our evening ; iane pituna, good night, lite-
rally: our night.
The person, the salutation is addressed
to, ought to reply in each one of these
cases: Inddue, that is, = thine also. This
word indaue isInd(e), thine, + aue also.
COLOURS
111. Those, which they distinguish ordi-
narily, are the following :
White Murutinga (in compound
words ting a, only .
Yellow Taud, (also yuba) .
Black Pixuna or pituna (in
comp. words ima,only.
Red Piranga.
Azure Suikura .
Green lakura .
Grey Tuura .
122
REVIEW OF VARIOUS AGGLUTINATIVE FORMS
(I). To mark number :
Kurumi, a boy Kurumi-etd, boys .
Kise, a knife Kise-eta, knives.
Meape, a loaf Meape-eta, loaves.
Po, the hand Po-etd, hands.
Putyra, a flower .... Putyra-etd, flowers.
Sesd or tesd (t=s)
an^eye Tesd-etd, eyes.
Taina, a child TaTna-eta, children.
Kdahd, this Koahd-eta, these.
Nahd, that Naha-etd, those.
Naha-amd,iha.t other Naha-amd-etd, those
others .
Amd, other Amo-eta, others.
Se-mad, mine /Se maa-etd, mine(plur).
Ne-mad, thine Ne-mad-etd,thme($lur).
I-mad, his or hers. . . I-mad-eta, theirs.
Yane mad, our ...... Yane-mad-etd, ours.
Ae f he, she, it Aeta, they [33] .
123
( II ). To mark gender :
(a)
Apegdua, man. . . (*) Kuriha, woman.
Kurumt, boy ....... Kunha-ten, girl
Mu, brother ........ Rendera, sister.
Tuba, father ....... Sy, mother.
Andma-apegdua, a
male relation ..... Anama-kunhd, a female
relation.
Ydudra-apegdua,(iog Yaudra-kunha, bitch.
Pixana-apegdua,\LQ-
cat .............. Pi&ana-kunha, she cat.
Suasume apegdua, he
goat ............. Suasume-kunha, she
goat.
Tapyra-apegdua, an
ox ____ [31, 32] ____ Tapyra-kunha, a cow.
(*) This form, as we see, is not agglutinative ; the gender is
rendered by distinct names.
124
(III). To form augmentatives and diminutives
(a)
Apegdua, man... Apegdua-uasu, a tall man,
(=Por t . homenzarrao .
Kunha, woman.. Kunha-uasu, a big wo-
man, (=Port. mulhe-
rona.
Kurumi, boy ..... Kurumi-uasu,& big boy , (=
Port. rapagdo.
Oka, house ...... Oka-uasu,& large house,
(=Port. casao.
Apegdua, man... Apegdua-miri , a short
man , ( = Port. ho-
mensinho .
Kunha, woman . . . Kunha-miri, a short wo-
man, (=Port. mulher-
sinha .
Kurumi, boy ..... Kurumf-miri , a little
boy ( = Port. rapa-
zinho.
Oka, house ...... Oka-mirt, a small house.
[ 35, 36 ]
125
(IV). To mark degree of quality or to express
comparison
(a)
Katu, good Kutu-pyre, better.
Turusu , great ,
large, broad. . .. Turusu-pyre, greater, lar-
ger, broader.
Pooci, bad Poxi-pyre, worse.
Mirt, small or lit-
tle Mir? -pyre, less, lesser-
Poku, long Poku-pyre, longer.
Poranga , fine ,
pretty Poranga-pyre, finer, pret-
tier.
<e)
Katu, good Katu(r)ete, very good .
Maradre, tired . . . Maradre(r)ete, very tired.
Poranga, fine. . . . Poranga-ete, very fine or
the finest .
Turusu; great . . . . Turusu-ete, very great,
the greatest . [ TO ]
ia6
(V). -~ To express state, condition, business or
office, etc.
to
to
Kaui, brandy. ,
Kuriha, woman
Meap4, bread.
Kaui-piranga, wine, (pi-
rang a, red .
Kunhd-kodra-yma, a vir-
gin, (=kodra, " fora-
inine,-h i/ma,sine",= an
intact or untouched wo-
man., intr eg a filia.
Kunha-imena-momoxiha-
rd, an adulteress, (ime-
na, married , + mo-
mo&i=mopoxi, to ruin
or to vitiate, +(^ara, an
agent, or person ; = a
woman, who violates
matrimony.)
Kunha-dba, a gown, (oba,
clothes.
Meape-monhangdra, a ba-
ker, (monhang,to make,
-\-dra, an agent ',a per-
son, who makes bread.
- I2 7
Mendara, to marry
or matrimony... Mendasdra-yma, a bache-
lor ; mendara, -f-
(s)dra, an agent, -\-yma,
without or not ;a man
not married.
Menduba, father in-law ;
mendara,+uba = tuba,
father; i. e: the father
of matrimony.
Mlrd, people Mira-resd-pe, publicly ;
mlra , 4- resd = sesd ,
eyes, -+ pe (prep . ) in ;=
in the eyes of the people.
Mird-reapu, an uproar, a mob ; mira, +
reapu = teapu, noise ; = the noise of people .
Mira-reko-rupy ', popular, common;^ra, 4-
rekd, custom, -h rupy, by ( prep. ) ; = according
to the popular custom.
Mo = monha, to
make Mo-apyre-sdba, increase,
augment mo,-\- (a)pyr
=pyre, i&QYQ,-\-(s]dba,
a suffix, like the English
ness in the word good-
ness; = to make some-
thing become more.
128
Mokdua or mo-
kdba, musket.,
Mokdua or mo-
kdba, musket. ,
Okudu = kudu, to
know, or to be
learned . .
Oyaby = yciby, to
miss, to mistake.
0-ydk = yok , to
separate
Moka-oka-mirt, garrison ;
mokdua,+oka, house;
+-miri, small \=a place,
where - in there are
soldiers icith muskets.
Moka-oka~osu, fortress,
moka-oka, + osu, great ;
i e: a place uhere-in
there are a great many
muskets.
Okudu -y ma -osu, a savage
man ; okuau, -f- yma
without, -f- osu, great;
= a great ignorant man .
Oyapy-akanga-pupe , to
commit a blunder ; ya-
pp = yaby, + akanga,
head,+p^p^ in (prep.) ;
= to miss with the head.
O-ydka-iahanga-sui, to dis-
suade ; yok, -4- iakanga
129
= akanga, + sui, from
(prep.) ; = to remove out
of the head.
Q-pisik, to hold, to
grasp 0-p'tsih-tayra-rdma, to a-
dopt ; o-pisih, -f- tayra,
son, + rdma or ardma,
to or for (prep.) ; i e:
to take for a son .
(*) Pay a, priest or
friar Paya-etd-roka, a convent ;
paya-etd, ( plural )
friars, -f- (r)oka, house ;
i, e : a house of friars .
paya, 4- nongdra, like
or alike ; = a man, like
father .
Poldre, to wish . . . Potare-uasu or potare-
opai, ambition, covetous-
ness ; potare, + uasu
great, or opai, every-
thing ; = to covet all .
(') Corruption of Iho Port, word pae, father.
9
i3o
Tdba, village or
town Toiba-pora, free -man, citi-
zen ; pora, person
[40] ; = who lives in the
town.
Tayra, son Tayra-angdba, a god -son ;
tayra, H- ang spirit,
H- aba, (suffix) thing ; =
a son by the spirit.
Timiu, meal, re-
past Timiu-mdnhangdra , a
cook ; timiu, H- mo-
rihangdra, who makes.
Tinodba t the beard. Tinodba-monhangdra, a
barber.
(VI). To mark tenses of verbs :
Xa mondk, I cut . . Xa monok-dn, I have cut .
Re-kudu , thou
knowest Re-kudu-dn, thou knewst.
Aeo-potdre, he de-
sires Ae o~potdre-an, he desired.
lande ia-pdu, we
finish lande ia-pdu-an,~we finish-
ed.
Pe~-pe-saharu,you
wait Pel pe-saharu-an, you
have waited .
Aitd o-mahe, they
look Aitd o-mahJ-an, they
looked .
Xa monha, I make Xd monha-kuri, I will
make.
Re-mo-aku, thou
warmest Re-mo- aku-kuri, thou wilt
warm .
Ae o-ikd ike, he is
here Ae o-iko-kuri ike, he will
be here
lane ia-u, we eat
or we drink. . . . lane ia-u-kuri, we will eat
or drink .
Pe-raso, you take
out Pe-rasd-kuri,you will take
out.
Aetd o-mondu,ih.6y
send Aetd-o-mondu-kuri, they
will send . [s? to sa]
132
(VII) To express the present, past, future agent,
or subject :
Monha, to make. . . Monha-sara, who makes,
now.
Monha, to make.. Monhd-udra or monhd
pyra, that who has
made.
Karihem, to fly, to
run away Kanhem-bora or kanhem-
pora, who runs away
very often or continually,
a fugitive man.
Rasb, to takeaway Raso-rama, about to take
away .
[ For further illustration on these last
words, seethe nos. 41,43,44]
ORIGINAL WORDS
. The list below contains several terms
of Brasilian speech, that we suppose to be,
with a few exceptions, original ones, both in form
and meaning.
[ Besides, see "onomatopaic words" no. 66 ].
i33
A, formerly, the pronoun of the first person
sing, and now used, as the personal prefix
of the same person . [ss]
Aan (interjection), I say not.
Ab, to open, to cut, to divide, to turn up ; cf:
iby-ab, to break up the soil,(=iby t soil,+a&) ;
o-ab putyra, the flower expands, ( = o, pers,
prefix -f- ab, -\-putyra, flower ) .
AM, creature, human being; cf: abd-nee, hu-
man speech, that is, the speech of the natives of
the country, (= abd,-\-nee 3 speech) ; abd-rekd,
the state or natural condition of man,( a#a,+r-
kd*=tekd, state, condition, custom), [ss] ; aba
rod, human flesh, (=abd,-{-rdd=sdd, flesh).
Aby, to miss, that is, not to hit the mark, not
to reach or to attain.
Ae, he, this, that, etc. [46]
Aib or ayba, bad, evil, also an interjection, =
unfortunate ! poor-devil !
Aha, point; cf: akudi, pointed; akab,
to fight, that is, to turn the point of lance
against somebody, (=aka,-}-ab, to turn).
Aku, warm, to warm.
Am, to be up, to stand firm, to rise up, to be
over-placed or to over-rule.
- i3 4 -
Ambu (on.), sonorous, sounding, to sound.
Ami, to squeeze, to hold fast, to clinch, etc.
Ang, spirit, life, or the origin of life ; cf:
mo-ang, to think, ( = md, particle [n . as ],
-I- ang, spirit) ; and again : mo-ang, to
engender, to give life to.
Apyk or apig, to sit down, seated, steady, to
be quiet, etc. ; cf: iby-apik, to sit down, that is,
to sit upon the soil,( = iby, land or soil, -f- apyk) .
Ar, to be born, to occur, to fall, to bring
forth, etc. [*r]
Asy, to be in pain, to ache.
Asu, great, large, big, tall, etc.
Atir, hill, heap, pile.
Bae = ae, thing, this, that, etc. , etc. [45,40]
Bag, to turn, to move the body; cf: bang,
turned up.
Bebe (on.), to fly. [ee]
Bdg (on.), to cleave, to crack, to be parted by
force, etc.
Bdbdg (frequentative), to shoot, to burst with
great noise.
Bur (on.), to spout, to spurt, to spring up or
to rouse, to gush out with noise.
i35
Ee, (or a), yes, I say yes; cf: nhee, to
tell, to speak, or the speech.
E, (contracted form of ae), the third person,
= another ; cf: abdd, a distinct or different
person, (neither I, northou), (abd,-t-e ae).
Em or ema, to empty, to become void.
Endi, to call, to name, to call upon.
Ed or ted, to die, to finish, to succumb or to
yield, to fail.
l&u, (on.), to belch, or belching.
Goene or guena(on.), to vomit.
Guey or hey (on.), to toast, or rather, to frolic,
frolicking .
Guegue (on. frequentative), to be hoarse, or
having a rough voice, raucus, or husky.
Hdang, to measure, to compare, to confer.
Hesd=sesd, eyes.
Hiy, to depress, to lower.
Ho = so, to go, to go away .
Job
Iby, land, earth, origin. [4s]
Ike or iky, here, to come in.
Ir ovyr, to get loose, to leave off, and also (used
as suffix) to raise, to pick up ; cf: akd-Mr, to raiso
the head ; kaa-pir, to clear, to remove herbs or
trees ; supir= tupir, to take up, to lift ; tipy-
kuir, to disti], to take out the liquid, etc.
lar (.ar), to take away, to take by force ;
cf : iara, the owner.
Isig, to glue, to stick, to unite, to adhere, and
also to hold, to catch.
ltd, stone, metal, in general, [sy]
ly or yg, water, to flow, [so]
Compare: (*)
Koriaikish ( Oriental Asia ). . . . i ;
Semoyedlsh ( Siberia ) 'i, or iy ;
Kamtchahish ( Oriental Asia ). iy, or ya;
Mandingoish ( Central Africa ) . . yi ;
Erse uisg ;
Irish isg ;
Albanean ( South Europe ) ui ;
Arabic ( Oriental Asia ) mat ;
[L'etude comparative dea langues par le Baron de
Merian, Pariz 1828. ]
lt herb, wood, leaves of tree, ; of: ipeka-
kuanha or pekad-guana, medicinal herb, (pe
^=peb, flat, low,-\-kad, herl),H-0wana, to vomit;
= an herb, which makes vomit, an emetic agent).
Kdb, to wound, to strike, to hurt, to light.
[ See akdb ] .
Kar = kari, to order, to force to make, to con-
strain, etc.
Kau or hatu. wine, (had, herb, -\-u, drink,
potion).
Ker, to sleep 5 sleeping.
Kudu, to know, to understand, etc.
Kuvkui See guzgue .
Kdi, to burn, to be ardent.
K6, the plantation, (the place planted).
Kut, far, at great distance
Kuir or huir-kuir (on. frequentative), to
rain, to drop, to trickle.
Kud, the waist; of: ku-dr, to tie about, to
gird, to embrace, etc.
Kuk (on.), to beat, to crack.
i38
Mad, thing.
Mae, (or make) to see, to look, (the voice of
one who indicates or shows a thing.
Mbae, See bae .
Mdmd=madmad (frequentative), to file, to
roll, to put a thing upon others, to make a bundle.
Meme, the same ; that is, continuous, uninter-
rupted, as the two syllables repeated me-me.
Meen or meeng, to give.
Mi or mtmi, to hide, or to abscond oneself.
M6 9 to make, [so]
Mu, brother, a relation.
IS"
Nhee, to speak. (See ee). To nhee belong the
derivatives :
Nee-gu, to swallow the word, or to be
reticent. . .
Neeg-uru (on.), to mutter, to whisper ;
Neegetd, to speak too long, ( neeg, +- etd,
much, many) ;
Nee-taby, to speak incorrectly or to speak
non-sense.
- i3 9 -
Obtob, leaves, in general ; when is used as
verb, it means to spread, to stretch, and also, to
cover .
Og = dk, (on.), to take by force, to pull, to
pluck off, and also, which is squeezed out or
sprung forth from one thing squeezed.
Pa (on.), to sound, toned, sonorous, etc.
Pa a (on./, to entangle oneself, (the voice of
one who has something in the throat), to
choke, etc.
Pab or pau, to finish, all is finished, com-
pleted ; cf: pabe, all, all together, (pab =
pdu,-\- e = ae, this or that thing).
Pag or pak, to awake, awaked.
Pdnpdn (on.), to spring, to shoot out, to re-
bound.
Pe, way, path, track, course; and from this:
pe : dr, to cross to athuart a place, to hinder. [4*]
Peb, flat, low.
Pebur ( is a derivative of peb ), to swell,
swollen, to become flat.
140
Peteg or petek (on.), to beat, that is, the
clapping of hands .
Pi, the skin.
Pig, to cease, to leave off, to give over,
to stop.
Pindd or pind, to harpoon, or every thing
which is harpooned ; (pindd is, precisely, the
hook or fish-gig].
Pipig (on.), to boil, to gush violenty, and also
to scintillate.
Pirog (it is a derivative), to peel or to skin,
etc; ( pi, skin,+m7 o#, to * a ^ e > to pull off).
Pita, to stay, to rest in a place.
Piu, soft, smooth.
Pd, hand .
Pog=pok(on.), to break into pieces, to burst
with great noise.
Pukd (on.), to laugh, that is, to expand, to
open one's heart .
Pong (on.j, to sound, to beat, sounding.
Pug (on.), to shoot out, to crack.
Pupu or pupur (on.), to boil, that is, the
water of the pot boiling with noise.
Pupu or piipung (on.), to wound with blows,
to strike buffets.
Py, foot, base, seat, sitting, etc.
Pya, heart, and also the thorax.
Rd, marked, painted, with stripes.
Rob, to loosen, to unbind or unfasten.
Ry = tiy, the liquid, the humor, sweat, or the
current of water, etc.
Ririy, (frequentative) to tremble, to shake
with cold or on account of fear .
Rob, bitter, to embitter or to be embittered.
Rog = tog, to cover, covering, etc. , and also
to stop.
Sdang, to ape, to imitate the voice of some-
body.
Sa-sdi (frequentative), to spread, to scatter
about, etc.
Sem, to go out, to be off. [See EmJ\
Sesd = tesd, eyes or sight, the sense of seeing.
Se-sem (frequentative of Sem), to shed, to be
dispersed, to empty.
Sey, to need. [See Asy, IOT],
Sir, sharp -pointed, keen-edged.
Sdg =sdk (on.), to pluck off, to draw violent-
ly, etc .
142
So, to go.
Sod, animal, game, flesh or meat ; and also, to
feed or to give for food.
S6u (it is a derivative), to bite, that is, to eat
meat ; (sod, meat, -\-u, to eat).
Sy or sig, spring, fountain, origin, mother,
a well. [See Ig].
Td, to abound, to exist in plenty, etc.
Ta<g=tak (on.) to beat, to make noise.
Tai = sdi, acid ou sour, piquant.
Tang (it is a derivative), new, vigorous, fixed,
hard ; (ta, plentous, -f- ang, life or spirit).
Tdr, to take or to catch. [47]
Tata (on.), fire ;= the noise of fire burning
wood.
Tata, (on.), strong, solid, having the sound
of a well strung chord.
Toto (on.), to palpitate, palpitation.
Torib, merry, joyful, to rejoice, etc.
Tu or tuk (on.), to strike a blow.
Tutu (frequentalive), to wound somebody with
blows .
Tuba, father. " From this word^ we think,
143
was derived: Tupdn, God; Tupatuba, father
H-an, elevation, superiority, or elevated, over-
ruling, i. e: the father above:"
Tete or tute, body, the human body.
Tim, the nose.
U, to eat and drink.
Ub, to lie down, to rest in peace ; (ub means,
precisely, the thigh.)
Un, black or negro; cf: pituna, night.
Ungd, to hand, to touch, to handlle, etc.
Ur tur, to come, to arrive.
Xdocd (on.), to tear, to cut asunder, etc.
CHAPTER XII
BRASILIAN COMPOSITIONS
. Under this head we arrange " the
Lord' sprayer "and a few legends of the Indians,
written in Brasilian by Dr . Couto de Magalhaes
in his excellent work, Selvagem, to which we
144
are already indebted for other references made
in this book .
We have endeavoured to be literal inbur trans-
lation imitating, as nearly as possible, the
originals, and. the only alterations made are owing
to the orthography, that we have, especially,
adopted .
It is unnecessary to be recollected, that with
such a translation we mean, principally, to
give " more complete instances " of the usual
speech of the Brasilian tribes and thus to enable
the reader to apreciate, by himself, the correct
application of the rules, we have stated before.
Accordingly, we will present : firstly,** the
original Brasilian compositons, secondly, the
English translation, thirdly, the explanation
of the grammatical construction and the meaning
of each term separately.
NHANE RUBA
- ( l ) Nhane Ruba o-iko uad nahd
uudk ope;
( 2 ) Ne re'ra o-yo-moete (t)o-ikd;
( 3 ) Re-mehe iane ardma uudka, mame re~
iko :
143 -
( ; ) Ne remimutdra (t)o-oyo-monha uud-
lia-pe, iour (*) yupe;
( s ) Re-mete oiij iane ardma iane remiu
ara yepe yepe sui-udra ;
( 6 ) Re-mehv ne iron iane angaipdua rese,
may-aue ia-mehv kuri iane yron aitd supe
inti o-monha-na katu uacl iane arama ;
( 7 ) Inti rexdre, iane lard, ia-monha poxi
mad-eta ;
( 8 ) Repusuru iane opai mad aua sul; Amen.
TRANSLATION
The Lord's prayer
Our Father which art in heaven ;
Hallowed be thy name ;
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven ;
Give us this day our daily bread ;
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors ;
And lead us not into temptation ;
But deliver us from evil; Amen.
(*) lour moans cither, or, and also, neither, nor. PlOOl
10
146
Literal EXPLANATION
(*) Nhane=iane, our; Ruba = tuba, father;
o-ikd, is; uad, who [*s ] ; naha, that; uudk
or ybdk, heaven; ope, in.
(*) N&, thy ; rm&, name ; o, pers . prefix,
yo, particle [s*] moete, to venerate ; to-i&o =
o-t'&d, be (the is used to denote the third pers.
of the Imperative), that is, be hallowed.
( 3 ) Re-mehe, give; iane, us, ardma, to or
for; uudk, heaven; mame, where; re-iho,
Thou art ;
( 4 ) N&, thy ; remimutara, will ; ( t sign of
the Imperative) o (pers. ipref.),yo-monha,
be done; uuaka-pe, in heaven; iuur,
as well as ; yupe = ibype, in earth.
( 6 ) Re-mehe, give ; o^, today ; iane ardma,
to us ; iane remiu , our bread ; ara yepe yepe
suiudra, day each one of.
( 6 ) Re-mehe, give ; ne yron, thy forgiveness ;
iane angaipdua rese, our debts for ; may-aue,
as well as; ia-mehe kuri, we will give ; iane
yron, our forgiveness ; aita supe, them to ; inti
o-monha, not do ; katti, well ; uad, who ; iane
ardma, us to.
147 -
C) Inti re-xare, not leave ; iane Idra, our
Lord, ia-monha, we to do ; poooi maa-etd, bad
actions.
( 8 ) Rfrp&stiru, deliver ; iane, us ; opat, all ;
maa, things ; aua = ayba, evil, that is, all evil
things. Amen.
May pituna o-yo-kudu an . . . .
116. lupirungdua rame, inti-mad pituna;
ara anho opai dra ope .
Pituna o-keri o-iko iy rupy-pe.
Inti-mad soo-e-td', opai mad o-rihee .
Boia-Uasu membyra, ipahd, o-yo-menar
yepe kurumi-uasu irumo .
Koahd hurumi-uasuo-rekd masapur miasua
katu-rete.
Oiepe dra ope, o-sendi mosapur miasua,
o -nhee aitd supe :
Pekoi pe-uatd, se remirekd inti o-keri
pot are se irumo .
Miasua o-sd-an.
Arame ae o-senoi ocemireko okeri ardma ae
irumo .
148
Xemireko o-suaxdra : Inti rai pitima.
Inli-mad pituna ; dra anho.
Se ruba o-reko pituna.
Re-keri potare rame se irumo, re-mondu
pidmo aeparand rupy .
Ae o-senoi musapur miasua ;
Xemireko o-mundu aitd iruba oka piri o-
sd o-piamo ardma yepe tukuman-rainha .
Aitd o-suka rame Boia-Uasuokadpe, koahd
o-mehe aitd supe tukuman-rainha, oyo-sikindu
rete, o-nhee :
Kusukui ana ; re-rasd tenhv ; inti pe-
pirdri kuri^pe'pirarirame.pe-kanhumO'kuri !
Miasua o-sd-an ; o~senffn teapu tukuman
rainha pepe : ten, ten, ten =tukura-etd
reapu, iui-etd irumo, o-nheeg-ar uad pituna
rame .
Miasua o-ikd rame* ana apekatu, oiepe
suiudra o-nheei iromo-udra-etd supe: Mad-
td koakd teapu ?
la-sd ia make f
lakumayua o-nhee ; Inti-mad ; kurumu
tahd ia kanhumo kuri ; pe-apukui,ia*sd ana !
Aitd o-sd an.
Aitd o-sendn o-ikd teapu ; inti o-kudu mad
nhaha teapu uad.
Aitd o-ikd apekatu rete ana rame, aitd 0-yo-
149
mo-atiri igdra-piterape, opirdri ardma tuku-
man rainha, o -make ardma mad o-iko i pope ;
Oiepe o-modyka tatd, aild o mo-yotyku
iraity, osikinau oikd uad tukuman rainha ;
o-kenar.
Aitd o-pirdri rame, kuruty-udrapituna-uasu
ana \
Arame iahumdyua o-nhev : la-kanhumo !
Kunha moku (s)oka ope o-kudu-an iane ia-
pirdri koahd tukuman-rainha !
Aitd o-sd an .
Kunha moku sdka 6pe o-nhev i mena supe :
Aitd opirari pituna. Kuyr ia-sd ia-saru
koema.
Arame opai mad, o-sdin oiko uaa had rupy,
oysereo sod ardma, uyrd ardma.
Opai mad, o-sdin oikd parand rupy> oyereo
ipekd ardma, pird ardma\
Uru-sakanga o-yereo idudra-ete ardma ; pira-
kasdra oysereo i igdra irumo ipeka ardma : i
akanga ipek-akanga ardma ; i igdra ipeka
sete ardma ; i apukuitdua oyereo ipeka-retima
ardma.
Boia- Uasu membyra o-mah rameyasi-tdta-
uasu, o-nhee i mena supe: Koema o-iur oikd ;
oca so xa mom ara pituna sui.
i5o
Arame ae o-mamdn inimd, o-nhee : Inde
cuyubT kuri,o-nhevgar ardma,koema o-iur rame
kuri. Kodi o-monhd cuyub? : o-mo-piranga i
setima uruku irumo, 0-motinga i akanga taba-
tinga irumo ; o-nhet iocupe : Re-nheegar-
kuri opai card ope, koema o-iur rame !
Arire ae o-mamdn inimd, o-nhee : Inde
inambu kuri.
0-pisika tanimuka, omburi sese, o-nheo
i-ocupe: Ine inambu kuri, onhe^ngdr arama
kuruka rame } pituna rame,pusaie rame,pituna-
poku rame, koema piranga rame. [io?>, b]
Ad-sui uyrd-etd o-nheegdr dra katu ope,
koema o-ur rame,omorori arama dra.
Mosapur miasua o-sukarame, kurumi-uasu
o-nhee aitd supe : Penhe inti pe-supi-udna !
Penhe pe-pirdri pituna\ Penhe pe-monha udn
opai mad oka-yma ! Aarse pe-yereo makakai
arama opai dra ope ;< pe-uatd mura-rakanga
rupy eatire ....
HOW NIGHT BEGAN
In the beginning there was no night ; day
only was all time;
The night was sleeping in the depth of waters ;
There were no animals ; all things spoke ;
The daughter of the Great Serpent, they tell,
had married to a young-man ;
This young-man had three faithful servants.
One day he called these three servants and said
to them .
Go and walk, because my wife is un-
willing to sleep with me ;
The servants went away ; and then he called
his wife to sleep with him ;
The daughter of the Great Serpent replied to
him :
"It is night not yet".
The young-man said to her : There is no
night ; day only is all time ;
The young-woman spoke: my father pos-
sesses the night .
If you want to sleep with me, bid seek it
there on the river .
The young -man called the three servants ;
The young woman ordered them to go to her
father's house and to bring a stone of tucuman; (*)
The three servants went out, arrived at the
house of the Great Serpent ; this gave them a
stone of tucuman, completely closed, and said to
(*) It is a Brazilian palm-tree.
ID2
them : Here it is; take it. Take care!
Do not open it , otherwise all of you shall
perish !
The servants returned, and were hearing noise
within the stone of tucuman, thus : tin, tin,
tin, xi... xi, xi..., it was the note of the
cricket and of the small frogs, who sing at night.
When they were far already, one of them said
to his companions : Let us see what noise is
this?
The pilot observed : No ; else, we shall be
lost. Let us go away ; pull the oars !
They went on, and continued to hear that
noise within the stone of tucuman, and could not
understand what noise was that ;
When they were far off, they assembled in the
middle of the canoe, lighted a fire, melted the
pitch, which covered the stone, and opened it.
Suddenly all grew dark !
The pilot, then, said: We are lost! The
young-woman, at home, knows already, that we
opened the stone of tucuman !
They went on their voyage .
The young-woman at home said then to her
husband:
They delivered night ; Let us wait for
the morning.
i53
At this time all the things, which were scatter-
ed throughout the wood , became transformed
into animals and birds ;
The things, which were scattered throughout
the river, were transformed into goose and fish.
From the basket was engendered the panther ;
the iisher with his canoe was transformed into a
goose: from his head sprang the head and bill
of the goose; from the canoe sprang the body
of the goose ; from the oars sprang the legs of
the goose.
The daughter of the Great Serpent, when
she saw Venus (star), said to her husband:
Dawn approaches ; I go to separate the day
from the night .
Then she rolled up a thread, and said :
Thou shalt be a cuyubin. So she made the
cuyiibin. She painted the head of the cuyubin
white with tabatinga (clay) ; she painted his
legs red with urucu (a red fruit), and, then,
she said : Thou shalt sing, for ever, when
morning breaks .
She rolled up, again, the thread, scattered
ashes over it, and said: Thou shalt be inanibu,
to sing during the whole time of the night and of
the dawn .
Thenceforward, all birds have sung at
- i5 4 -
their determined times, and all together sing at
dawn to rejoice the beginning of day . . .
When the three servants arrived, the
young-man said to them : You were not
faithful ; you opened the stone of tucumdn ; you
set free [night ; all things were lost, and
you, yuorselves, who shall be transformed into
monkeys, and shall walk, for ever, climbing
on the branches of trees ! . ,
Literal TRANSLATION
lupirungdua rame, inti-mad pituna ; ara
anho opai dra ope .
Beginning when, nothing night : day alone all
time at .
Pituna o-kerl o-ikd ly rupy-pe.
Night slept it was water's-depth within .
Inti-mad soo-etd ; opai mad o-nhee .
Nothing animals ; all things spoke.
i55
Boia-Uassu membyra, ipahd, o-yo-menar
yepe kurumi-uasu irumo .
Serpent -Great's daughter, they tell , married
one boy big with.
Koahd kuruml-uasu o-rekd mosapur miasua
katu-rete.
This boy big had three servants faithful
very.
Oiepe ara ope, o-senoi mosapur miasua,
o-nhev ait a supe:
One day at, he called three servants, said
them to :
" Pekoe, pe-uatd ; se remirekd inti o-keri
potare se irumo . "
Go, walk ; my wife not sleep will me with.*
Miasua o-so-an.
Servants went .
Arame ae o-senoi xemireko okeri ardma a&
irumo:
Then he called his wife sleeping for, him
with.
Xemireko o-suaocdra : Inti rai pituna .
Wife replied : Not yet night.
Inti-mad pituna ; ara anho.
Nothing night ; day alone .
Se rub a o-rekd pituna.
My father has night .
i56
Re-keri potare rame se irumo, re-mondu
pidmo ae parand rupy.
Thou sleep to wantest if me with, bid seek it
river on.
Ae o-senoi mosapur miasua ;
He called three servants ;
Xemirehd o-mondu aild I ruba oka piri,
o-sd opiamo arama yepe tukuman rainka.
Wife bade them her father's house to, to go
to seek for one tucuman-stone.
Aitd o-suka rame, Boia-Uasu oka ope,
koahd o-meh aitd supe oiepe tukuman-rainha
oyo-sykindu rete, o-nhee:
They arrived when, Serpent-Great's house at,
this gave them to one tucuman-stone closed
quite, she said :
" Kusukui ana ; re-rasdtenhe;inti\pv-pirari'
huri; pv-pirdri rame,pe-kanhumo kuri "
Here it ; take with you ; not open shall ;
open if, you be lost shall.
Miasua o-sd an, o-senon teapu tukuman-
rainha pdpe : ten-ten, ten-ten... = tukura-
td reapu iui-etd irumo, o-nheegar uadpituna
rame.
Servants went away, they heard noise tucu-
man-stone within: tin-tin, ten-tern... = cricket's
noise small-frogs with, sing who night when.
- i5 7 -
Miasua o-iko rame ana apekatu, oiepe sui-
udrao-nhet \ irumo-uara-etd supe: " Mad
id koahd teapu ? la-sd ia-mahe ?
Servants were when already far off, one of
them said his companions to : " What this
noise ? We go we see ?
lakumdi/ua o-nhee : "Inti-mad ; kurumu tahd
ia-kanhumo kurl ; p3-apuktil t ia-so ana!
Pilot said : * ' Never ; otherwise we be lost
shall ; pull the oars, let us go away !
ATtd o-sd an.
They went away.
Aitd o-senon o-iko teapu; mti o-kudu mad
nhaha teapu uda.
They hear they were noise, not they understood
that noise what.
Ait a o-iho apekatu-rete an rame*, alia o-yo-
moatiri igara-pitera ope, opirarl ardma maa
oikd I pope . . .
They were far off when, they grouped canoe -
middle in, open to tucunam- stone, see to what
was its inside.
Oiepe o-modyk tatd; aitd o-moyotiku iraity,
o-siklndu o-iko uad tukuman-rainha ;
o-kenar.
One lighted fire; they melted the pitch, cove-
ring was which tucuman-stone ; they opened...
1 58
Aitd opirdri rame, kuruty-uara pituna-uasu
ana!
They opened when, suddenly night every
where !
Arame 1 iahumdyua o-nhet: " la-kanhumo !
Kunha-mohu soka ope o- kudu- an iane
ia-pirari ko-akd tukuman-rainha I "
Then pilot said : ' ' We are lost ! Young
woman house at knew already we opened this
tucuman-stone !"
Ait a o-sd an...
They went on .
Kunha-moku soka ope o-nhe2 i mena supe :
Ait a o-pirdri pituna.
Young-woman house at, said her husband to:
They opened night.
Kuur ia-sd ia-saru koema.
Now, we go we wait morning.
Arame opai mado-sain, o-ikduadkad rupy,
oyereu sod arama, uyrd arama.
Then all things scattered, were which wood
throughout, transformed animals into, birds
into.
Opai-mad o-sain, o-ikd uadparand rupy,
oyereu ipeka arama, pird arama.
All things scattered , were which river
throughout, transformed goose into, fish into .
-,5 9 -
Urursakanga oyereu idudra-ete arama; pird-
kasdra oyereu i igdra iromo ipeka arama:
i akanga, ipeka akanga arama; i igdra,
ipeka-sete arama ; i apukuitdua oyereu
ipeka retima arama .
Basket became transformed panther into; fisher
was transformed his canoe with goose into : his
head goose'shead into ; his canoe goose's body
into ; his oars were transformed goose's legs into.
Bota-Uasu membyra o-mahe rame yasi-tatd-
udsu, o-nhee i mena supe : Koema o-iur o-ikd;
oca so xa mom ara pituna sui .
Serpent-Great's daughter saw when star-fire
great, said her husband to : Dawn comes it is,
I go I divide day night from .
Arame al o-maman inimo, o-nhee : Inde
cuyubi kuri, o-nhee g-ar arama koema o-ur
rame kuri. Koai o-monha cuyubi :
Then she rolled up a thread, said: Thou
cuyubin shalt, sing to morning come when
shall . So she made cuyubin .
0-mopiranga i setima uruku irumo, omo-
tinga i akanga tabatinga irumo; o-nhee i-xupe :
Re-nheeg-ar kuri opai ara ope koema o-iur
rame.
She whitened his head white clay with, she
reddened his legs urucu with; she said him to :
i6o
Thou sing shalt all time at, morning comes
when.
Arame ae o-mamdn inimo, onhet : Inde
inambu kuri.
After she rolled up the thread, said : Thou
inambu shalt.
0-pisika tanimuka , ombure sese, o-nhee
i-xupe: Ine inambu kuri, onhe^g-ar arama,
karuka rame, pituna rame, pusaie rame ,
pituna-poku rame , koema piranga rame
[109, b ] .
She took ashes, scattered on it, said him to :
Thou inambu shalt, sing to, evening at, and
during the whole night. . . [i<>9 b].
Aa-sui uyrd-eta o-nheegar ara katu ope,
koema o-iur rame, omorory arama dra .
Thenceforward birds sing times determined
at, and morning comes when, rejoice to day.
Mosapur miasua o-suka rame, kurumi-uasu
o-nhee aitd supe: Penhe inti pe-supi-uan!
Penhe pe-pirdri pituna . Penhv pe-monha
udn opai-maa okayma ; aarse pe-yereu ma-
kakdi arama opaidra ope; pe-uatd mura-
rekanga rupy eatire /....
Three servants arrived when, young-man said
them to: You not faithful were! You de-
livered night* You made all things be lost;
161
therefore you shall become monkeys into, ever
for ; you shall walk tree- branches over climb-
ed!...*
KUNHA-MOKU 0-SO UAA 0-SIKARI MENA
Kunha-moku, Mykura
Oiepe kunha-moku o-nhee i sy supe :
Xa so xa sikari se mena ;
Xa pur ar are rete iu-masy !
Ae o-sd an ; o-suka o-an, mame o-ikd mosa-
pur pe, o-puranu : mad-td Inaye pe ? (*)
Oiepe pe ope, ae o-mahv inambu-rdua ; ara-
me ae o-maite-oan : Koahd Inaye pe.
O-sd -an ae rupy .
Opausape, o-yo-iuanti oka, mame o-ikd
yepe uaimi 6-apyk-oikd uad tat a remehupe ;
o-nhee :
Ine sera Inaye sy ?
Uaimi o-suaocdra : Ixe ae terihe .
(*) Inaye is the Brasilian name of a sparrow-hawk, very beautiful
and rapacious. And as it seems natural, what is fine and able to got
plenty of food is considered by the savage, as the richest and tho best
ono.
11
162
Kunha-moku o-nhee : Xa iur ae piri oca
menar ardma ae irumo .
Udimi o-nhee : se mbyra mira pooci-rete
ae ; aa-rese oca sd ccd iumimi ine .
Kdahd udimi inti Inaye sy ; Mykura (*) sy ae.
Karuka rame i mbyra o-suka-odn ; o-rure-
an ocemidra, = uird-etd.
I sy o-mongaturu aita o-u arama.
Ait a o-u o-ikd rame,i syo-puranui-xui :
0-suka rame oiepe amo tetama-udra, may taha
re-reko ae ?
Mykura o-suaocdra : Xa sendi ae o-u ardma
iane irumo .
Arame uaimi o-senoi kunha moku, o-iumimi
o-ikd uaa.
Kunha-moku o-u-an aitd irumo.
Mykura sorib o-ikd,maa-rese kunha -moku
poranga rete.
Pituna ope, mykura o- sd rame, oker ardma
kunha moku irumo, ae ompu-dn ae o-nhee :
Intiooa ien&potdre ne irumo f maa-rese inema
rete ine.
Koema rame, uaimi o-mondu rame kunha
moku o-iuuka iepea, kunha moku o-iaudu-an.
Animal like a fox.
- i63 -
II
Kunha moku, Urufoii
O-suka mosapur pe ope, o-so amd rupy ;
0-stika oka ope, o-iuuantiamd udimi irumo;
0-puranu l-xui : Inde sera Inaye sy ?
Udimi o-suaxdra : Icce ae tenhe.
Kunha moku o-nhee: xa ur ae piri, xa
menar ardma ae irumo .
Udimi onhe? : Xa so xa iumimi inde, se
mbijra poxi rete sese.
Koahd udimi urubusy.
Karuka rame, i mbyra o-suka ; o-rure
xemidra, itdpuru mirietd, onhuhe i sy supe:
Kusukm pird miritd, se sy .
I sy o-mongaturu ximidra.
Aitd o-u oikd rame, ae o-puranu:
Audsupe o-suka uad amd tetdma sul, mad-td
re-monha i-xupe ?
Urubu o-suaxdra: xa senoi ae o-u ardma
lane irumo.
Arame i sy o- senoi kunha-moku.
Urubu sorib-ete an, kunha-moku poranga
rete rese.
164
Pituna dpe, ae o-sd rame o-yeno ae irumo,
kunha-moku ompu-dn, inema rese ae.
Amd koema ope, udimio-mondu ramb kunha
r/wku o-iuuka arama iaped, kunhd-moku
o-iauau-an. . ,
in
Kunha-moku, Inaye
Ae o-suka rame mosapur pe ope, o-sd amd
rupy.
0-s%ka oka ope, o-mahe yepeudimipo-
ranga-rete, o-puranu i-xui : Ine Inaye sy
sera ?
Udimi o-suaocdra : Ixe ae tenhe.
Kuriha-moku o-nhe3 : oca-ur ae piri xa
menar arama ae irumo.
Uaimi o-nhee : xa so xa-iumimi inde ; se
mbyra mira poxi-rete !
Karuka rame , mbyra o-suka ; o-rure
ximidra, = uird-miri-td.
I sy omon-gaturu uira mirltd aitd ou arama.
Altd ou o-ikd rame, i sy o-puranu i-xui:
Aud supe o-suka uaarame amd tetama sui,
maa ta re-monha i~xupe?
1 65
Inaye o-suaocdra : Xa-senoi ae ou ardma
iane irumo.
Arame uaimi o-senoi kunha-moku.
Inaye sorib rete, kunha moku poranga rete
rese.
Aetd o-keri-an iepe-uasu.
Amo ara-dpe, Uriibu o-suka Inaye oka ope,
o-sikari arama kunha moku.
Aita omara-monha-oan rete kunha-moku
rese.
Inaye ompuk- an Urubu akanga.
I sy omo-aku iy, mo-asuk i akanga.
ly saku rete oan; aarese i akanga-saua-yma
opitd ara ope
"THE YOUNG- WOMAN WHO GOES TO SEEK HUSBAND"
I
" The Young- woman and the Fox "
One day, a young-woman said to her mother:
" I go to seek my husband ; I am feeling great
hunger".
She went away ; arrived wherein there were
three paths, and asked : which is the Inaye's
path?....
1 66
In the one path, she saw some feathers of
inambu ; then she thought: This must be the
Inaye"'s path.
She went along this.
At last, she met a house, where was an old
woman seated at the fire-side, and asked to her:
" Are you the Inaye's mother?"
The old-woman replies: I, myself, yes.
The young-woman said : I come to marry
with him.
The old woman said: " My son is a very
troublesome fellow \ Therefore I go to hide you."
This old woman was not the mother of Inaye,
but she was the Fox's mother.
In the evening, her son came back, and
brought his game,= birds.
His mother tempered them for eating ; and
when they were eating, the mother asked to
son : if now somebody came here from other
land, how should you treat him ?
The Fox replied: I would call him to eat
with us.
Then the old woman called the young-woman,
who was hidden.
This ate with them .
The Fox became very content, because she was
very beautiful .
- ,67-
At night, the Fox went to sleep with the young-
woman ; but this expelled him, saying, that he
was too stinking ,
When in the morning the old woman bade the
young- woman seek fuel, this went away, and.. .
II
The Young-woman and the Carrion-Crow.
She arrived at three paths, and went through
another. . .
At last, she arrived at a house, where she
met other old woman, to whom she asked :
Are you the Inaye's mother?
The old woman replied : Yes, I am .
The young- woman said: I come to marry with
him.
The old -woman said: I go to hide you, be-
cause my son is a very troublesome fellow !
This old-woman was the Carrion-crow's mo-
ther.
At evening, her son arrived ; he brought small
worms, and said to his mother: "Here is small
fish, mother".
His mother tempered the prey.
1 68
When they were eating, she spoke: If some-
body came now from other land, how should you
treat him ?
The Carrion-crow replied: I would call him to
eat with us.
Then his mother called the young- woman.
The Crow became very content, because she
was very fine.
At night, he went to sleep with the young -
woman, but this expelled him on account of his
stinking.
In the other morning, when the old -woman
bade the young -woman seek fuel, she run
away . . .
in
The Young- woman and the Sparrow-hawk.
She arrived, again, at three paths, and she
went through another. . .
She arrived at a house, where she met a fine
old-woman, to whom she asked : Art thou the
Inaye's mother?
The old-woman replied; Yes, I am.
1 69
The young- woman said: I come to marry with
him.
The old- woman said : I go to hide you, because
my son is a very troublesome fellow !
At evening, the son arrived and brought his
game, = many small birds.
Hi smother prepared the birds for their eating;
and when they were eating, she asked to him :
If somebody came from other land, how should
you treat him ?
Inaye replied: I would call him to eat with us.
Then the old-woman called the young- woman.
Inaye became very glad, because she was very
fine.
They slept together.
In the other day, the Carrion-crow arrived
at Inaye's house, looking for the young-woman.
They fighted much on account of the young-
woman.
Inaye brake open the head of the Crow.
The mother of the latter warmed water,
washed his head ; but the water was too warm,
and, therefore, his head became bald, since then. .
*- i7o
Literal TRANSLATION
I
KUNHA-MOKU, MYKURA >
The Young-woman and the Fox
Oiepe kunha-moku o-nhee i sy supe : Xa so
oca stkari se mena ;
A young-woman said her mother to : I go
I seek my husband ;
Xa purardre rete iu-masy !
I feel great hunger.
Ae o-sd an ; o-suka o-an, mame o-iko mdsa-
pur p, o-puranu : Mad-ta Inaye pe ? (*)
She went away ; arrived, where there were
three paths, she asked: Which Inaye^'s path ?
Oiepe pe ope, ae o-mahe inambu-rdua ; ara-
me ae o-maite~oan : Koahd Inaye pe.
One path in, she*sees inambu's feathers ; then
she thought : This Inaye's path .
0-sd-an ae rupy .
She went along this through .
(*) Inaj^ is the Brasilian name of a sparrow-hawk.
Opausape, o-yo-iuanti oka, mame o-ikd
yepe udimi d-apik-oikd uad tat a remehupe ;
o-nhee :
At last, she met a house, where was one old
woman seated was who fire-side at ; she said :
Ine sera Inaye sy ?
You Inaye's mother ?
Udimi o-suaxdra : Ixe ae tenhe
The old-woman replied : I myself yes .
Kunha-moku o-nh^ : Xa iur ae piri xa
menar ardma ae irumo .
The young-woman said : I come him to,
I to marry him with.
Uaimi o-nhee: se mbyra mira poxi-rete
ae ; aa-rese xa sd xd iumimi ine .
The old woman says : my son bad very he ;
therefore I go I hide you .
Kdahd udimi inti Inaye sy ; Mykura (*) sy ae.
This old woman not Inaye's mother ; Fox's
jnother she .
Karuka rame, i mbyra o-suka-odn; o-rure-
an xemiara, uira-etd .
Evening when, her son came back ; he brought
his game, birds .
( m ) Animal like a fox.
172
I sy o-mongaturu aitd o-u arama.
His mother tempered them eating for.
Aitd o-u o-ikd rame, i sy o~puranu i-xui :
0-suka rame oiepe amo tetama-udra, may tahd
re-reko ae ?
They eating were when, his mother asked him
to : Arrives when one other land from, how
you treat him ?
Mykura o-suaxdra : Xa senoi ae o-u ardma
iane irumo.
Fox replies : I call him eating for us with.
Arame uaimi o -senoi kunhamoku, o-iumimi
o-ikd uad .
Then the old -woman calls the young -woman,
hidden was who .
Kunha-moku o-u- an aitd irumo.
The young- woman ate them with.
Mykura sorib o-ikd, maa-rese kunhd-moku
poranga rete .
Fox content was, because young woman fine
very.
Pituna ope, Mykura o-sd rame, oker ardma
kunhd moku irumo , ae ompu-dn ae o-nhee :
Night at, the Fox went when sleep to, the
young woman with, she expelled him, she said :
Inti xa-ienopotdre ne irumo , maa-rese inema
rtte ine.
- i 7 3-
Not I to sleep will you with, because stinking
very much you .
Koema rame, uaimi o-mondu rame kunhd
moku o-iuuka iepea, kunhamokito-iaudu-an.
Morning when, the old woman ordered when
the young woman to seek fuel, the young- woman
went away
ii
KUNHA MOKU, URUBU >
The Young-woman and the Carrion-crow
0-suka mosapur pe ope, o-sd amo rupy ;
She arrived three paths at, she went another
through ;
0-suka oka ope, o-iuuanti amo uaimi irumo ;
She arrived house at, met other old-woman
with ;
0-puranu i-ooui : Inde sera Inaye syl
She asked her: You Inaye's mother?
Uaimi o-suaxdra : Ixe ae tenhe.
The old -woman replies: I myself yes.
Kuriha moku o-nhee : oca ur ae piri> oca
menar arama ae irumo .
I 74 -
The young woman said : I come him to, I
marry him with.
Udimi onhee: Xa so xa iumimi inde, se
mbyra poxi rete sese 1 .
The old -woman said : I go I hide thee, my son
creature rude very because.
Koahd udimi Urubu sy .
This old- woman Carrion-crow's mother.
Karuka rame, i mbyra o-suka ; o-rure
xemidra,-= itapuru mirietd, onhze i sy supe :
Evening when, her son arrived ; he brought
game, = worms small, he said his mother to :
Kusukui pird mirita,se sy. >
Here is small fish, my mother.*
I sy o-mongaturu ocimidra.
His mother tempered the prey.
Aitd o-u-oikb rame, ae o-puranu :
They eating were when, she asked:
Aud supe o-suka wad amd tetdma sui, mad-td
re-monha i-xupe?
Him to arrives who other land from, how do
you him with ?
Urubu o-suaxdra : xa senoi ae o-u ardma
iane irumo.
The Crow replies: I call him eating for us
with.
- i 7 5-
Arame i sy o-senoi kunka-moku.
Then his mother called the young-woman.
Urubu sorib-ete an, kunha-moku poranga
rete rese.
The Crow glad very was, young-woman
fine very because of.
Pituna ope, ae o-sd rame o-yeno ae irumo ;
kunha-moku ompu-an incma rese ae.
Night at, he went when, to sleep her with ; the
young-woman expelled him, stinking for his.
Amo kosma 6pe,udimi o-mondu rame kunha
moku o-iuuka arama iaped, kunha-moku
o-iauau-an
Other morning at, the old -woman ordered
when, the young- woman seek to fuel /the young-
woman went away ....
ill
KUNHA-MOKU, INAYE>
The Young-woman and the Sparraw-hawk
Ae o-suka rame mosapur pe dpe, o-sJ amS
rupy.
She arrived when three paths at, she went
other through .
- , 7 6-
0-suka oka ope, o-mahe yepe udimi poran-
ga-rete, o-puranu i-xui : Ine Inaye syserd?
She arrived a house at, saw one old-woman
fine very, she asked her: Thou Inaye's mother?
Udimi o-suaxdra: Ixe ae tenhe.
Old-woman replies : I myself yes .
Kunha-moku o-nhee: oca-ur ae piri xa
menar arama ae irumo.
Young-woman said : I come him to, I marry
to him with.
Uaimi o-nhee : oca so xa-iumimi inde; se
mbyra mira po&i-rete!
Old-woman says : I go I hide thee ; my son
a fellow troublesome very !
Karuha rame , mbyra o-suka ; o-rure
ximidra, = uira-mirT -seta .
Night at, the son arrived ; he brought game,
= birds small many .
I sy omon-gaturu uira miritd aitd ou arama.
His mother prepared the birds small their
eating for .
Aitd ou o-iko rame, i sy o-puranu i-xui:
They eating were when, his mother asked him :
Aud supe o-stika uad rame amd tetama sui,
mad ta re-monha ixu-pel
Him to arrives who if other land from, how
you do him to?
177
Inaye o-suaxdra : Xa senoi ae ou ardma
iane irumo.
Inaye" replied: I call him eating for us with.
Arameudimi o-senoi kunha-moku.
Then the old woman called the young-woman.
Inaye sorib rete, kunha moku poranga rete
rese.
Inay glad very, the young-woman fine very
for.
Aetd o-her-an iepe-uasu.
They slept together .
Amo ara-ope, Urubu o-suka Inaye oka ope,
o-sikari arama kunha moku.
Other day at, the Crow arrived Inaye's
house at, looking for the young-woman.
Ait a omara-monha-oan rete kunha-moku
rese.
They fighted much, the young-woman be-
cause of.
Inaye ompuk-an Urubu akanga .
Inaye brake open the Crow's head .
J sy omo-aku iy, mo-asuk i akanga .
His mother warmed water, washed his head .
Iy saku rete oan ; aarese i akanga-saua-yma
opita ara ope
The water was too warm ; therefore his head
bald became, since then
12
178
CHAPTER XIII
CONCLUSION
. From all that has been said before,
we think, we are enabled to draw the following
general conclusions :
(i) That in the Brasilian language all the
words are invariable ; [sr]
(n) That the distinction of number and gender
in nouns, adjectives, and pronouns (except
the personal) are indicated, either by special
words or by postpositions, and other formative
elements ; [so to 34, e-r to 69 74 to so]
(in) That the persons of verbs are designated
by means of prefixes which are, so to say, glued
to them, with the same value and signification,
as the personal suffixes of the Latin language ;
(iv) That the moods and tenses (the Present
Indicative excepted) are expressed by the use of
special particles, which are placed after the ver-
bal root ; [ss
(v) That, although a noun or an adjective of
quality may be used, as a verb, and vice-versa,
still we find, in general, quite distinct, all
the parts of speech, such as : noun, adjective,
pronoun, verb, adverb, postposition (prep.), con-
junction and interjection ; [a?, 95, IOG]
(vi) That predicative roots are entirely distinct
from demonstrative ones, and that they are never
confounded in their applications.
(vii) That in derivative or compound- words it
is always easy to make the decomposition of the
radical and of the formative elements, although
there may occur frequent euphonical letters .
Therefore, we consider these facts and other
which were presented before, as a proof, quite
sufficient, that the Brasilian speech ought to be
rightly classed, as belonging to the family of
agglutinative tongues.
CORRIGENDA
FAGS.
ERRATA
6 3 dostingulsh....
40 6 language sarc..
11 7 indu-ctions
19. 10 knwon ,
23....... 13 can, rightly...,
31
gone-ral
38
33
45
3S
as .
57
57
59
59 ....
64. . .
66
to to dig
68
69
kunha ...
71
74
75
that
80
S3
baptised;
81
the those
91
01
so-coll-
liing
96
96. . ..
equal o
101
93
a it
103
HO
99
postpo-islions
t-inb iukd
Ill ... .
1O3
ixtiukd
1O4
au-xialiary
vorbsfare
121
125 .
110
113
lite-rally
140
113
violenty .
145.. . .
115 (*) ...
either, or,
meithcr
(47
116
pekoT
14S.
veve
154. . .
157
WlOLGb . .
159. . .
,
shead
CORRECTED
distinguish
languages aro
induc-lions
known
can rightly
Ihere-foro
goner-al
distinguished,
an s.
reciprocally
particle)
: to dig
kunha
: twenty
: that,
baptised,
: those
: so-call-
living
: equal to
: it
: postpo-sitions
: t-ine o-iukd
: ixe re-iukd
: aux-iliary
: verb stare
: lit-orally
violently
: either, or,
: neither
pekoi,
popk
: yourselves
maht
s head
CHAPTER I
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGES I
(1) The monasyllabic period 2
(2) The agglutinative period 3
(3) The inflectional period 7
The study of language 10
The Bras. lang. and its position 13
CHAPTER II
PHONETIC PRINCIPLES 49
Sounds and letters 22
Consonants 23
Vowels 25
Diphthongs 28
Table of the alphabetic sounds 29
Thonctic alterations 30
Permutation of sounds 3L
Suppression* addition of letters 33
CHAPTER III
PARTS OF SPEECH 36
Accidence or the forms of words 37
Gender, number and case 40
Diminutive and augmentative 43
Derivation and formation of nouns etc 44
Noun-suffixes 45
Agglutination of words 49
Longer-agglutinative words 55
Onomatopaic words 64
II
CHAPTER IV
ADJECTIVES 65
Accidence of Bras, adjectives 67
Gender and number 63
Comparison 63
Numerals 70
Ordinals 72
CHAPTER V
PRONOUNS 73
Personal pronouns 73
Demonstrative pron 74
Interrogative pron 75
Relative pronouns 76
Possessive pron 76
Indefinite pron ^ 77
CHAPTER VI
VERBS 79
Voice of verbs 80
Reflexive verbs 84
Transitive verbs 81
Prono. subjects & pers. prefixes 83
Mood 84
Tenses 85
The negation and interrogation 89
Anomalous verbs 90
Remarks 92
Formation of verbs 9i
Participles 97
CHAPTER VII
POSTPOSITIONS , 97
Ill
CHAPTER VIII
ADVERBS 101
Adverbs of place 101
Adverbs of affirmation, etc, etc 103
Adverbs of time 105
Adverbs ofmanner, quality, etc 106
CHAPTER IX
eONJUNCTIONS 107
CHAPTER X
INTERJECTIONS 108
CHAPTER XI
MISGELL. RULES & REMARKS 109
Syntax of the subject 109
Syntax of the object Ill
Syntax of the verb , Ill
The construction of some verbs 115
To need and (to) will 116
Est meum, est tuum 117
Division of time 118
Salutation or greeting 121
Colours 121
Review of agglutinative forms 122
Original words 132
CHAPTER XII
BRAZILIAN COMPOSITIONS 143
Nhane Ruba.... 144
May pituna o-yo-kuau-an 147
Kunha moku o-sduaa& 161
CHAPTER XIII
CONCLUSION... 178
CORRIGENDA , t 181
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