An Introduction to Classical Nahuatl

Description

Now available to an English-speaking audience, this book is a comprehensive grammar of classical Nahuatl, the literary language of the Aztecs. It offers students of Nahuatl a complete and clear treatment of the language's structure, grammar and vocabulary. It is divided into 35 chapters, beginning with basic syntax and progressing gradually to more complex structures. Each grammatical concept is illustrated clearly with examples, exercises and passages for translation. A key is provided to allow students to check their answers. By far the most approachable textbook of Nahuatl available, this book will be an excellent teaching tool both for classroom use and for readers pursuing independent study of the language. It will be an invaluable resource to anthropologists, ethnographers, historians, archaeologists and linguists alike. Preface How to Use This Book Part one Preliminary Lesson: Phonetics and Writing Lesson One: Intransitive Verbs, Word Order, Absolutive Suffix    1.1 Present Tense of Intransitive Verbs    1.2 Form of the Prefixes in Front of a Vowel    1.3 Assimilation of Nasals    1.4 Word Order    1.5 Number in Nouns and the Absolutive Suffix Lesson Two: Nouns and Nominal Predicates, the Plural of Nouns, Questions and Negation    2.1 Nominal Predicates    2.2 Forms of the Absolutive Suffix    2.3 Nouns without the Absolutive Suffix    2.4 Plural of Nouns    2.5 Details about the Plural    2.6 Pluralizable Inanimate Objects    2.7 The Particle Ca    2.8 Word Order and Focalization    2.9 Questions and Negation Lesson Three: Transitive Verbs    3.1 Object Prefixes    3.2 Writing of /k/    3.3 The Helping Vowel /i/ with the Third Person Object    3.4 Third Person Plural Object    3.5 Combination with a Noun Object    3.6 Indefinite Prefixes    3.7 Variation in the Stem after -tla-    3.8 Word Order in Transitive Constructions    3.9 Focalization of the Object Lesson Four: Emphatic, Interrogative, Demonstrative and Negative Pronouns    4.1 Emphatic Pronouns    4.2 Predication and Focalization with the Emphatic Pronouns    4.3 Topicalized Pronouns    4.4 ‘Who?’    4.5 Demonstratives    4.6 Demonstratives Combined with in    4.7 In and On after a Noun    4.8 ‘What?’    4.9 ‘No One’, ‘Nothing’    4.10 Interrogatives Preceded by in Lesson Five: Irregular Verbs, Introduction to Locatives    5.1 Câ ‘To Be’    5.2 Yauh ‘To Go’    5.3 Hutz ‘To Come’    5.4 Locatives    5.5 Syntax of Locatives    5.6 No Indication of Direction with Locatives    5.7 Nicn and mpa with Another Locative    5.8 The Suffix -pa Lesson Six: Directional and Reflexive Prefixes    6.1 Directional Prefixes    6.2 Metaphorical Uses of the Directional Prefixes    6.3 The Helping Vowel in Front of -c-on-    6.4 Order of Prefixes    6.5 Reflexive Prefixes    6.6 Meaning of the Reflexive    6.7 Morphology of the Reflexive in Front of a Vowel Lesson Seven: Quantifiers, Zan, Ye, Oc    7.1 Number Nouns    7.2 Place for Numbers    7.3 Plural of Numbers    7.4 Plural of c    7.5 Numbers as Predicates    7.6 Other Quantifiers       7.6.1 Miyac       7.6.2 Moch    7.7 Counting Nouns    7.8 Zan, Ye, Oc    7.9 Ayamo and Aoc Lesson Eight: Preterite Tense    8.1 Introduction to the Tenses    8.2 Principles for Forming the Preterite    8.3 Formation of Base 2 by Dropping the Final Vowel    8.4 Modification of the Final Consonant    8.5 Base 2 Formed by Dropping the Final Vowel and Adding a Glottal Stop    8.6 Base 2 Formed with the Glottal Stop without Dropping the Final Vowel    8.7 Base 2 without Modification    8.8 The Augment    8.9 The Tense with Ayamo    8.10 Preterite of Irregular Verbs Lesson Nine: Imperative/Optative, Vocative, Future, Imperfect    9.1 Imperative/Optative    9.2 Variants of x-    9.3 Lengthening of the Stem Vowel    9.4 Imperative/Optative in Irregular Verbs    9.5 The Optative in Other Persons    9.6 Negation of the Optative    9.7 Vocative of Nouns    9.8 Morphology of the Future    9.9 Meaning of the Future    9.10 The Imperfect Lesson Ten: Possessed Forms of the Noun    10.1 Morphology of the Possessed Form    10.2 Forms of the Possessive Suffix    10.3 Possessive Prefixes    10.4 Plural of the Possessed Forms    10.5 Syntax of Possessed Nouns    10.6 Constructions Indicating Possession    10.7 Dropping of Short Vowels in the Possessed Form    10.8 Retention of Short Vowels in Nouns Ending in -atl, -itl    10.9 Possessed Form of Monosyllables    10.10 Vocative of Possessed Forms Lesson Eleven: Inherent Possession, the Suffix -y, ‘To Have’, Possessive Nouns    11.1 Nouns for Family Relationships    11.2 Nouns for Parts of the Body    11.3 The Suffix -y    11.4 -y in the Possessed Form    11.5 -y of Inalienable Possession    11.6 ‘To Have’: Piya and Possessed Forms    11.7 Possessive Nouns    11.8 -huâ or -ê?    11.9 Possessive Nouns in -yô    11.10 The Possessed and Derivative Forms of Possessive Nouns Lesson Twelve: Nominal Suffixes, “Adjectives”    12.1 Honorific, Deprecatory, Diminutive and Augmentative Suffixes       12.1.1 -tzin       12.1.2 -tn       12.1.3 -pl       12.1.4 -pil       12.1.5 -zol    12.2 The Problem of Adjectives    12.3 ‘Large’ and ‘Small’    12.4 “Adjectives” in -qui    12.5 “Adjectives” in -huac and Verbs in -hua    12.6 “Adjectives” in -tic    12.7 “Adjectives” in -c    12.8 Derivation of Adjectives    12.9 ‘Very’ Lesson Thirteen: The Principal Locative Suffixes    13.1 The Suffix -c(o)    13.2 Placement of Locatives    13.3 Possessed Locatives    13.4 Locative nouns: -pan    13.5 -cpac    13.6 -tlan    13.7 -tech    13.8 Chn(-tli)    13.9 Honorific Locatives    13.10 Locatives and “Adjectives” Lesson Fourteen: Coordination, Phrases of Time and Manner    14.1 ‘And’       14.1.1 hun       14.1.2 Auh       14.1.3 Juxtaposition    14.2 N, Àzo, Ànozo    14.3 -(ti)ca    14.4 Ic    14.5 Iuh(qui)    14.6 Qun    14.7 ‘When?’: c    14.8 ‘When?’: Qumman    14.9 Subordinate Temporal Clauses    14.10 Quin Lesson Fifteen: Impersonal and Passive Verb Forms    15.1 Impersonal Forms of Intransitive Verbs with Animate Subjects    15.2 Morphology of the Impersonal Voice    15.3 Inanimate Impersonal in tla-    15.4 Passive Voice    15.5 Morphology of the Passive       15.5.1 Regular Formation       15.5.2 Other Formations    15.6 Impersonal Forms of Intransitive Verbs Based on the Passive Stem    15.7 Impersonal Form of Transitive Verbs    15.8 Reflexive Impersonal    15.9 Reflexive and Passive    15.10 Inherently Impersonal Verbs    15.11 The Third Person Plural Substituting for the Impersonal    15.12 Alternation between Impersonal and Personal Forms Review Exercises for Part One Part two Lesson Sixteen: Agent Nouns, the -ni Form    16.1 The Preterite as Agent Noun    16.2 Inanimate “Agent Nouns”    16.3 The -ni Form    16.4 Plural of the -ni Form    16.5 -ni Form and Preterite    16.6 -ni Form of the Passive    16.7 -ni Form of the Impersonal: Instrument Nouns    16.8 Possessed Form of the Instrument Noun    16.9 Use of the -ni Form in Wishes Lesson Seventeen: Compound Nouns, Verbal Incorporation    17.1 Compound Nouns    17.2 Meaning of Compounds    17.3 Verb Incorporation       17.3.1 Object Incorporation       17.3.2 Modifying Incorporation    17.4 Impersonal and Passive Forms of Compounds       17.4.1 Modifying Incorporation       17.4.2 Object Incorporation    17.5 Placement of tla- Lesson Eighteen: Bitransitive Verbs, Ambitransitive Verbs    18.1 Introduction to Bitransitive Verbs    18.2 Reduction of Definite Object Prefixes    18.3 Retention of the Third Person Plural -im-    18.4 The Reflexive with Bitransitive Verbs    18.5 Passive/Impersonal Forms of Bitransitive Verbs    18.6 Incorporation with Bitransitive Verbs    18.7 Ambitransitive Verbs    18.8 Àci and Mati    18.9 yi Lesson Nineteen: Causative Verbs    19.1 Introduction to Causative Verbs    19.2 Morphology of Causative Verbs    19.3 Notes on the Meaning of the Causative    19.4 Causatives of Itta    19.5 Causatives of Mati    19.6 Causative of the Reflexive    19.7 Passive and Impersonal of the Causative    19.8 Semi-Causatives    19.9 Semi-Causatives of Verbs in -o    19.10 Restrictions on the Formation of Causatives Lesson Twenty: Applicative Verbs    20.1 Introduction to Applicative Verbs    20.2 The Suffix -lia    20.3 Applicatives in -ia, -(l)huia    20.4 Applicative in the Form of a Causative    20.5 Notes on the Meaning of the Applicative    20.6 Applicative of the Reflexive    20.7 Passive of the Applicative    20.8 Applicative of the Causative    20.9 Semi-Applicative Verbs    20.10 Applicative and Incorporation Lesson Twenty-One: Honorific and Deprecatory Verbs    21.1 Introduction to Honorific Verbs    21.2 General Principle for Forming the Honorific    21.3 Honorific of Intransitives    21.4 Honorific of Transitives    21.5 Honorific of the Object    21.6 Honorific of Bitransitives    21.7 Honorific of Reflexives    21.8 Double Reflexive    21.9 Restrictions on the Honorific    21.10 Deprecatory Verbs Lesson Twenty-Two: Pluperfect, Counterfactual, Vetitive, Directional Conjugations    22.1 The Pluperfect    22.2 The Counterfactual    22.3 The Vetitive    22.4 The Directional of Motion Toward    22.5 The Directional of Motion Away Lesson Twenty-Three: Morphological Peculiarities of Certain Nouns and Verbs    23.1 Suffixless Nouns    23.2 Nouns Borrowed from Spanish    23.3 Tlpchtli and Ichpchtli    23.4 Huhuê and Ilamâ    23.5 chcuh and Iccuh    23.6 Peculiarities of Certain Preterites    23.7 Verbs of State    23.8 Suffix -tz Lesson Twenty-Four: More on Locatives    24.1 Review of Locatives    24.2 Other Locative Noun Suffixes       24.2.1 -tlc and -nhuac       24.2.2 -tzlan and -nepantlâ       24.2.3 -huc       24.2.4 -campa    24.3 Locative Suffixes with Non-Spatial Meaning       24.3.1 -hun       24.3.2 -pal       24.3.3 -pampa       24.3.4 -teuh    24.4 -tlâ    24.5 Compound Locatives    24.6 Tla- as Possessive Prefix of Locative    24.7 Cecni    24.8 -cn    24.9 -yn    24.10 ‘Himself ’ etc.    24.11 Words for Position    24.12 Demonstrative Locatives Lesson Twenty-Five: More on Quantifiers    25.1 Quxquich    25.2 zqui and xquich    25.3 Cequi    25.4 ‘Very Big’ and ‘Very Small’    25.5 Aquì-    25.6 Numbers from 20 to 399    25.7 Counting above 400    25.8 -pa Added to Quantifiers    25.9 -ca Added to Quantifiers    25.10 -(i)xtin    25.11 Cl and El       25.11.1 Cl ‘Alone’       25.11.2 El ‘By Himself ’    25.12 Counting Nouns (cont'd) Lesson Twenty-Six: Details about Number and Person, Indefinite Pronouns and Adverbs    26.1 Coordination of Noun and Pronoun    26.2 Nouns in the First and Second Person    26.3 Number Agreement with Juxtaposed Nouns    26.4 Titèhun    26.5 -pô    26.6 ‘A Man’, ‘a Woman’    26.7 ‘Together’, ‘Each Other’    26.8 Indefinite Pronouns and Adverbs    26.9 Qummanyn    26.10 Iyô    26.11 Amî    26.12 Tìquê, Amìquê    26.13 Ctlèhutl, Ctlia, Ctlî Lesson Twenty-Seven: Compound Verbs    27.1 Auxiliary Verbs       27.1.1 Câ       27.1.2 Ìcac       27.1.3 Oc       27.1.4 Mani       27.1.5 Nemi       27.1.6 Yauh       27.1.7 Hutz       27.1.8 Calaqui       27.1.9 Huetzi       27.1.10 hua       27.1.11 Quza       27.1.12 Àci    27.2 Transitive Reflexive Auxiliaries    27.3 Non-Reflexive Transitive Auxiliaries    27.4 Auxiliaries Added to Auxiliaries    27.5 Auxiliaries Added to Possessive Nouns    27.6 Stems Appearing Only with Auxiliaries    27.7 Verbal Compounds with -c- Lesson Twenty-Eight: Reduplication outside of the Plural, More on Verbs    28.1 Verbal Reduplication in /CV:/    28.2 /CV:/ Reduplication with Numbers    28.3 /CV:/ Reduplication with Locatives    28.4 /CV′/ Reduplication    28.5 Morphology of the /CV′/ Reduplication    28.6 /CV′/ outside of Verbs    28.7 /CV/ Reduplication    28.8 Verbs in -ni    28.9 Nequi as Auxiliary    28.10 Mati, Toca, (Nè)nequi    28.11 -tlani Lesson Twenty-Nine: Derivative Verbs    29.1 Verbs from Non-Verbal “Adjectives” in -c       29.1.1 Intransitive Derived Verbs in -ya       29.1.2 Transitive Derived Verbs in -lia    29.2 -ti    29.3 -tic, -tiya, -tilia    29.4 Verbs with Possessive Prefixes    29.5 -tia    29.6 Verbs Based on Nouns in -y    29.7 -oa    29.8 -huia    29.9 -tla Lesson Thirty: Derivative Nouns    30.1 Action Nouns    30.2 Object Nouns: Regular Formation    30.3 Other Ways to Form Object Nouns    30.4 Nouns of State    30.5 Thematic Nouns    30.6 Delocative Nouns (Names for Inhabitants) Lesson Thirty-One: Noun Clauses    31.1 Clauses as Subject or Object: Indirect Questions    31.2 Object Noun Clauses    31.3 Noun Clauses with the Future    31.4 Noun Clauses with the -ni Form and Optative    31.5 Noun Clauses Introduced by in ic    31.6 Noun Clauses as Subject    31.7 Noun Clause Not Represented with a Prefix Lesson Thirty-Two: Attributives, Relative Clauses, Copula Verbs, Semi-Auxiliaries    32.1 Attributives    32.2 Relative Clauses    32.3 Relatives for Relationships Other Than Subject/Object    32.4 Copula Verbs    32.5 Semi-Auxiliaries Lesson Thirty-Three: Comparisons, Clauses of Result, Purpose and Cause    33.1 Comparative    33.2 Equation    33.3 Superlative    33.4 Result    33.5 Purpose    33.6 Cause    33.7 Yê and -ê Lesson Thirty-Four: Conditions, More Particles    34.1 Conditional Clauses    34.2 Semi-Hypothetical Conditions       34.1.1 Past Contrafactual       34.1.2 Present Contrafactual       34.1.3 Hypothetical       34.1.4 Simple Future    34.3 Concessive Clauses    34.4 Tl    34.5 Nel    34.6 Cul    34.7 Mâ Lesson Thirty-Five: Temporal Clauses, Particles, Interjections    35.1 More on Temporal Clauses    35.2 Expressions for Various Temporal Relationships    35.3 Particles for Statement Modulation    35.4 Ach    35.5 Mach    35.6 Connectives    35.7 Interjections and Exclamations Appendix One: Traditional Orthography Appendix Two: Inflexional Patterns Appendix Three: The Aztec Calendar Appendix Four: Key to the Exercises Nahuatl-to-English Vocabulary English-to-Nahuatl Vocabulary Index