MASON, TEPECAXO. A PIMAN LANGUAGE OE MEXICO 337 



these two integral parts of the complex may occur numerous other 

 elements, some of them modal or adverbial particles, others bodily 

 incorporated adverbs, postpositions, adjectives or nouns. These 

 compose the medial elements. 



PROCLITICS 



Preceding the nominal subject, which may be considered the true 

 initial element, are found certain proclitics more or less firmly 

 attached to the complex. The more frequent of these are, 



34. »-, relative. :!5 



This proclitic is found very frequently in continued narrative. 

 Its sphere does not seem to be well-defined and its force rather 

 weak. It occasionally introduces relative clauses in which case it 

 is translated by "which", but frequently also introduces absolute 

 sentences without apparent cause. Its use may be to some extent 

 euphonic. 



35. ku-, subordinate. 



This proclitic is a little more forcible than n-. It sometimes 

 introduces subordinate clauses, being then translated by "that", but 

 frequently begins a new sentence, particularly when a new thought 

 is introduced or a break in continuity made. 



36. na'ku-, potential. 



This may be a combination of the above two proclitics but is of 

 relative rarity. It introduces statements implying uncertainty of 

 future consummation and is generally translated "to see if." 



Examples of these proclitics are frequent in the specimen texts. 



Besides these three true proclitics there are many other con- 

 junctions such as hava, "and"; honq, "then"; interrogative pronouns 

 and adverbs and locative adverbs which in connected speech are so 

 closely attached to the verb that they may well be considered as 

 proclitic. The distinction is, on the whole, a rather artificial one, 

 but the native mind seems to consider the three given particles as 

 incapable of independent position, the others as normally inde- 

 pendent. With the true proclitics however, should be considered 

 the interrogative and the indefinite-relative locative particles pa- 

 and pi- (p. 375). 



Northern Tepehuane -na, relative (Rinaldiui, op. cit.). 



