MASON, TEPECANO, A PIMAN LANGUAGE OF MEXICO 345 



inal subject. Thus the initial vowel <t of the pronominal form is 

 generally or always dropped in the conditional. 



uiti'ananio'k - if I speak to them 



anti'anio I spoke to them 



The same phenomenon appears to be characteristic and of mor- 

 phological importance in the case of the imperative and simple 

 interrogative forms. 



'cr 



Imperative. 



Imperatives differ in little from indicative constructions and no 

 distinctive particle is used. The verb stem and the other elements 

 likewise remain the same as with the indicative. The characteris- 

 tics of the imperative are two; the use of the particle -ci- and the 

 abbreviation or complete disappearance of the pronominal subject. 

 The particle -ci- however, is probably not a distinctive imperative 

 particle but the intensive verbal particle 58 found in indicative 

 constructions and used with imperatives to render the command 

 forcible. When this particle is used the pronominal subject is 

 generally abandoned entirely. 



cida't; seize it! 



cida - 'i\va sit down! 



biciboi bring it here! 



maicimna'gia lower yourself! 



gambicihi'm come here ! 



When the particle -ci- is not used the pronominal subject gener- 

 ally appears in abbreviated form as with conditionals, the initial a 

 vowel disappearing, but a few aberrant cases are found. 



but 



48. -so-, interrogative. 



In many cases there is likewise no distinctive particle for inter- 

 rogative constructions. My informant always insisted that there is 

 no morphological difference between a simple indicative and a simple 

 interrogative, as for instance, between "he went" and "did he go?" 

 Occasionally the pronominal subject is abbreviated in the interrog- 



